Here us out! This isn’t an attack, promise. But we’re just saying, we’ve worked with some companies to create a video who start the collaboration with, “So we did a video before and it just didn’t go well at all.” Sometimes a failed video campaign can make business owners sour to video, but before you starting buying into the idea that video itself is ineffective, make sure you’re not committing the three deadly video “sins.”
Your Video is Too Promotional
We don’t mean to go all “marketing lecture” on you, but we see this one way too often. People don’t like to know they’re being sold something. They don’t like to feel like they’re giving into the “pressure” of a sale. So if your video is packed full of hard sell tactics, glaring “BUY THIS NOW” graphics and verbiage, and lists a mile of long of what makes you so great and your product or service so awesome, it’s just not going to resonate.
Enlist a production company that knows the importance of good scriptwriting that speaks to your audience the right way and knows how to use strong graphics, music, and effects to make your video an experience and not just a promotional ploy. It works. Trust us. We’ve seen the numbers.
You’re Not Taking Your Audience into Account
No matter what industry you’re in, you have a target audience. Even if you’re not honing in on a certain demographic or geographical location, you should still have an idea of your ideal customer personas and the audience you are most likely going to resonate with. Having an understanding around what audience you are mostly like to convert to customers is imperative to a successful video.
Developing your target audience is a job for your marketing squad, but collaborating with your production company to make sure all the pieces of your video fit together to create the right message is too important to ignore. If you’re speaking to business professionals, account for the fact that their time is likely limited, so shorter videos should be your go-to method. If you’re speaking to consumers and are looking to spark certain emotional responses, than a longer video may suit your purpose a bit better.
Unrealistic Expectations
Sorry, we had to say it. Video is arguably the most powerful marketing tool available today, but much like any other marketing tactic it’s a long-term strategy. Releasing a video to the right audience at the right time is a long game, and expecting instant results is a recipe for immediate disappointment.
Be realistic in your short-term expectations for the return of investment on your video and instead pay closer attention to the smaller wins. Look at statistics like how long visitors are staying on your website with the addition of the video, how many views it may be getting on your social media platforms, and any increased engagement your company is seeing as a result (i.e. inquiries from your website, increased phone traffic, or mentions of your video by people in your industry’s space.)
Don’t let one bad experience with video turn you sour. When executed correctly, video is easily the most effective way to market your company, your brand, and your offerings. We’ve seen it in action!
