Introduction
It’s no secret that video marketing is a powerful tool for promoting your business. But like all other tools, it can be used effectively or it can be misused and lead to failure. Video marketing mistakes can be a hurdle if not handled early. But, by learning from the failures of others, you can avoid making the same mistakes yourself and ensure that your video marketing campaign is a success.
In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest video marketing mistakes and what you can learn from them to make your marketing campaign an unparalleled success.
What Is Video Marketing And Why Is It Powerful?
Video marketing is a powerful way to promote your business and can be very successful, but it’s important to understand the basics before you get started. Video marketing is simply the use of videos to promote or market your business.
There are many reasons why video marketing is so powerful, here are our few
#1 Videos are a very effective way to communicate your message
They are visual, so they can grab attention and hold it longer than text or audio alone. Additionally, people are more likely to remember information when they see it, as opposed to hearing it. This means that your video marketing campaign has a better chance of getting your message across and making an impact.
#2 It’s a great way to build trust and credibility with your audience
The establishment of trust and credibility with one’s audience is an invaluable asset, a wealth of sorts, which can be unlocked through the implementation of video content. Once your audience lays their eyes upon your features, in unison with your product, a certain sense of faith and confidence begins to flourish, manifesting as an inherent interest and inclination to pay heed to what you have to convey.
#3 Video marketing is a great way to reach a large audience
The utilization of video marketing is a strategic approach, of grand proportions, capable of reaching vast multitudes of individuals across the global expanse of the internet. This unparalleled opportunity grants the capacity to advertise and promote your enterprise to an international audience, one with an unchecked enthusiasm for novel and innovative products and services.
However, the risk of failure looms, a looming shadow cast by the ill-fated experiences of others who have walked this terrain before. To sidestep the pitfalls of failure and circumvent the same missteps, the key is to examine the flaws of those who have gone before and integrate that knowledge into the improvement of your video marketing campaign.
5 biggest video marketing mistakes and what you can learn from them
Video marketing is an intricate and multifaceted process that demands meticulous planning and execution. A range of variables are at play, from the initial ideation and conceptualization phase to the arduous production stage, the complex distribution, and the rigorous measurement and analysis of outcomes.
With an array of possible pitfalls lurking at every juncture, it is all too easy to fall prey to the treacherous and murky waters of video marketing. Indeed, if you’re not wise and careful, you could swiftly find yourself exiled to the outrageous ranks of the numerous brands that have stumbled in their inroads into video marketing.
So, what went wrong with these brands? And more importantly, what can you learn from their mistakes?
1. Toys “R” Us
In the annals of video marketing history, the year 2017 witnessed the launch of a laudable campaign by Toys “R” Us entitled “Share the Joy.” This campaign was conceived with the noble intention of inducing customers to share videos of their unbridled exultation upon opening Toys “R” Us gifts on the vast expanse of social media.
Despite its supposed goodwill, the campaign’s positive objectives were not realized. Instead, it triggered an infamous failure for the brand, as customers began circulating videos of themselves exposing toys that were damaged, defective, or even devoid of contents. As a result, the campaign not only failed to inculcate a sense of unbridled felicity but also wrought significant reputational damage to the hitherto revered Toys “R” Us brand.
2. McDonald’s
Second our list, the famous McDonald’s. There are several things that could go wrong even with such a huge fast food chain, such as McDonald’s. This example of McDonald’s will serve as a testimonial for the companies looking forward to learn from the big market itself. “Our Food. Your Questions” was a video marketing campaign launched by McDonald’s in 2015. Some of you might remember and some you might not, but here’s the goal. The goal of the campaign was to answer customers’ questions about McDonald’s food openly and transparently.
However, the campaign failed to provide success when it was discovered that some of the “real” questions featured in the videos were staged by McDonald’s employees. As a consequence, the campaign not only failed to provide transparency but also caused significant damage to the McDonald’s brand. However the damage may seem small, it is important to stay true to your word and be authentic with your customers.
3. Pepsi
Following McDonald’s, Pepsi entered the list in 2017, Pepsi launched a video marketing campaign called “Live for Now.” This has raised a huge concern in the mass media for a long time. Though, the goal of the campaign was goal to appeal to millennials by featuring celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Lil Yachty, the campaign created fuss when it was accused of trivializing social justice issues and exploiting millennial culture. And finally, the campaign not only failed to connect with millennials but also caused significant damage to the Pepsi brand.
4. Dove
In the same year as Pepsi’s, in 2017, we have another controversial campaign of Dove, a video marketing campaign “Real Beauty Sketches.” What could go wrong when the goal of the campaign was to promote body confidence by featuring sketches of women that were created based on their descriptions of themselves?
Well for Dove, everything did, the campaign has been criticized largely, when it was accused of being tone-deaf and insensitive to the issue of body image. And as the narrative follows, the campaign not only failed to promote body confidence but Dove had to reconsider their strategies largely.
5. Xbox
Going back in time to 2013, another video marketing campaign sparked the news. “A New Day by Xbox”, that envisioned to promote the launch of the Xbox One by featuring people playing and enjoying the new console. However, like the McDonald’s, it was discovered later that some of the “real” footage featured in the videos was staged, and we know, it did not go well with the customers with their favourite brand lying to the, and the campaign failed to connect with gamers.
So, what can we learn from these failures?
There are a few key takeaways:
- Don’t try to sell your product – focus on promoting your brand
- Be transparent and authentic – don’t try to hide anything
- Be sensitive to social issues – don’t exploit or trivialize them
- Connect with your target audience – don’t try to sell them something they don’t want
- Plan and execute your campaign carefully – don’t cut corners or take shortcuts
By following these tips, you can avoid making the same mistakes as these brands and ensure that your video marketing campaign is a success.
Planning Your Video Marketing Campaign
#1. Planning
Planning your video marketing campaign is essential for ensuring its success. You need to consider a variety of factors, from your target audience to the type of video you want to create. You also need to plan out your distribution and measurement strategies, so you can track the success of your campaign and make necessary adjustments along the way.
#2. Production
Once you have a plan in place, it’s time to start production on your video. This is where things can start to go wrong, as even the best-laid plans can fail if the execution is not up to par. Poorly produced videos will reflect poorly on your brand and could turn potential customers away. Make sure to put your best foot forward by investing in quality production values.
#3. Distribution
Following the production of your video content, the momentous occasion arrives for distribution to commence. It is at this point that the stakes are high and the margin for error is slim. In order to successfully execute the dissemination of your video, one must strategically select the optimal platform and devise a sound strategy for deployment. The repercussions of neglecting this crucial aspect of video marketing can be dire, as the consequences of failing to position your video before the appropriate audience may render your campaign ineffectual, leading to a deficiency in desired outcomes.
#4. Measurement
Once your video has been unleashed into the digital wilderness, it is imperative to engage in an ongoing process of measurement and evaluation to determine its level of effectiveness. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of metrics such as views, engagement, leads, and sales, you can gauge the impact of your video marketing campaign and make the necessary adjustments required to optimize its performance. This diligent tracking and scrutiny of pertinent data will enable you to fine-tune your campaign and attain the pinnacle of success.
The terrain of video marketing can be fraught with pitfalls, and in order to thrive in this landscape, it’s crucial to scrutinize the failures of those who have traversed this treacherous path before. Success in video marketing is not just about the creative production of content, but rather it involves a holistic approach encompassing planning, execution, and measurement. Failure in any of these areas can result in a disappointing campaign. Therefore, learning from the errors of others is a vital strategy to ensure that your video marketing campaign is prosperous and fruitful.
Producing Your Video Content
When it comes to producing your video content, there are a few things you need to keep in mind to ensure that your videos are high quality and effective in promoting your business.
1. Quality is key
It is of utmost importance to bear in mind that quality reigns supreme in the realm of video content creation. This mandates that your videos must be exquisitely crafted, with impeccably rendered visuals and audio. Furthermore, your video content must be both edifying and captivating. In the event that your videos exhibit subpar quality or prove to be uninteresting, your audience is liable to abscond before having watched to completion.
2. Keep it short and sweet
Another fundamental tenet to keep in mind is the necessity to keep your videos concise and to the point. The attention span of your audience is fleeting, hence it is critical to ensure that your videos are not excessively protracted. In the event that your videos exceed an ideal length, your audience may become disinterested and depart before having reached the conclusion.
3. Be creative
In the domain of video content creation, creativity reigns supreme. Mundane and hackneyed videos will likely fail to hold the attention of your audience, resulting in an untimely exit from the viewing experience. Therefore, it is imperative to adopt a creative approach and eschew conventional norms in order to captivate and retain the attention of your audience from the opening credits to the closing scene.
4. Plan and prepare
Preparing for your video content is crucial for a successful video marketing campaign. You must have a clear vision of what you want to achieve with your videos and what kind of content you want to showcase. Planning and preparation also entail securing the necessary equipment and resources before commencing filming.
5. Get help from professionals
If you lack the confidence or expertise to create high-quality video content, it’s best to seek help from professionals who specialize in video production. These companies have the expertise to help you create compelling videos that are not only effective in promoting your business but are also of high quality. You may consider 12 channels, our own company, which provides excellent video production services to cater to your video marketing needs.
Distributing Your Videos
As you seek to distribute your videos, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. You could either post your videos on your website or blog, share them on social media, or upload them to video-sharing websites like YouTube or Vimeo.
But, don’t just upload your videos and walk away. Ensure to properly tag and optimize your videos for search engines to increase their visibility and reach. Optimizing your videos can make them easier to find and reach a wider audience. So, don’t be shy to apply SEO tactics when distributing your video content.
Mistake#1 Not using the proper tags
One common mistake made by many video content creators is the failure to use appropriate tags. This can result in their videos being buried deep within search results, making it difficult for viewers to find them. It’s essential to conduct thorough research and use relevant tags to ensure your videos are easily discoverable.
Mistake#2 Neglecting social media promotion
Social media is a powerful tool that should not be overlooked when it comes to promoting your videos. By not leveraging social media to promote your content, you’re missing out on a vast potential audience. But it’s not just about posting your videos on social media, it’s also about doing it strategically. You need to use relevant hashtags and post at the right time to ensure maximum visibility.
Furthermore, it’s essential to share your videos across multiple social media platforms. Don’t limit yourself to just one or two platforms, as this can significantly reduce your reach. The more platforms you share your videos on, the greater the chance of your content being seen by a larger audience.
Measuring The Success Of Your Marketing Campaign
One of the most important aspects of any video marketing campaign is measuring its success. Without measuring your results, you won’t know whether or not your campaign was successful and you won’t be able to make changes to improve your results in the future.
To measure video marketing campaign there are many ways, including views, likes, shares, and conversion rates. However, one of the most important things to keep in mind when measuring your results is that not all views are created equal.
Lets now discuss the different factors that affect the success or failure of your video marketing campaign.
#1 Quality of your video
Well, a quality of any product is the basic need and purpose of the product. As with a video, a well-made, educative, and interesting video is much more appreciated by the audience and is likely to be successful than a poorly made or boring video. That isn’t a mystery or pre-requisite, however must.
#2 Distribution of your video
Distribution is a crucial component of any video marketing campaign, and social media is a popular platform for video distribution. However, each social media platform has its own set of rules and regulations that must be followed. Failure to do so may result in the removal or penalty of your video. Therefore, it’s essential to optimize your video for each platform to ensure that it performs well and reaches the right audience.
#3 Not all videos are created equal
The type of video that will resonate with your target audience may differ based on their preferences and interests. For instance, product demonstration videos may be more effective than advertising videos, and how-to videos may be more engaging than testimonial videos. Therefore, it’s crucial to select the right type of video for your target audience and keep their preferences in mind. This can help you create compelling and engaging videos that resonate with your audience and drive the desired results.
By keeping these factors in mind, you can avoid making the same mistakes that others have made in their video marketing campaigns and ensure that your campaign is a success.
Avoiding Common Video Marketing Mistakes: 10 Tips
- Before you hit the record button, make sure to plan your video. This is an important step to ensure that your video has structure, engages the audience, and meets your marketing goals.
- High-quality visuals and audio are vital for making your video stand out from the crowd. Poor production quality can be a major turn-off for viewers and can hinder your marketing efforts.
- Social media is a powerful tool for video distribution. Utilizing various platforms to reach your target audience is a great way to increase exposure and drive engagement.
- The use of relevant tags is crucial for making your video discoverable by search engines. Proper research and utilization of tags can help increase visibility and drive traffic to your video.
- Timing is everything when it comes to video posting. Posting your video during peak times can help increase the likelihood of engagement and views.
- Diversifying your social media platforms can help increase your video’s reach and exposure. Sharing your videos across multiple platforms can help expand your audience and drive engagement.
- Measuring the success of your video marketing campaign is critical for making necessary adjustments and improvements. Metrics such as engagement, leads, and sales can help determine the effectiveness of your campaign.
- Understanding your target audience is key to selecting the right type of video content. Whether it’s educational, promotional, or entertaining, choosing the right type of video can help improve engagement and drive results.
- Keeping your videos interesting and informative is essential for keeping viewers engaged. Creativity and originality can help make your video stand out and leave a lasting impression.
- Finding the sweet spot for video length is important for keeping viewers engaged and maximizing results. Too short, and your message may not come across effectively. Too long, and you risk losing viewer attention.
Conclusion
Video marketing can be a great way to promote your business, but it’s important to learn from the failures of others to avoid making the same mistakes. Although Youtube digital marketing is one of the most popular medium of the lot, there are several other ways you can make your video content a success in your marketing campaign.
From planning and production to distribution and measurement, many different factors can affect the success or failure of your video marketing campaign. By learning from the mistakes of others, you can avoid making the same mistakes yourself and ensure that your video marketing campaign is a success.
What tips do you have for avoiding common video marketing mistakes? Let us know in the comments below! For more information, be sure to contact us at 12 Channels. Our video marketing subject experts would be happy to talk with you about your specific needs and help you create a marketing campaign that is sure to be a success. Whether that be Facebook, Instagaram, LinkedIn or even Youtube digital marketing, we have it all.
