The world loves videos, and for good reason! Video is an entertaining way to communicate information that is often perceived to be less entertaining. Because a video appeals to more senses than words, information retention increases exponentially. As a business, video marketing may be the perfect way to showcase what makes you unique in your industry. And yet most companies don’t use video to its full potential. It is important to know still why videos fail.
Why is it that so many videos fail?
Let me say this plainly… just because you have a video camera doesn’t mean you are a videographer. Video equipment has come a long way in the last five years. It’s no longer difficult to purchase a more-than-adequate camera and basic editing software at a reasonable price. Because the technology barriers in this industry are lower than ever, everyone who has ever dreamed of having a career in the movies is jumping on the video bandwagon. So if technology isn’t the barrier to making a quality video, what is? Without question, it’s content. Without a marketing plan, a brand to reference, and a clear message, your videos are useless. Just think, all that work for zero return.
How do you guarantee your content is successful?
First, let’s talk about length. A 1-3 minute video seems to be the marketing-video sweet spot. Yes, you can stretch it to 5 if you’re feeling bold and have a great story to tell, but I suggest not going any longer than that. When people see a video that’s more than 5 minutes long, their finger immediately moves to the mouse to click on the next shiny web page and your prospective customer is gone. There are so many reasons why videos fail.
Three minutes for a video doesn’t seem too tough to accomplish. You can do that in an afternoon, right? But wait… what do you have to talk about? If this is your first marketing video, you must focus on three things:
- who you are,
- what you do,
- and why you do it.
Now is not the time to get creative. If your prospective customers can’t figure out what your business does, you’ve failed.
Take a couple of minutes and write this down… Company X (your company name here) does X (what services you offer, what you sell, etc.) for X (who is buying your stuff – age, gender, income level, etc.) This may seem like marketing 101 to some of you, but without this clearly defined information, your video is guaranteed to lose your viewers focus within the first 20 seconds.
Now that you have your company overview written down, I want you to think about how you make people’s lives easier. What do you want people to feel after they purchase your service/product? Use that emotion to help decide every graphic, every song, and every word you write. Learning why videos fail is also important.
Bottom Line
If you stay true to this newly found voice, this customer-focused attitude, and the true brand of your company, you’ll set yourself miles ahead of your competition. Remember, you can always make a follow-up video that is more artistic or more flashy, but if you throw too much at your viewers in the beginning, they’ll feel confused and lost. Once they are confused or lost, they may never come back. Make the most of video marketing strategy.
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” – Steve Jobs
Tags: content marketing, Video Marketing
