Why Most Marketing Videos Dont Work
Every now and then I will meet someone who has commissioned a marketing video that did not work for their company. It is a sad state of affairs and it is avoidable.
Over the years, I have been given many failed corporate communications videos to watch and have found that they all suffer from one or more of the following problems.
1. A poorly written script
This would have to be one of the most common problems. The script provides the backbone to any video project and it must be perfect. It needs to be to the point, clear and interesting.
Often scripts get written in-house resulting in wordy and highly detailed pieces of prose that do not translate well onto the screen. Quite frankly, they are boring. Unfortunately, pretty shots and expert editing cannot hide a tedious narrative.
Worse still, is when the script goes back and forth and the content is played out in an illogical sequence. This results in no viewer being able to quickly understand your core marketing messages, if they can understand it at all.
Ideally, a script conveys the most important pieces of information that your target market wants to know and is written with an objective in mind.
2. The video is too long
In this day and age of high speed broadband and other time-saving devices, very few of us have attention spans that can handle information for more than a few minutes.
Any video over 10 minutes is destined to lose viewers after the first few minutes.
Yet, surprisingly there are many marketing videos today that are well over 12 minutes in length.
The best marketing videos are short and succinct. Yet, it is far easier to cram everything into a video than to make a short and concise one. In the words of Blaise Pascal, "The present letter is a very long one, simply because I had no leisure to make it shorter".
3. "The "look mum I'm on TV" scenario
While some of us may cringe at the thought of a camera placed in front of us, there are many people who relish the opportunity to show their face on television.
This can result in corporate heads droning on incessantly about how wonderful their company is (and what a great job they are doing). Sadly, this does nothing else but soothe corporate egos and turn viewers away.
Few people realise that talking to a camera in an appealingly manner is a skill in itself. Having a CEO spieling boring corporate fluff while looking dumbstruck and awkward in front of the camera does not a good video make.
However, a charismatic business leader who uses short, punchy (and rehearsed) sentences can add tremendous impact and clout to a marketing video.
4. Poor production values
While watching your corporate video, your customers will be left with an impression of what type of business you are and what to expect when doing business with you.
A fast way to subconsciously get across the wrong image to your viewer is to have grainy pictures, poorly framed shots and sloppy editing.
A well thought out and professionally created television program will create a positive impression in the minds of your prospects. After all, we all watch television and we are used to broadcast quality productions, not wobbly and unfocused shots that scream 'amateurish'.
To produce a good quality television program, it must be made using an experienced A-grade cameraman, a broadcast quality camera and a fully trained editor
5. Target audience is too diverse
Many marketing videos often try to get as many messages out to a diverse audience.
It is very difficult to produce a video that is 'all things to all people'. After all, communicating to primary school students, overseas buyers and consumers all in the one video is an extremely difficult feat to pull.
Research has found that advertising that targets a number of market segments results in higher profits than advertising that sells to a mass market.
Likewise, marketing videos that target a small audience are more successful than those aimed at a large audience. It is often wise to produce several television programs for different audiences, rather than cram all of your messages into one confusing video.
6. Let's do a video, just because we can!
It might seem far-fetched but there are companies that embark on commissioning a marketing video without really assessing if they need one.
This can be due to a number of reasons such as using up available budgets, satisfying corporate egos and employees creating work for themselves.
You are probably wondering why a video communication producer would even complain about this situation. The answer is simple.
A marketing video is an effective tool to increase sales in a company. It is actually painful and embarrassing to watch a video that is a shameless waste of company money.
Poorly produced videos might line the pockets of some video producers, but they do little to convince future clients that they are worthwhile.
If you are in the market for a marketing video, make sure you follow these simple guidelines to ensure your project is a success, rather than destined for the rubbish bin.
(c) Marie-Claire Ross 2004. All rights reserved.
Marie-Claire Ross is one of the partners of Digicast. Digicast works with organisations who are not satisfied that their marketing and training materials are helping their business grow. She can be contacted on 0500 800 234 (Australia wide) or at mc@digicast.com.au. The website is at http://www.digicast.com.au.
 Google News Updated : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:51:33 GMT Manatee dies before reaching rehab site - Boston Globe
Boston Globe - By Emily Canal After a 27-hour trip to Florida, Dennis the manatee, rescued from the frigid waters of Cape Cod, died in Orlando yesterday as SeaWorld employees carted the mammal to a rehabilitation center. Video: Rescued Manatee Dies After Mass. Rescue Manatee rescued off Cape Cod dies en route to Florida Sea World Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:21:21 GMT Dodgers stand up to Phillies in Game 3 win - FOXSports.com
FOXSports.com - by Ken Rosenthal Ken Rosenthal has been the senior baseball writer for FOXSports.com since Aug. 2005. He appears weekly on the FSN Baseball Report and MLB on FOX. LA revitalized at Moyer's expense Kuroda's pitch serves its purpose for Dodgers Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 07:00:36 GMT Forecast: Summery Sunshine Sticks Around - Washington Post
Washington Post - Columbus Day will feel a lot more like Labor Day as temperatures climb to around 80 degrees. This unseasonably warm weather will continue for the next several days. Enjoy a warm, sunny Columbus Day Beautiful start to the work week Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 09:03:26 GMT Fantastic finishes: 5 NFL games down to the wire - Washington Post
Washington Post - Dallas Cowboys' Mat McBriar (1) has his punt blocked by Arizona Cardinals' Sean Morey as Monty Beisel (52) looks on during overtime of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 12, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. Blocked punt downs Dallas Backups Burst Through Line and Lift Cardinals in Overtime Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 08:15:50 GMT UK government takes stake in three banks - CNN International
CNN International - LONDON, England (CNN) -- The British government on Monday said it would make a multi-billion investment in three of the country's major banks to help them through the "first financial crisis of the global age. In quotes: Bank bail-out reaction TEXT-Lloyds TSB terms for acquisition of HBOS Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:18:47 GMT European, Asian markets bounce back - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - LONDON (AP) - European markets opened strongly Monday following Asia's lead in response to the widespread government efforts over the weekend to shore up the world's troubled financial system. The financial crisis A light at the end of the tunnel? World stock markets welcome European bank rescue Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:23:04 GMT 1.5 million G1 Android phones pre-ordered - TG Daily
TG Daily - By Wolfgang Gruener Chicago (IL) - T-Mobile’s upcoming G1 may not be the best-looking iPhone rival, it may not have the most complete feature set and T-Mobile may have undersold the device at the recent launch event. Get ready for next-gen mobile HTC G1 Android Phone Racks up 1.5 Million Pre-orders Publ.Date : Mon, 13 Oct 2008 05:21:21 GMT Increase Search Engine Traffic |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Think the best way to get more customers is to... Read More How to Take Your Law Firm to the Next Level... Read More Ten Breakthrough Marketing Ideas1. Create a directory of web sites... Read More You followed time-honored online marketing techniques to the letter: you... Read More The secret to increasing sales doesn't lie in choosing just... Read More In the age of e-newsletters and e-mail, you may not... Read More An important part of planning your business is to know... Read More Are your marketing messages to Realtors® guilty of these promises?-... Read More People are known to shop on impulse- buying an item... Read More Marketers have a wide variety of media at their disposal.... Read More It is often difficult to manage to do marketing tasks... Read More Small and emerging companies often do not put together a... Read More Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what... Read More I've discovered a really fantastic way to discover what works... Read More In the past, purchasing ad space was the solution to... Read More The United States Post Office in the past had some... Read More Skilful business writing involves getting your message across simply and... Read More We all work hard to attract even one paying client.... Read More With all the shuffling that's been seen in the search... Read More 12/20/04According to a recent article by ComScore Networks, about three-quarters... Read More Tips on writing great copy for your marketing efforts.It's just... Read More This is an excellent way to grow your business using... Read More A well-designed chart can be one of the most persuasive... Read More With the increased challenges that all companies are faced with,... Read More It is well known that Thomas Edison was an inventor,... Read More
Adsense
websites
Small Business Pricing Strategies
How to Take Your Law Firm to the Next Level
Ten Breakthrough Marketing Ideas
Distinguish Your Business From The Competition
Focus...a Marketing Strategy
Connect to Your Customers with Superb Sales Letters
Who Is Your Market and Where Are They?
Mortgage Broker Marketing - Sell Problems, Not Solutions
Promotional Marketing Products ? Selecting the Perfect Item
Top 5 Tips For Media Selection
Marketing Tips - Ten Quick Marketing Actions
The Role of Marketing for Boards of Directors
Too Much To Do: Four Keys to Effective Delegating
Test Marketing--How to Increase Your Direct Mail Marketing Response by Using the Internet to Test
Take It To The Customer
Rising Postal Rates? Don?t Cut Down the Direct Mail
The Secret to Good Writing
Five Mistakes Absolutely Guaranteed to Drive Away Your Best Clients
Are Keywords Destroying the Flow of Your SEO Copy?
Consumer Thinking And Search Marketing
Marketing Copy - Brand Identity Guru
Newsletters - A Great Way to Build Business Relationships
Creating Great Charts for Persuasive Trade Show Presentations
Are Corporate Awards and Corporate Gifts Beneficial for Your Business?
Wife?s Marketing Prowess Helped Edison See the Light
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Demographics For the Masses
Information is the lifeblood of the economy. That's especially true... Read More
Whats In a Business Card?
Over the years as I have attended trade shows, networking... Read More
Seven Secrets For Building Customer Loyalty In Your Restaurant
Imagine how much your sales and profits would increase if... Read More
The Marshall Plan -- Or, Customer Aftercare: How To Spend Less & Sell More
My wife likes to shop at the local Safeway. Is... Read More
Think Creatively While Reinventing Your Marketing and Selling -- Its For Your Survival!
We live in a world that for many has become... Read More
Radio Advertising Works With These Tips!
Advertising on the radio can be an effective lead generation... Read More
The 5 Musts of Marketing
For most of the small business owners I work with,... Read More
Finding a Brochure Printing Company
A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it... Read More
Six Ways To Attract New Customers To Your Restaurant
Without new business, your restaurant won't be able to grow.... Read More
Developing a Contact List- Part One
One of the most essential things to successful networking is... Read More
Set Your Business Apart With A Unique Selling Proposition
Unless your company has absolutely no competition now or in... Read More
Is A Marketing Plan The Same Thing As A Communications Plan?
How does a marketing plan relate to an organization's communications... Read More
How Architecture Rendering is Part of the Impact
Cartoons have gone from celluloid to digital. Movies have gone... Read More
Maslows Marketing Filter
One of the basics of all marketing and advertising training... Read More
Don?t Put All Of Your Eggs Into One Basket
I vaguely remember a particular story from my childhood. It... Read More
What the Heck is a Campaign and Why Do I Need to Do One?
Many people ask me, "What is a postcard campaign, exactly?"... Read More
How To Go From Under Dog to Top Dog by Unleashing The Power Of a Postcard
The Tale of Two Dentists...Dr. Namel and Dr. Ivory are... Read More
Maximizing Your Yellow Page Investment
Yellow Page users are the hottest of all prospects ?... Read More
CRM Star Wars: When Marketing is from Venus and IT is from Mars
Inherent tensions exist between marketing and IT. This is often... Read More
Build Relationships
Personal marketing makes it easier to sell, by building relationships... Read More
Marketing Messages: Your 10 Most Important Business Principles
As a self-employed professional, you have two basic strategies for... Read More
Baby Boomers - Marketing to the Me Generation
Unless you've been in a dimly lit cavern for the... Read More
Nurture Sales Leads with Direct Mail Marketing
Direct mail is a cost-effective way to make sales and... Read More
Direct Mail Still Works!
Direct Mail CampaignsDespite the proliferation of communication facilitators--mobile phones, faxes,... Read More
How to Pick a Winning Business Name
What's in a name?Think of your business name as an... Read More
Marketing |