The 4 Biggest Mistakes You’re Making with Your Video Marketing Strategy

If your video marketing efforts aren’t showing results, it’s not the medium, it’s your approach.

Let’s face it, there’s a right and wrong way to employ video marketing. When executed well, your videos grab attention, deliver value, and provide a clear path forward for the viewer. But many videos out there fall short on accomplishing this.

Without a structured and proven approach to your video marketing, your efforts will fall flat and you’ll wonder why the conversions aren’t flowing in. We’re here to help! We understand what effective video marketing looks like and why many videos miss the mark.

Let’s take a look at the most common mistakes people make when it comes to video marketing. 

 

Mistake #1: Talking about Yourself Instead of Delivering Value

This is your first chance to impress someone, don’t waste it by talking about yourself. Self-promotion is an outdated approach to marketing and showing off how amazing you are is not what builds trust. You have an audience waiting and ready to listen – give them the value they came for. (Check out this example to see what this looks like in action.)

To be frank, people don’t care about you, they care about what you can do for them. That’s why the purpose of your video content is to educate and bring value to your audience in regards to THEIR needs. You need to create a memorable experience for the customer and make it clear how they can continue the journey of self-education with your service or product.

Remember, you have around 10-15 seconds to grab a new prospect’s attention. If the only information they receive in that time period is about you, you’ll lose them. Lead with the most important information, drive home the value, and remind them why your offering is the answer to their problems.

 

Mistake #2: Using Videos That are Too Long

You need to consider the fact that your audience is researching your business alongside your competitors at the same time. The more they can learn in a short amount of time, the more likely they are to get to know your product and services better than your competitors’. 

To keep your audience hooked on your page instead of moving on, they should not be slammed with long and dense video right off the bat. You might be inclined to showcase everything your service or product has to offer within one video, but it’s simply ineffective. The first video they see should compel them to move forward in the buyer journey, not stop them in their tracks.

Prospects will watch short videos and work their way through your funnel if they can do it in small effective chunks. As they go deeper, the videos can become more personalized and in-depth. Once you have their interest and they land on a longer video that is tailored to them, then you can expect a longer viewing rate.

Visit this resource for more details on this process.

Most videos you use should be 3-5 minutes max. Get very precise with what you’re trying to accomplish with each video and do it as timely as possible.

Example Video Lengths:

  • Explainer videos: Anywhere from 45-60 seconds.
  • How-to videos: Should solve the problem in 1-3 minutes.
  • Demo videos: Can be a little longer but shouldn’t be over 10 minutes.

If you’re running into length issues, you’re trying to accomplish too much in one video. Break the pieces down into smaller, more targeted videos.

Mistake #3: Wasting Time Before Getting to the “Good Stuff”

A prospect came to your page for a specific reason, and it’s your job to use video to support them in this unique journey toward solving their issues. Any information in a video not related to their pain point is a waste of time.

Your whole goal should be to empower your audience to self-educate and make a decision before they even talk to the sales team. You do this by making multiple videos targeting different needs so that people can explore the most relevant information to them. 

For example:

When you visit Marketo’s homepage, you are able to fill out a quick form to access their product tour and select from a series of short demo videos related to your needs. By saying “Watch a 4-minute demo video” upfront, they have seen a massive lift in people being willing to fill out their form which leads to more conversion down the line. These buyers that watch the videos are now educated once they decide to reach out to the sales team.

Through video, you’re giving prospects the framework to fulfill their own prophecy of finding a clear solution to their problems.

 

Mistake #4: Not Having Clear CTAs

Your prospects should never be confused about what to do next or how they can learn more after watching one of your videos. Every single video needs a clear CTA based on how you want to bring your prospects through the buyer journey.

It’s important to be specific with your CTAs and make them relevant to whoever you’re speaking to. If that means making multiple videos for specific audiences using different types of language, do it.

CTAs are important but don’t think having multiple ones is the right approach. People don’t want to do 3 things, they want to take 1 meaningful step forward. Walk-in your customers’ shoes and always be thinking about what they would want to do or learn next. 

Don’t stop their journey with a CTA such as “contact sales”. This won’t excite anyone. Prospects want to move through their own journey and will reach out to sales when they feel ready.

To Recap

If you’re currently falling into these mistakes with your video marketing strategy, it’s time to make a change. In order for your videos to be effective, you need to focus on value, how to deliver that value in a timely manner, and be precise with how you guide prospects through your buyer journey. The longer you wait to address the issues with your strategy, the longer you’ll wait for the success you know you can achieve.

If you’re ready to whip your video marketing strategy into shape, Explainfy is here to help you create the engaging videos you need. Contact us today to learn more.