5 Ways To Ensure Your Marketing Video Will Suck

Online video marketing has become a staple, with 81 percent of companies producing video content for their websites and 69 percent producing it for social media, according to the 2014 Online Video Production Trends Report.

There are loads of marketing videos on the web now, some extremely effective, but there are plenty that just don't work. I've noticed common themes among the latter group. Based on those, here are five ways to ensure your marketing video will suck.

1. The video takes too long to get to the point.
In the age of the tweet, marketers have only a few seconds to capture a viewer's attention. To get the viewer to engage, a marketer must put serious thought into what the main point of the video is, and then clearly communicate that message as quickly as possible. The attention span for video watching seems to be about 60 seconds, so viewers don't want to hear a marketing message that goes on and on. Every word counts! Don't use five words when three will do. This is where the practice of writing, rewriting, and then rewriting a script helps.

2. The video content is inauthentic.
Today's consumers value authenticity and can smell BS a mile away. Never try to portray yourself or your company as something you're not. Embrace who you are and what you actually offer; people will relate to and engage with that content. As soon as viewers suspect pretense, their trust will be gone. In today's market, the truth shall set you free. Take some time for self-reflection about what you offer potential customers and authentically communicate that message.

3. Distracting noises on the audio.
Rule of thumb: The visual can suck, but the audio can't! Visually, you don't have to do anything fancy. A simple shot of you speaking in front of a nice background will never be distracting. However, distracting noises in the audio will kill your video every time. If you're on a budget, put your money toward a decent microphone, as opposed to a fancy camera. It's amazing what you can do visually with an iPhone! However, without a proper microphone, the recording will pick up too many distracting noises. Try the Audio-Technica ATR3350 Omnidirectional Condenser Lavalier Microphone to get started. It's affordable <$29.95 MSRP, available for less> and compatible with an iPhone; you just need an adapter.

4. The intention of the video is not clear.
This goes back to No. 1 and the importance of putting serious thought into the point of the video. Too often we get distracted by special effects and features, or telling elaborate stories, and forget that the video must have a clear and concise message. Never shoot a video simply because you think you're supposed to have a video. If that's the only reason you're shooting one, you're pretty much guaranteeing it won't be strong, because it will lack intention for the viewer. Before you ever pick up your audio equipment and camera, spend significant time clarifying the intention of the video and composing your script around that intention.

5. Viewers can't take immediate action.
The whole point of a marketing video is to get your viewer to take some sort of action. Internet video marketing technology has advanced significantly with the dawn of the "smart video," which allows viewers to take immediate action directly from the video itself. We all know the power of the impulse buy! Consumers are much more likely to follow through on a decision if they can act on it instantly. Therefore, smart videos are a marketing video's best friend. If you haven't already started using a smart video marketing platform for your videos, it's time to start.

Finally, remember the rule of quality over quantity. One extremely effective video is better than 10 ineffective videos. When considering your next marketing video, check this list to ensure it won't suck. You'll see the difference in your conversion rates!

Jennifer Santoro, Chief Happiness Officer for InVidz Smart Video Technology, is an online video marketing specialist. Contact InVidz at 415-830-9464 or sales@invidz.com.