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7 Mistakes You Must Avoid When Creating a Video

Posted by Steve Day
Top_7_mistakesIf you’re just getting on board with incorporating video into your online marketing campaign, it’s smart to get the basics down, so you’ve got a solid foundation to build on. Just grabbing a camera and starting to film will set you up for failure. But even seasoned video marketing gurus fall victim to some of the more common video creation errors from time to time, and the result is wasted time and effort. Have a look at the top seven mistakes and make sure you avoid them at all costs.

1. You don’t start the process off with a defined goal. It’s impossible to reach the right audience with a targeted message if you’re not proceeding with a carefully defined goal in mind. Determine what you intend to accomplish with your video, such as generating leads, driving traffic to your website or obtaining contact information from prospects. Then, build your content around this objective.

2. You’re not properly focusing on your target audience. Your content must align with some need or problem that your prospects are experiencing, and show how to fix it. Content marketing is not about publishing a message you think your audience needs to know – it’s about delivering material on topics they want to hear more about.

3. You think it needs to have perfect production value. Whiteboard videos, by nature, are more casual than other content. You can get away with slight oversights or production mistakes, so long as they don’t interfere with your message or appear too unprofessional. Give yourself a break and let a few mishaps in the final version. You’ll appear more honest and personable.

4. You make the video too long. Your audience’s attention span is short, so you don’t have much time to present your content. Keep your whiteboard video under two minutes or cut out any superfluous material that doesn’t speak directly to the topic at hand. If it runs over the time limit, that’s a sign that you’re trying to cover too much in one video. Plan a follow-up video on related topics.

5. You don’t start with a solid script. It’s essential to develop a script when you’re creating a video to serve as a framework for the entire piece. Your mind may wander, leading you in different directions and confusing the viewer. A script helps you stay on track and avoid Mistake #4 above.

6. You forget to promote your video properly. Your video won’t gain views if it’s sitting on your website, waiting to be found. Promote it on social media, link to it from your blog and encourage your followers to share your video with their network.

7. You don’t include an effective call to action. After viewing your video, if you’ve done it well, your audience will want to know what to do next. It’s your job to tell them. Send them to a landing page, have them download an ebook or get their contact information. Don’t leave them wondering about the next steps.

Just like writing engaging content and managing social media profiles are skills you perfect over time, creating a compelling video takes some practice. Knowing the mistakes to steer clear of will help you as you’re learning the ropes and setting yourself up for success. Always keep these points in mind when you start the video creation process, and you’ll soon be producing top content like the pros.
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