6 video marketing mistakes to beware of (according the creators of content)

When he started making videos Pat Walls, the creator of Starter Story began to make the error of running with any idea that came to his mind. He spent hours making videos based on concepts that he later decided to scrap.
It was a blessing, Pat learned quickly that well-planned-out ideas ultimately help him save his time and produce higher quality information.

For this piece we enlisted professional video makers to take you through the most common mistakes they make. Among them, chasing virality by talking too much, or overly fast, striving to be perfect as well as spending lots of money on gear before you're even confident in front of the camera.

Hear from the likes of Jay Clouse, Jay Acunzo as well as Jayde I. Powell as they give advice on how to avoid making the same mistakes that they did.

First mistake: not vetting your thoughts

If you record videos but don't devote enough time or thought into creating them eventually slows your progress and costs money.

When Starter Story's Pat Walls began creating videos the way he did, he made this error. "So often, I'd have an idea, and then devote 10 to 20 30, 30 hours to bring the idea to life and creating it -editing, filming, post-production, and all that."

"I'd had saved lots of time and moved faster by dedicating a little bit more time thinking about the most effective way to use my time." admits Pat.

Because, in reality thought-through ideas help you plan how the video will be presented through the thumbnail and title, while also keeping your budget effective and in control.

What should you do instead: Brainstorm and evaluate the ideas prior to producing

Spend time coming up with thoughts. You can then commit to completing the shortlisted ideas so each video shot brings your idea to life.

Start with "putting together a list of 20 ideas on a spreadsheet, then grading the ideas from 1-10. Then, sort them from most to least in terms of their scores to pick only the ones highest and discard all the rest away." suggests Pat.

One thing to be mindful of is that instead of grading suggestions based on what are ones youthink are the best, verify them based on:

• What relevance do they have to the ideal target audience
• They should be aligned with your experience or product you're marketing

The best ideas are ones that combine these two.

Spending time developing ideas will make it easy for you to make videos that hook viewers. Also, you won't have to scrap ideas after you've recorded them.

Extra tip:Identify who you're making videos for.

Since any video idea's success depends on how relevant it is to the viewers you want to reach Consider: What do my viewers want to interact with?

Instead of making assumptions, investigate what kinds of questions the ideal audience has in relation to your area of expertise.

Begin by understanding precisely:

• Who you want to make videos for
• What subjects do they research or follow?
• Which channel(s) they stream videos on?

Essentially, your ideal viewers are the people you want to sell your product to. You can enter the names of them in an audience research tool such as SparkToro for you to determine their

• Demographics (age and gender)
• Who are they following on social media
• What they talk about

Then, look at the users you follow on video-driven channels like TikTok and Instagram for a look at the content they're publishing. The idea isn't to copy their approach, but to find out the content and style of the content you want your viewers to be watching and engaging with.

The second mistake: thinking that an online video can drive business results

Whatever your concept is, there's no guarantee your video will go viral. There's also no saying what effects a virally-produced video might drive for you besides an increase in your followers count. But, Dan Bennett of Video for Entrepreneurs shares that most beginner video creators chase virality.

"Oftentimes when I'm working with clients, especially at the beginning people are looking at video as something really expensive, that they've got to spend a considerable amount of money for. This video is going to be able to do all the lifting for them." Dan says. Dan. "It's most likely be a success. It will change the direction of their businesses. Even though it occurs in one in every probably 10,000 video clips, it's definitely not something to be counted on."

What to do instead: Be consistent

Instead of thinking that one viral video is all you need to win at video marketing, make sure you consistently post videos that entertain, educate and ultimately increase sales. Dan recommends "putting together a body of work by creating several videos about the same topic, covering different aspects, and leading someone on a journey [with youto take them on a journey."

A video engine like this ensures that you are on the top of your target viewers' minds, letting them trust you, which is essential for driving business results. It's not like viral video offers this though, because folks only see it one time and then, soon enough, they forget about it.

Mistake #3: Investing in gear before nailing camera presence

"We want to look like a celebrity, that's why we invest in the most expensive lighting equipment, buy an expensive microphone, we buy the best camera, or pay for or spend time working on editing it to make it flashy, add gripping animation, colourful subtitles and emoticons, as well as B-rolls and everything," says Jay Acunzo who is the co-founder of the Creator Kitchen and host of the Unthinkable podcast.

What's the issue? The latest equipment won't be able to help you convey your main idea effectively until you master camera presence. Take into consideration how you show yourself in video your energy, how you present yourself as well as the manner in which you deliver a story.

"Because [ultimately, effective video marketing is about being good on a microphone and on camera, and if you're not able to do that, then none of the rest of it is worth your time until you master the ability to sit down in a chair or stand in front of the camera and present," Jay points out.

What should you do instead: Master camera presence

"Put yourself in a hurry and create enough video content to get better (in front of a camera] prior to spending any time or any resources, any budget (team or yours) and trying to become better at what you can do incrementally," advises Jay. Review the videos you record for understanding:

• Where to look at the camera
• Which non-verbal cues can be engaging?
• How do you pace your speech for maximum impact

Then go back and implement your changes to the content you record.

Mistake #4: Talking too much

When you talk too much, you unintentionally give away a lot of details -confusing your viewers, and losing them altogether.

The founder of The Em Dash Co and host of Creator Tea Talk, Jayde I. Powell, struggled with similar. Jayde I. Powell explains "Oftentimes the issue is that as a marketer, I want to convey the message, or story across so badly that I lose track of whom I'm talking with and what kind of content they consume or what they're looking for in it."

With time though, Jayde has realized, "A large portion of my work as a creator of content and content marketer demands me to take a lot of data and transform into fresh content however, I also have to make it more digestible."

What to do instead: Plan your content, but don't over-plan it

• Refine your opening lines
• Take out any sentences that don't add to the overall video idea
• Remove or add data based upon your viewers' knowledge of the topic

The content you provide is simple to digest and relevant for your readers.

5. Talking too quickly

Besides being mindful of how long you're speaking, pay attention to the way you pace the way you speak. If you speak too quickly, you make it difficult for viewers to follow along. But if you go slow it could lead viewers due to boredom. Whatever the case, unthinkingly pacing dilutes your video idea's impact as it fails to give viewers enough time to fully comprehend the message you're presenting.

Public speaking coach, Nausheen I. Chen shares she used to speak too fast. "Maybe that was due to nerves, the adrenaline, the pressure of creating super quick videos for social occasions however it seemed like I was always on 1.5x speed throughout the whole duration."

"In fact, I planned to plan everything, minus my ability to speak. I planned for the content, the lighting, the background, the place," Nausheen recalls. "But the truth is that you can possess the top cameras, the best lights, and the most engaging images, but if you do not know how to put yourself in front of cameras with the right energy, if you don't know how to alter your pace or stop for a moment the message is likely to disappear."

What can you do instead? Review your pace and write down your pauses

Mistake #6: Striving for the perfect result

"When I first started using video, the error that I'd made the whole time was trying to achieve the perfect video, and believing that I could do it," says Jay Clouse, Founder of Creator Science..

Aiming for perfection is both unattainable and exhausting because you second guess all the things you do. Most of all, it prevents you from being the person you are on camera.

"Because once you begin striving to be perfect, you raise the question: 'what is perfection?' "And what you probably end up doing is comparing your work to another's work who has been doing this longer than you do. You then try to create a derivative, memetic version of what the other person did. "[But] you're never capable of being able to do it as well." What's the reason? "Because they're probably greater experience, and additionally since they're producing their own videos."

What to do instead: Find your style

This is easier said than done. It is, however, a good idea. Jay recommends being a little loose on camera for a more authentic look. "[This is because] you won't feel too rigid. You won't be trying to mimic someone else's style."

All it takes is getting the idea that you don't need to imitate anyone else. In the end, "Make the video that you are planning to create exactly as you'd make it," Jay points out. Be aware that figuring out your own style requires the time. Therefore, Jay Acunzo's suggestion of making numerous videos as often as you can to get the best camera presence can be helpful also here.

Today, create high-converting videos.

The simplest way to summarize it is make time to think about your video ideas. Improve the storytelling skills, your speaking and camera presentation skills. Make sure to organize your presentation with a script pointing out:

• What you'll talk about
• What you'll do to cover the issue
• You'll stop for a moment or two
• The way you'll change your speed

And if scripting gets time-consuming, use 's AI script generator. Here's to making videos that will keep your viewers to watch till the very the end