Mistakes That Can Ruin A Marketing Video

Mistake 1: Ignoring the script:  The “story” is everything. But how can you tell a “story” about a product in sixty seconds?  Think about what an effective TV advertisement does. It “grabs you” in the beginning, and then sells the product with a theme or “story” you can relate to without using the “hard sale”. Develop a script based on the core values and goals of your company and what your company stands for and how it reflects in your products or services.

Mistake 2: Writing the script yourself.  You’re too close to the subject. Hire a good writer and provide an outline of what you want to say. Keep your door open and allow free access.  They will consult with you, listen to your needs and ideas and then write with the customer/client’s viewpoint in mind. If you DO write the story yourself, get a professional writer/editor to review and proofread. An objective view will help “sell” your story.

Mistake 3: Too much information. A chronology of your corporate history and your rise to success may be inspiring and informative, but it won’t sell many products. What will sell is a story about the products or services you’re presenting as well as what’s most relevant to the “story” you want to tell.

Mistake 4: Making it too long. The average person’s attention span for online videos is about 90 seconds. Say what needs to be said within that time span.

Mistake 5. Not having a clear focus and structure. Too many videos provide only “talking heads” reciting company statistics as if it was a shareholder’s convention. Know your audience; and take them on a short “journey” that promotes your products and services. The show business adage: “leave them wanting more” works for company videos too.