9 Common Video Marketing Mistakes
Video marketing has become an important element of any marketing plan but it can also be used as a standalone tactic. Either way, video is used strategically to promote a company, brand, product or service. In fact, in 2024 organizations of all sizes, large and small companies, embraced the use of video marketing because they believe is has great ROI across all media outlets. And, while some believe that video marketing is best suited to “techy” companies that is not actually the case. A Wistia 2024 State of Video Report, with insights from HubSpot and Hootsuite, dug into more than 9 million videos and surveyed more than 100,000 businesses. The research confirms what we at CK and CO have been saying for years. Video is a powerful tool when it comes to business marketing. But only if you avoid some of the common mistakes. And there are quite a few that can derail your marketing efforts.
You don’t have a content strategy
Like every marketing effort, video marketing needs a strategy. Why are you devoting the time and effort to video instead of other efforts? It all starts with the customer. Every good marketer knows that customers have needs, wants, and challenges. To be effective you need to know their pain points, what are they struggling with? You can create the most beautiful, content-rich video and still not hit the mark if you don’t really know your audience.
Your strategy should be focused on what you can do to help customers understand how your service makes their lives easier and more productive. More profitable. This is how you determine the content of your video. Use video marketing to answer the questions your customers are asking. Too often marketers overwhelm the audience with what they want to promote instead of looking at it through the lens of the buyer.
A strategy, by its very nature, is not about creating a single, one-off video. It should be about a constant “drip” of content. Think about producing a series of videos. Then the content builds and engages the viewer- leaving them wanting more. With all the content and noise out there, it is unlikely that a single video has staying power or does enough to get you noticed. Think bigger. Think about what will engage the audience over time.
Dull or boring content
The content you develop, or more specifically the video script, must have a clear objective. Are you trying to inspire? Motivate or educate? Make a connection with the viewer. No one is likely to keep watching dull or boring content. There are too many fun and interesting alternatives. Figure out how to make the content come alive. It starts with a great script that uses one of four basic forms. The typical standard video or explainer piece. A combination of scripted narrative and soundbites that are designed to be integrated into the narrative. Content delivered by key individuals in a documentary or story-type format. Or a music video.
Humor or clever ways of delivering the content set your video apart from the competition. Use motion graphics to amplify the key points and create visual interest. When people like what they see they are more likely to share. Delivering ho-hum content is a waste of your marketing dollars.
Too much information
Packing too much content into a video is a big mistake. How much is too much? That gets a bit tricky. One rule of thumb is three key points. Many follow this rule but then include more explanation of the points than needed. The content gets complicated or as some like to say, “down in the weeds.” Consider this. Highly detailed content is much better in a written deliverable rather than video. Video is better for visual demonstration, big-picture concepts, and the experience and emotion that comes from hearing real people talk about real things.
That is not to say that complex information cannot be delivered via video, but it must be analyzed and synthesized first. It is easy to simply dump information on the viewer. It is harder to develop a shorter video that has an impact.
It bears repeating that the information should be focused on the customer. What is the most critical information that makes a difference to the viewer? Sure, there may be lots of interesting tidbits but when you overwhelm the viewer, they will not remember the key messages. One way to deal with the problem of too much information was mentioned above. Consider creating a series of videos, each with one main point or topic. Use only the “wow” statistics or benefits, not endless lists.
Too long
It should come as no surprise that attention spans have been declining for years. You might be surprised to know that a goldfish actually has more of an attention span than a human. It’s true. According to Vidico’s State of Marketing 2024, there has been “a 10% increase in short form videos over the last year. This trend towards concise, compelling content mirrors current viewing preferences, a shift that’s clearly reflected in our latest survey findings.”
The length of many short form videos is hardly short. Some are five to six minutes, much longer than necessary. The length depends upon the goal of the video and the format. For example, social media shorts and video ads are best kept to :15-:45. There are some that stretch the length to :60 but shorter is better if you want to grab attention.
Social media videos that are designed to build a brand or launch a product or service can be a little longer but experts caution going beyond :90.
Here is the bottom line. Only 36% of viewers watch a video all the way to the end. That tells us that no matter what you create shorter is better.
One size fits all
One of the formats that CK and CO loves to produce are video case studies. These can be one of the most effective marketing tools because they often include a customer testimonial. It is always best when someone else sings your praises. One big mistake when producing a video case study is creating one deliverable. You need to consider all of the different media outlets and create videos of varying lengths. In our experience the video case study can be 3:00-4:00. Then produce several social media shorts with a call to action to view “the whole story.” You might also use that same video and create a trade show piece using the video and motion graphics to call out the key messages. Video is an asset. If you only are using it for one type of presentation and not leveraging it to create various deliverables you are making a common video marketing mistake.
No call to action
No matter what the purpose of your marketing video you must have a call to action. One of the most common mistakes that sales and marketing professionals make is not clearly stating the next step for the viewer. That step could be asking them to contact you for more information or a short call. It might be to download an eBook, whitepaper or case study. There are many different types of calls to action. You need to find the one that best suits your goals. That will change as your business evolves so be sure to review this regularly and adjust.
Inadequate budget
The popular phrase is “show me the money.” It is a common mistake to dream up a great marketing campaign and then not devote enough budget to make the dream a reality. The video reflects your brand. Producing a video that does not look and sound great will not get you noticed.
Lack of accessibility
Devices rule our lives. It is true. We start to get anxious when we misplace our phones or can’t access what we want on our iPad or surface. Today people are more likely to watch your marketing videos on their devices. This means you need to think about how to make the message more accessible. Captions or subtitles are a must. 78% of companies leverage accessibility features for video content. If you don’t make it easy for the viewers to understand the content no matter where they are, they are likely to give up watching.
Choosing the wrong platform
Let’s face it. Choosing the right platform can be complicated, which is why so many fail. It is not about what is popular with the masses. It is about finding where your customers and potential customers are looking for content. Is it Facebook or Instagram? LinkedIn or some other smaller outlet? You don’t need to be everywhere.
You do need to research where your competitors are marketing and how they are positioned. Don’t operate in a vacuum. Use social media listening tools to see what people say about your brand. What do they say about your competitors? It is not hard to do this, but it does take some time and due diligence. And it is not a one-time effort.
One more thing that many fail to do is consider the reputation of the platform where they are posting. Check out the reviews and see if you truly want to be associated with the media outlet.
Today video marketing is not just “up and coming” it is here. Done correctly the return is huge so avoid these common mistakes.
Cynthia Kay founded Cynthia Kay and Company media production 35 years ago. The company produces communications for organizations from Fortune Global 100 to small businesses. A graduate of Michigan State University, Kay holds a master’s in communications from Western Michigan University.
She is the Past Board Chair of the Small Business Association of Michigan (SBAM) and the National Small Business Association (NSBA). Cynthia has been honored with many awards including numerous Tellys and Woman Owned Small Business Supplier of the Year from Siemens in 2018. She has been named One of West Michigan’s 50 Most Influential Women 5 times. She is also the recipient of over 30 broadcast awards from UPI, AP and other news organizations.
