When your ROI Tanks

What is your return on investment for your video marketing campaign?

Over half (51%) of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the form of content with the best ROI.

100% of marketing professionals could have this same high ROI, but not everyone knows how to best utilize video marketing to their advantage.

You can find immense reward from video marketing… but only if you know how to use it appropriately.

What are the mistakes common marketers make that destroy the potential return on video investment?

 

1. Not promoting on multiple platforms

You created a stunning video and shared it on YouTube. Or you shared it on your website. Or you shared it on your Facebook channel.

The problem comes in the “or.” You shouldn’t be choosing one platform on which to post your video. You should post that video on all of your social platforms.

You’ve invested money in the production of that video; you want the world to see it. The more places you post it, the more people will get the chance to view it.

The more you share it, the more viewership and impressions you’ll get. The more impressions, the greater your chance of conversion, and thus the higher your return on investment.

Moreover, you want your video available on multiple platforms so it can go viral. If someone sees it on YouTube, they might want to share it on Facebook. If someone sees the video on Facebook, they might want to Tweet it. Your video should be easily accessible on social media so it can spread like wildfire.

Of course, you don’t want to simply throw your video out there and hope it sticks. You should still have some sort of strategy for how you’ll approach the social aspect of your video. The video should be relevant to the platform and audience. A six-minute video wouldn’t do well on Instagram, for example.

Did you know that social video generates 1200% more shares than text and image combined?

2. Not continuously promoting

You’ve posted on all of your social platforms when the video was published. Now what?

You should be continuously posting and promoting your video. Often, customers may not come in contact with the video or they may not click “play” when the video is first posted.

If you keep promoting the video, more people will have the opportunity to see your post even if they missed in the first time. It will also create more “touches” and can encourage non-viewers to click play. Plus, the more they see the video, the more your brand will stick out in their brain.

Nevertheless, there is a bliss point for the number of times you post. If you publish the video too often, it can seem spammy or annoying. Thus, we recommend a posting cadence as follows:

• At initial publication of video

• 48 hours later

• 1 week later

• 3 weeks later

• 1 month later

• Every other month for 6 months

3. Not having a strategy

You don’t want to just create a video and start posting it on every social platform every other day. If you don’t have a video strategy, you’re wasting time and money. You need a strategy that clearly outlines the purpose of the video, the call to action, the desired response, and the sharing plan.

Having a clear message and engagement in your video comes from having a clear strategy.

This helps you then build a set of metrics that show the actual return of the video. The strategy helps you build a goal to work towards.

Another fatal mistake? Not tracking your metrics. If you don’t analyze your video metrics, you can’t measure success or make appropriate changes for the future.

4. Not developing a story

Just like you need a strategy for the purpose of the video, you need a purpose of the story of the video. Why are you telling this particular story? How is this relevant to your audience and your brand?

Videos that don’t build some sort of story don’t see engagement, don’t get shared, and don’t have high returns.

For example, if you’re creating a product how-to video, use a story to show the product being used in its ideal lifestyle. If you’re creating a client testimonial, you can request that the client tell a story about a moment of the partnership between your companies.

Remember that boring videos get a boring response.

 

5. Choosing the wrong length

The length of the video should reflect the purpose. The story of the video will dictate how long it will be.

For example, an explainer video should take no more than two minutes. People want to quickly learn how to use their product—and then go use it.

But if you’re telling a story about the lifestyle of your brand, it can be up to 6 or even 12 minutes. This kind of video becomes a short film that focuses on storytelling with a hint of branding.

6. Being too sales-oriented

Ultimately, you want the videos to sell in some way—whether through impressions that encourage conversion or long-term engagement to build repeat customers.

Just because you want to sell doesn’t mean the video should be about selling. People don’t like feeling “sold.” If they get a sense that the video is a “pitch,” they’ll immediately exit the screen.

The goal of video content should be to provide value. You’re showing your customers and prospects why your brand is so great. Sell them on the brand, the ideal lifestyle, and the relationship between organization and customer. This will soft sellyour product in a way that converts—without losing customers.

Focus on the story and the value.

7. Not having a call to action

The call to action tells the viewer what the purpose of your video is. It pushes the customer to the next action or point in the sales funnel.

This is how you can soft sell your customers without being overtly sales.

Remember that a call to action is not a sales pitch. It simply encourages them to engage deeper with your brand.

If you don’t have a call to action, your video will just be a film. Your customer will watch it, be entertained, and click away. It will be enjoyable and they may remember your brand, but they won’t know how to build a stronger relationship with your company.

 

8. Not considering external content

People will only click on your video if the surrounding content intrigues them. You could have the most stunning, captivating, and entertaining video ever created, but no one will ever see it if the surrounding copy is bad.

What does the headline of your video say? Does it intrigue the viewer to watch more?

What is the thumbnail picture? Is it clear and descriptive? Is it relevant to the video?

Is there an attached blog for further information? What do you write in the caption when posting the video on Facebook? What does the description copy look like?

Furthermore, if you get them to click play, do the first few seconds of your video hook the viewer? Are they going to continue watching?

Remember that video marketing is driven by marketing tactics first and video content second.

 

9. Not working with a production partner

Quality videos are not easy to create. They’re an investment of money, time, energy, and equipment. Building the best videos requires expertise and a strong team.

You could do it all yourself… but you won’t see the return that you want for your investment.

Why would you invest capital without ensuring results?

Outsourcing to a production partner is the key to growing high-level results.

If you’re ready to finally see the mammoth ROI that video marketing promises, contact our team at True Film Production right now.