The Worst Advice We’ve Ever Heard About Video Content

Video content is a great way to engage prospective customers and target audiences. A visual medium always attracts attention, especially if it’s well made and conveys the right message. However, videos need to connect with the target audience or they will fail to engage them.

In fact, you have just a few seconds at the beginning of the video to catch and retain the attention of your audience. The Internet is choc-a-bloc with articles and guides on how to create great video content that will accomplish this goal; but not all that advice is good. Here are some of the worst pieces of advice we’ve ever heard about video content.

Worst Advice We’ve Ever Heard About Video Content

#1. Not Promoting the Brand

 There are many online articles that expressly warn people against promoting the brand and products too heavily. Because of this advice, people create videos that don’t promote brands and products at all. Brand promotion is relegated to an afterthought. The advice suggests you should never blatantly promote your brand but you can do it subtly. Take CocaCola as an example in this case. All of their video marketing campaigns promote the brand but they do it in a way that appeals to the viewers and convey a good message. You need to follow the same tactics.

#2. Not Adding a CTA

 Even if you’re creating how-to or tutorial videos, you need to remind your audience about your brand and your company. You need to give them easy access to your contact information. Most of your audience won’t bother to seek out that information themselves. A clear CTA at the end of the video with your company name and contact details will bring in more leads. This isn’t blatant promotion; it’s a gentle reminder.

#3. Creating Amateur Candid Videos

 Candid videos are very appealing and they allow your prospective customers to connect with you and your brand on a personal level. But that doesn’t mean you should publish bad quality videos from your cell phone cameras. Even candid videos need to be of good quality and clarity. You audience should be able to see it and hear the audio clearly on all devices. The video should also have a set structure and flow. If that’s not present, it can confuse and frustrate the audience and compromise your reputation. Try to make the most of your video content to attract customers.

#4.  Making Long Videos

 Your audience won’t have the patience to watch a long, rambling video. Online audiences have a very short attention span and will turn away from the video if it’s too long. You should keep the content short and sweet, and deliver all the advice in a clear and precise format.

#5. Creating a Video For Everybody

 The video should be directed at your target audience. For example, if you’re a company that sells make-up or grooming products, you should create video reviews and tutorials targeted at your intended audience. In this case, it might be targeted to young women and men in their 20s and 30s. You should spend time understanding your audience and creating video content that they would love.

If you’re still uncertain about creating the right video content for online marketing, you should consider getting help from a professional marketer.

Image: Pixabay