5 Common Mistakes That Can Doom Your Video Marketing Strategy

A great video marketing strategy can help your brand stand out from competitors, as it offers numerous advantages. G2 Crowd’s compilation report states that half of all customers actively seek out video content during their researching process, and 80% of shoppers agreed that video content influenced their purchasing decision.

Transforming past marketing topics into a video is also a great way to recycle your content into new forms that perform even better than the original.

However, just because you use video marketing content to promote your brand does not mean that it will be effective. Sadly, many marketing teams are still falling short when it comes to video advertising. Even the smallest of blunders can have major consequences with this type of marketing strategy.

If you’ve noticed that your current video tactics are less than impressive or that they are not bringing in the type of results you expected, it could be quite possible that you are guilty of these common mistakes.

Let’s dive in.

1. Your video lacks context  in your buyer’s journey

One of the reasons why business video content is so effective is because it provides the kind of information that is necessary to move a customer from one stage of the buyer’s journey to the next. This is particularly true during the research and comparison phases. Customers are going to be actively searching for information that supports their ultimate decision. The easier it is for them to find this content and consume it, the higher the likelihood of a conversion.

Each video you produce needs to have a clear question that is being answered and you need to know exactly where it falls on the buyer’s journey. This will dictate the type of language you use, the information you provide, and the overall feel of the video.

If you run a digital business or have digital touchpoints, videos that fall in certain areas or provide specific information can potentially be monetized as well. For example, if you sell a software program for photo editing, you could offer additional online courses explaining various features, or offer suggestions to create promotional content using the program. This type of video content offers a clear competitive advantage and could very well be the catalyst that urges a consumer to a final purchasing decision.

video marketing mistakes

2. Your video doesn’t have a clear CTA

Videos should work to bridge the gap between interest and action. Generally speaking, videos are easier for the customer to consume than reading a blog post or combing through product descriptions. Each piece of video content you produce needs to have a clear purpose and spur further action from the viewer.

If you don’t have a roadmap for this when producing video content, it will be nearly impossible to see an ROI. For each video you create, there needs to be a clear answer to what comes next.

Remember, you are trying to help the customer along the buyer’s journey. That means there need to be clear and smooth transitions to the next step. Creating serialized video content is a great strategy here because it shows the viewer exactly where to go.

The meditation app HeadSpace does a great job of this. Before each meditation lesson, a short video offers tips and guidance for the user to help them improve on their practice. These short clips work to prepare the user for what comes next. Moreover, they lead them on a journey that ultimately ends with a purchase of further meditation courses within the app.

video marketing mistakes

3. You forgot to add subtitles

Many people tend to watch videos on mute – especially on mobile. In fact, about 85% of video content consumed on social media is viewed without the sound turned on. That being said, you need to include subtitles that are easy to read and digest.

Be sure that your captions are timed correctly with what is happening in the video. You certainly don’t want to ruin any surprises or spoil the content. Subtitles don’t need to just be boring text at the bottom of the screen either. In fact, you can make the typography an engaging part of your content.

The promotional video for David McRaney’s book You Are Not So Smart did a great job of integrating animated typography to create video marketing content that is just as engaging with the sound off. Through creative animation, the closed captioning on the video captures your attention right off the bat.

4. You didn’t pay attention to SEO

With the video carousel update in 2018, video content has amazing potential for SEO – something that many tend to overlook. If you play your cards right, you can create viral video content that is highly ranked on searches through the use of strategic keywords in the title, description, and even the transcripts of the content.

Video carousels on the SERPs now offer clips to answer select types of questions. For the most part, carousels are triggered by phrases related to how to, best ____, top ___, tips for ___, etc. So, your titles and descriptions should account for this trend.

video marketing mistakes

More users are actively seeking out video content through search engine queries. The best marketing videos that will rank highly in the SERPs are ones that answer common queries and adhere to user intent. Be sure to pay just as much attention to keyword inclusion in video promotion and production as you do when creating any other type of content.

5. Your videos lack personality

Video content needs to create brand recognition and build relationships – and personality is key to this. Remember that video content is not just for selling a specific product; it is also communicating aspects of your brand’s personality to your audience.

It is incredibly important to make sure that your brand voice shines through in your video content. This is why many companies use human representation as a spokesperson for their video ads. Characters like Flo for Progressive or Dos Equis’ Most Interesting Man are great examples of how a spokesperson’s personality can do wonders for a brand.

Think of your favorite podcast host or YouTube commentator. Chances are, there are multiple accounts out there talking about similar topics. But at the end of the day, one of the main reasons you come back is because you relate to the host on a personal level. No one likes watching a video with a boring, lifeless personality. The host needs to be exciting, humorous, interesting, or intriguing in order to capture and retain people’s attention.

Now, depending on the niche, product, or service, you may not want to create a fictional character for your video content. You will need to get creative and find ways to integrate a memorable personality wherever possible.

Conclusion

Video marketing is certainly nothing new to the business world. This visual content has been more effective in terms of engagement and audience reach than other types of marketing content for quite some time. As a result, most brands have integrated video into their strategies for this very reason. Be sure that you are making the most of your video content by avoiding these costly oversights.