As a marketing format, a video is certainly nothing new – both in terms of the format itself and the possibilities that format holds for brands like yours. Every year, people watch more videos online than ever before – by now, they’re engaging with it more than they do any other type of content.
But there are still a number of critical key mistakes that you can make that will cut yourself off from this advantage before it even has a chance to set in.
If you truly want to resonate with your target audience and allow every video the room it needs to make a meaningful connection with as many people as possible. There are a number of important errors that you’re going to want to avoid before, during and after you hit “Publish“. They may seem simple, but you’d be surprised by just what a powerful difference they can make.
You’re Not Embracing the Mobile Space the Way You Should Be
These days, mobile devices like smartphones and tablets are everywhere – this is not surprising in and of itself. What is cause for alarm, however, are the ways that video marketers seem to be ignoring this powerful new platform that is now available to them – even when they think they’re taking full advantage of it.
Case in point: Mobile optimization. A video is not optimized for mobile devices by default. Just by virtue of the fact that it’s a video doesn’t guarantee a good experience. You need to think about everything, up to and including your aspect ratio.
Instead of shooting in widescreen, for example, you should absolutely switch to a square format – similar to the one used on sites like Instagram. Not only does this display better on a mobile device. But it also helps your content blend in with everything else someone might be consuming that day. Sure, a wider aspect ratio helps create a more cinema-like experience. But that’s not necessarily what you’re trying to do – and don’t forget it.
Subtitles also play an important role in all of this. All videos that you create with a tool like Visme (which I founded) should be subtitled because most people watch the majority of their content on mobile devices and they aren’t necessarily doing so with the sound on.
If someone has a limited amount of time to watch content on their morning commute. They’re going to be very selective about what they choose to embrace versus what they decide to ignore. Sometimes just having a subtitled video that a person can watch without headphones (or without irritating everyone else on the train around them) will make all the difference to that end.
You’re Not Marketing Your Videos
Yes, you’re probably using videos as a format to expand your current marketing efforts. But never forget that video in and of itself is not nearly enough to get the job done. Far too many content creators forget the fact that you essentially need to market your marketing to a certain extent. A lot of them pay the price because of it.
Once you’ve created that video, you need to use services like Respona to partner with the right people to amplify your message as much as possible. Your video isn’t going to do you any good at all if people aren’t aware that it exists. Partnering with influencers and other high profile people in your industry to get the word out about that video is of paramount importance.
Likewise, you need to think about all the different ways that you can promote that video across a variety of different channels. You could use a banner maker to create a new banner advertisement to literally promote it on social media and other outlets. You can do the same thing with a timeline maker or similar type of resource. Create ads that promote the video, and then let the video promote your brand.
In the end, it’s important to understand that video is a naturally compelling format. But it alone is never enough to guarantee the results that you’re after. To get to that point, you need to make sure you’re taking the right actions at the right times.
By now, you’re probably an expert in actually crafting the videos that people want to watch in a technical sense. At that point, you need to get better at making sure people are actually aware that they exist. Which is what avoiding these aforementioned key mistakes is all about.
Payman Taei is the founder of Visme, an easy-to-use online tool to create engaging presentations, infographics, and other forms of visual content. He is also the founder of HindSite Interactive, an award-winning Maryland based digital agency specializing in website design, user experience, and web app development.