Video is a powerful way to support your digital marketing strategy. You and your colleagues have decided to embrace the concept of a video, therefore, without any undue forelock tugging or bowing repeatedly as we exit the room backwards, this endears you enormously to us chaps here at Echo Video.
We’re only too aware of how web savvy most of our corporate customers are: you guys really know about bounce rates, conversions, click-through rates and brand awareness. We know, too, that video is a great and marvellous thing when it’s done well but given that it represents your brand, it’s risky just to decide to put one together without the due care and attention it deserves. These are some of the video marketing mistakes that we see all too often:
No Clear Audience
If you dissolve all the flim-flam that goes with “marketing” down to a single concept it’s this: Who are you selling to? As sure as eggs is eggs, not everyone will be receptive to your services, nor should they be. People have different “pain points”, so speaking to a reasonably defined audience will be much more effective than trying to be all things to all customers. Fix your message on a specific target audience and you’re more likely to succeed.
And by the way, remember that it’s not a commercial. No one wants to be sold to. This is not 7.45pm half way through Coronation Street.
No Call to Action
A great video, guys. Sharp, punchy, sleek and very engaging, now who should I contact..? Always remember to focus clearly on creating a clearly defined path towards your goal: turning your prospects into customers. Phrases such as “Visit our website at www…..” or “Why not give us a call on…” are explicit and to the point. They’re not “salesy” as such but they do offer a way to turn a viewer into a lead.
It’s boring
OK, it’s a judgement call, but some videos are a bit..umm…dull. Internet users, for the most part, are impatient: they need instant gratification. This need for immediate engagement is tough, but it’s just something that we need to understand. People will click away from a video that doesn’t interest them so make sure that it focuses on what your target audience wants to see and NOT what engages you.
(Tip: Echo Video can help you with some ideas if you’re not sure)
Not Getting Your Video Out There
We’d recommend that you have a clear strategy to promote your video. Creating a whizz-bang two-minute online promotional tool will be ineffective if it’s static. Like a car without the keys or without any petrol, it’s going nowhere.
So…you’ll need to get it optimised (talk to us about that) and you’ll need to share it. Social media is a terrific way to encourage user engagement at almost zero cost, so don’t forget to include “like” and “share” buttons on your website. Making your video easy to forward to other people all adds up to higher visibility online. And, don’t forget that a high proportion of videos are watched on mobile devices so make sure that it’s responsive.
But…
Don’t be too disappointed if your video doesn’t feature in the Top 10 Most Marvellous Videos of All Time list. OK, we don’t really know if such a thing exists but even if you do get your video into the ether, manage your own expectations about how far out there it will go.
Videos that go viral are as rare as hens’ teeth. You’ll need to be dedicated to your goal, a marketing strategy is a must and, to be fair, a consistent presence in social media wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
Poor quality production
The quality of your video will, rightly or wrongly, reflect the quality of your business.
A poorly made video will not speak to your audience, engage, inform or entertain them. It won’t be shared on social media, either. Perhaps you won’t have spent a great deal of your marketing budget on it, but your investment will have been in vain if the sound, lighting, editing and graphics are a bit rubbish. It will probably just be ignored – if you’re lucky. Some scally wag may even share it online as an example of how not to promote a business. Not unlike a certain Gerald Ratner, this is marketing you don’t need.
Of course we would say this, but we’re really jolly good at this video malarkey so why not give us a call to find out more.
See what we did there?
Andy and Will make really good videos and will help you to avoid all these ghastly mistakes. Contact them on 01273 911 345.