6 common video marketing mistakes to beware of (according to content creators)
As he began making videos, Pat Walls, the creator of Starter Story began to make the error of jumping on any thought that came to him. He was able to spend many hours creating videos using concepts that he later decided to scrap.
It was a blessing, Pat learned quickly that well-planned-out ideas will can save him his time and produce higher quality content.
For this piece We asked professional filmmakers to guide you through the most common mistakes they make. They also mention chasing the viral by talking too much, or overly fast, striving to achieve perfection or perfect, and spending too much on gear before you're even comfortable in front of the camera.
You can hear from stars like Jay Clouse, Jay Acunzo, and Jayde I. Powell as they provide tips about how you can avoid the same mistakes that they did.
Mistake #1: Not vetting your thoughts
If you record videos but don't devote enough time or thought into developing them ultimately slows you down and wastes money.
The creator of Starter Story Pat Walls began creating videos, he made this very mistake. "So often, I'd come up with an idea and then spend 10 to 20, 30 hours bringing the idea to life and creating it -- the edit, filming after-production, editing, and so on."
"I'd be able to have saved quite a bit of time as well as moved more quickly if I had just dedicated a little bit more time to thinking about the most effective way to use my time." says Pat.
Since, in the real world thought-through ideas help you plan how you'll present the video by way of your title and thumbnail, as well as keep budgets efficient and under control.
What to do instead: Brainstorm and evaluate ideas pre-production
Spend time coming up with thoughts. Then commit to fleshing out your ideas in a way that each video shot brings your idea to life.
The first step is "putting together 20 possible ideas in a spreadsheet and rating between 1 and 10. After that, you can sort them from the top to the bottom in terms of their scores, and only pick those that rank most impressive and then throw everything else out," Pat suggests. Pat.
Something to keep track of is that Instead of grading suggestions based on what are ones youthink are good, validate the ideas based on:
- How relevant they are to the ideal target audience
- What is their alignment to your knowledge or the products you're marketing
The best ideas are ones that combine the two.
In the end, spending time creating ideas can allow you to produce videos that hook viewers. You also wouldn't need to go back and revise ideas once they've been recorded.
Bonus hint:Identify who you're making videos for
Because the success of any concept for video is heavily dependent on the relevance of it to your target viewers So, consider: what is the type of content that my audience will be engaged with?
Instead of making assumptions, investigate what kinds of questions your ideal viewers have related to your area of expertise.
Start off with understanding exactly:
- For whom do you wish to make videos for?
- What are the topics that they look up or watch?
- Which channel(s) they watch the videos?
Essentially, your ideal viewers is the audience you would like to promote your products to. Input the words that describe them into an instrument for research on audience like SparkToro to determine their
- Demographics (age and gender)
- Who are they following on social media
- What they talk about
Next, review the people you follow on video-driven channels like TikTok and Instagram to find out what kind of content they're publishing. The idea isn't to copy their strategy but to find out the tone and content of the content the ideal audience is watching and engaging with.
The second mistake: thinking that a viral video will drive the business outcomes
No matter how good your concept is however, it's unlikely that your content will become viral. There's also no saying what results a viral video could provide you with, other than the increase in your follower numbers. However, Dan Bennett of Video for Entrepreneurs says that the majority of novice video makers are chasing virality.
"Oftentimes when I work with people, especially in the beginning stages people are looking at video as this thing that's really expensive and that they have to shell out a significant amount for. This video will go out and do all the lifting for them." says Dan. "It's likely become a hit. This will alter the trajectory of their businesses. Although it happens once in 10,000 videos, it's certainly not an indicator to count on."
What should you do instead: Be consistent
Instead of assuming that one viral video is enough to win at video marketing, consistently publish videos that educate, entertain and, ultimately, drive sales. Dan advises "putting together an entire body of work, putting together several videos about the same subject matter, and covering diverse aspects, and guiding an individual on a voyage [with your help."
A video engine like this helps you stay on top of your target viewers' minds, letting they trust you that is crucial to improving business performance. It's not like viral video offers this however, as people only see it one time and then, soon enough, they'll forget about it.
Mistake #3: Investing in gear before nailing camera presence
"We want to look like a celebrity, therefore we purchase the expensive lighting, the high-end microphone, we get an expensive camera, or make a payment or work working on editing it to make it flashy, [add] gripping animation and colourful subtitles and emoticons, as well as B-roll, and everything else," says Jay Acunzo who is the co-founder of Creator Kitchen and host of the Unthinkable podcast.
Problem with this? A fancy camera won't allow you to convey your main idea effectively until you've mastered camera-related presence. Take into consideration how you portray yourself on camera your energy, how you present yourself, and the way you deliver a story.
"Because it is the case that effective video marketing is about] having a good microphone and on camera, and if you can't do that, then all of it is worthwhile until you've mastered the ability to sit down in a chair or in front of the camera and present," Jay points out.
What can you do instead: Master camera presence
"Put yourself in a hurry and record enough videos that you get good [in front of the camera] prior to spending any time or any resources including budgets (team or yours), trying to get more proficient at incremental work," advises Jay. Go through the video you recorded for understanding:
- What to do with the camera
- Which non-verbal cues are engaging
- How do you keep your speech moving to ensure maximum impact
Then go back and implement any changes you make to the material you recorded.
Mistake #4: Talking too much
When you speak too often, you unintentionally share a lot of information -- confusing viewers and the viewers completely.
Founder of The Em Dash Co and host of Creator Tea Talk, Jayde I. Powell has had to deal with the exact same. She explains "Oftentimes it's because as a marketing professional I'm trying to get the message, or story out so much that I don't remember whom I'm talking with and what type of content they're consuming, or what they're looking for in it."
However, over time, Jayde has realized, "A lot of my work as a content creator and content marketer demands me to take a lot of data and transform it into new content, but also make it more easily digestible."
What to do instead: Plan your content However, you shouldn't be over-planning it.
- Refine your opening lines
- Remove sentences that do not contribute to the overall idea
- Edit or delete data based upon your viewers' understanding of the subject
The information you share is easy for your readers to comprehend and is relevant for your readers.
Mistake #5: Talking too fast
Besides being mindful of how long you're speaking be aware of how you speed up the way you speak. If you talk too fast the result is that it becomes difficult for viewers to follow along. But if you go slow the risk is that you'll lose viewers to boredom. Either way, thoughtless pacing reduces the impact of your message because it does not provide viewers with enough time to process the message you're presenting.
The public speaking coach Nausheen I. Chen shares she used to speak too fast. "Maybe it was the tension, adrenaline or the anxiety of making short videos for socials, but it just seemed as if I was on 1.5x speed the entire duration."
"In actual fact, I prepared for everything, except for my ability to speak. I planned for the content and lighting, as well as the background, and the setting," Nausheen recalls. "But reality is that you can possess the top cameras and the most powerful lighting and the most engaging content, but if you aren't able to present yourself your camera in the best way, if you don't know how to change your speed and take those pauses the message is likely to get lost."
What to do: Recheck your speed and script your breaks
Mistake #6: Striving for perfection
"When I started my journey using video, the error that I'd made the whole time was trying to create the perfect video, and believing that I could," admits Jay Clouse, Founder of Creator Science..
Aiming for perfection is both impossible and stressful as it is a constant process of rethinking everything you do. Most of all, it blocks you from being yourself in front of the camera.
"Because when you start striving to be perfect, you raise the question, 'what's perfect?' "And what you probably will end up doing is to compare your work to someone else's work that has been working on the same thing for a longer period of time than you do. So, you attempt to create a derivative and memetic rendition of what the other individual did. "[Butyou're not likely to achieve the same results." What's the reason? "Because they're probably greater experience, and additionally since they're producing their own videos."
How to fix it: Find your style
This is easier said than accomplished. But Jay suggests being a bit loose in camera to bring out your style. "[This way,] you won't feel like you're being stiff. Also, you won't attempt to emulate the style of someone else."
The first step is to accept the concept that there is no need to imitate anyone else. You should instead, "Make the video that you are planning to create in the same way as you would create your own," Jay points out. Remember that figuring out your own style requires some time. The advice of Jay Acunzo about making numerous videos as often as you can in order to master camera presence comes in handy also here.
Create high-converting video clips today.
Simply put, you should take the time to plan your video concepts. Work on your story telling, speaking and camera-related skills. Don't forget to plan your content with a script making sure you know:
- What you'll talk about
- How you'll cover how you'll cover
- If you're able to take a few pauses
- How you'll vary your speed
And if scripting gets time-consuming, use 's AI script generator. Let's make videos that keep viewers hooked to the very end