If you are marketing your business using one (or more) social media platforms, you'll probably create content for your audience regularly. Video is a fantastic tool for promoting your products and services and armed with just the smart device in your pocket; you can create your own marketing videos.
Lots of people try to produce professional-looking content, but there are always a few giveaways when it comes to how experienced the creator is. To help you out, we've put together 6 of the most common mistakes content creators make when producing their videos.
Holding the Phone in Portrait
A common mistake people make when shooting their own videos is to film themselves with the phone held vertically. While each platform has a different aspect ratio for its preferred video type, holding your phone vertically can be quite limiting.
Unless you are doing a video solely for a Stories post, you should always film in Landscape. If you film vertically, you won't be able to publish the video in a standard 16:9 format (for YouTube and Linkedin) without big borders along the sides. However, when you shoot horizontally, you can easily crop in for a portrait style video.
Walking and Talking
Walking and talking is a big no-no when it comes to self-shooting your marketing videos. You might think it will look cool, but without a gimbal or specialist Steadicam equipment, it will most likely make your audience feel a slight motion sick.
Even if you do have some stabilisation kit for your camera, the act of walking and talking can be both distracting and dangerous. Stay safe and stand still; if you specifically want a tracking shot in your video, shoot it as B Roll and use a voice over.
Cramming in too much info
Whether you're self-shooting or bringing in the pros, a common mistake is making one video your 'everything video'. While some video types, such as Cornerstone Videos, have more importance placed on them in your marketing, it is not the only video you will need.
Consider separate videos for your services, about the team and case studies. Putting all the information into one video might sound tempting, but it will only overwhelm and possibly confuse the viewer.
Not knowing How to Sign Off
Signing off at the end of the video is one of the hardest things to do, as the sign-off is the last thing your audience will see that helps underline your call to action. Without knowing how the piece will end, performers often end up waffling and trying to fill silent pauses.
If you are regularly making video content for marketing purposes, having a reliable sign off is an excellent way of preventing too much baggage at the end of your script. As soon as you've made the point you want to make, jump straight to your sign offline for a professional ending.
Trying to be funny
Comedy is subjective, and what one person might find funny, someone else might find off-putting. While it is good to add some fun and personality to your videos, being funny first and professional second can often have a cringe factor for your viewers.
Remember, your videos should follow your business brand voice, and unless you're a comedian, a comedy act doesn't belong in your online business presence.
Not Sharing it
You've spent ages creating your video, so it might seem silly not to share it. But the fact is, this simple step is where many would-be content creators fall down. You might want your video to be perfect, but like with any creative process, there will always be things you want to change or that could be better.
Remember, the point of sharing the video is to get your message out. If you never share it, not only has creating it been a waste of time, your audience still doesn't get the message you wanted to share.
Creating video content of your own isn't difficult, and with a little bit of editing, your DIY projects can have a more professional look. If you're keen to learn more about producing your marketing videos, and how to use video as a part of your organic content marketing strategy, check out our DIY Video Workshops.