Why Your Marketing Isn't Working - Tips on What NOT to do When Creating Video Content
As a filmmaker and video creator for businesses, I always jump at the opportunity to look at a video of any business. I also believe that, if I weren’t in this position, I would do the same thing. Video is a powerful medium that creates connection and builds trust and relationships.
However, there are definitely things you should avoid when making a video. Especially if you’re investing money into video marketing, you want your video to be effective for your goals and be something you’re proud of.
I’ve watched a few videos and noticed a few things that stand out when it comes to videos that aren’t effective. So here are three things you should try to avoid.
Not specific enough
“When you speak to everyone, you’re speaking to no one”. This statement couldn’t be more true. When you try to tailor your marketing towards everybody, it’s so generic that it doesn’t land with anybody.
Not personal
We are bombarded with advertisements and marketing on a daily basis. So when your video looks like everyone else’s and doesn’t try to reach out to your audience, it gets drowned out. So what people do is they invest more money to promote it.
But that doesn’t solve the problem, because the problem is the video is not personal. It doesn’t feel like you’re talking to me.
Doesn’t Tell Me What is Unique About Your Business
Your business is different. It’s different from the competition. But a lot of times, that just isn’t communicated. And when I, as a customer, don’t know why I should choose you, I probably won’t.
But here’s the good news. There are really easy ways to avoid these problems and I’m going to list some tips on what to do.
Figure Out Who You’re Talking To
For any type of marketing, you need to know who you’re talking to. And you need to tailor your marketing to them. Who are they? What age range are they in? What do they like? How do they talk like? Do they know about your industry? These questions will help you when writing your content and where you need to distribute it.
What’s Your Why?
People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. I wish I said this, it was by Simon Sinek. But it’s true. People get invested in your purpose and your mission.
Make Your Video as Personal as Possible
I once received a LinkedIn message from someone trying to get me to buy their business. I get a lot of these, so I didn’t take it seriously. So I chatted with her, with no interest of hiring her.
Then she sent a video. She used my name. She actually talked to me. It was so personal that I was paying attention. And even though I didn’t use her services, she’s at the top of my list.
The point is that you need to make your videos SPEAK to people. This might seem hard, but it’s not. When you know who you’re talking to, you can craft a specific message. When you show us who you are and when you are vulnerable on camera, we feel as if we’re talking to someone.
What is The Purpose of This Video?
At The Curious Society, our priority is on intention. We don’t make videos because they look pretty (even though they do), we make videos because they are tools to solve problems. And one thing I’ve noticed is that people create videos for the sake of creating videos, rather than using it to address a problem. And when there is no purpose to a video, it’s confusing - for you and for your audience.
So ask yourself why you’re creating this video and what its objective is.
When I work with my clients, we first figure out who we’re talking to and what we’re trying to create. Knowing your audience, your purpose and being specific with your messaging is important to making effective videos. Video is a tool that connects on an emotional level, and can really build trust and relationships. But when a video isn’t personal or really shows why you stand out, it won’t do much.
So hopefully these tips help you, and please feel free to reach out to us for any questions or anything at all! We also offer consulting on the above, which you can message us about personally by clicking here.