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

Oct 10, 2023

As he began making video clips, Pat Walls, the Founder of Starter Story began to make the error of running with any idea that came to his mind. He spent time making videos that were based on ideas that he'd later scrap.
It was a blessing, Pat learned quickly that good-thought-out strategies eventually save him the time and produce more effective content.

In this article We asked professional filmmakers to guide through the biggest mistakes they have made. One of them is chasing fame, talking too much or overly fast, striving to get it right, and spending a lot on equipment before becoming confident in front of the camera.

Hear from the likes of Jay Clouse, Jay Acunzo, and Jayde I. Powell as they give advice about how you can avoid the same mistakes that they did.

Mistake #1: Not vetting your thoughts

Recording videos without dedicating sufficient time and effort to creating them eventually slows you down and wastes money.

In the beginning, when Starter Story's Pat Walls began creating videos and films, he committed this exact mistake. "So often, I'd come up with an idea, and then devote the next 10, 20, 30 hours bringing the idea to life as well as creating it- the edit, filming, post-production, and everything else."

"I'd have saved a lot of time as well as moved more quickly if I had just dedicated a little bit more time thinking about the best idea for my time," Pat admits. Pat.

In reality, well-thought-out ideas frame how to present your video through the title and thumbnail and also keep your budget well-organized and manageable.

What should you do instead: Brainstorm and evaluate concepts prior to production

Take time to think of thoughts. Next, you must work on defining the shortlisted ideas so each shot in the video helps bring your ideas to life.

Begin by "putting together 20 possible ideas on a spreadsheet, then grading the ideas from 1-10. Then, sort them from the highest to the lowest in terms of their scores to pick only those that rank highest and discard everything else away," suggests Pat.

One thing to be mindful of: Instead of grading suggestions based on what youthink are the best, verify them based on:

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

The best ideas are ones that combine the two.

In the end, spending time creating ideas can enable you to create videos that will entice viewers. You also wouldn't need to scrap ideas after they've been recorded.

Extra tip:Identify who you're making videos for

Because the success of any concept for video is largely dependent on its relevance to the viewers you want to reach So, consider: what content will my viewers engage with?

Instead of assuming, study the questions that you would like to hear from your potential viewers in regards to your field of expertise.

Begin by understanding precisely:

  • You'd like to create videos for?
  • What subjects do they research or follow?
  • Which channel(s) they stream the videos?

Essentially, your ideal audience are the people you want to promote your products to. Enter words describing them in an online tool for audience research such as SparkToro for you to find out their:

  • Demographics (age and gender)
  • Who do they follow on social media
  • What they talk about

Then, look at the users who follow these people on video-driven channels such as TikTok as well as Instagram to find out what kind of videos they're releasing. This isn't a way to duplicate the strategy of their followers, but rather to figure out the style and substance of the content you want your viewers to be engaged with and watching.

Mistake #2: Thinking a viral video will drive the business outcomes

No matter how good the idea you have however, it's unlikely that your video will go viral. You can't predict the results a viral video could drive for you besides an increase in your followers count. Yet, Dan Bennett of Video for Entrepreneurs shares that most new video creators are looking to make their videos viral.

"Oftentimes when I work with individuals, particularly in the beginning stages they'll be looking at videos as this thing that's really costly, and they're forced to spend a considerable amount of money for. This video is going to be able to do all the lifting for them," says Dan. "It's most likely be a success. This will alter the direction of their company. Even though it occurs once in 10,000 videos, it's certainly not something to be counted on."

What should you do instead: Be consistent

Instead of thinking one viral video will suffice to be successful in the field of video marketing, consistently publish videos that inform, entertain, and eventually drive sales. Dan advises "putting together an entire body of work, putting together several videos about the same subject, focusing on different aspects, and leading people on a trip with you."

An engine for video like this ensures that you are on the top of your target viewers and helps you earn their trust, which is essential for achieving business goals. The viral videos don't provide this, however, since people are only able to view it once, and after enough, they'll forget about it.

Mistake #3: Investing in gear before nailing camera presence

"We want to look the part and that's why we invest in the most expensive lighting, the high-end microphone, we get the best camera, or we make a payment or work in editing the footage to make it flashy, add gripping animation, colorful subtitles and emojis and B-roll, and everything else," says Jay Acunzo, Co-Founder Creator Kitchen. the Creator Kitchen and host of the Unthinkable podcast.

The problem with this? The latest equipment won't be able to help you deliver your core idea well until you've mastered camera-related presence. Take into consideration how you present yourself on video and the enthusiasm you convey as well as the manner in which you tell your story.

"Because it is the case that effective video marketing is all about having a good microphone and on camera, and if you can't achieve that, none of the rest content will be worth your time until you can master the skill to sit in the chair or in front of the camera and present," Jay points out.

What can you do instead: Master camera presence

"Put yourself in a hurry and do enough video content that you are proficient (in front of a camera] prior to spending any time or any resources including budgets (team or your own) and trying to become more proficient at incremental work," advises Jay. Review the videos you record for understanding:

  • Where to look at the camera
  • Which non-verbal cues can be engaging?
  • And, how to pace your speech for maximum impact

After that, you can go back to the original content and make any changes you make to the video content that you have recorded.

Fourth error: talking excessively

If you are too talkative and you're not aware of it, you'll divulge a wealth of information that can confuse viewers. You could end up even losing them completely.

The founder of The Em Dash Co and host of Creator Tea Talk, Jayde I. Powell, struggled with similar. She shares "Oftentimes what happens is that as a marketing professional I try to get the message, or story through so quickly that I forget who I'm talking to and the type 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 go through a large amount of data and transform into content that is new, but also make it more digestible."

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

  • You can refine your opening lines
  • Cut out sentences that don't contribute to the overall notion.
  • Add or remove data based upon your viewers' knowledge of the topic

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

5th error: talking too quickly

Besides being mindful of the amount you talk be aware of how fast you're pacing your speech. If you speak too quickly the result is that it becomes difficult for viewers to follow along. If you talk too slow the risk is that you'll lose viewers due to boredom. Whatever the case, unthinkingly pacing can diminish the effectiveness of your idea because it does not allow viewers time to process what you're saying.

Public speaking coach, Nausheen I. Chen shares she often spoke too fast. "Maybe it was the tension, adrenaline or the pressure of creating super short videos for socials, but it just seemed as if I was on 1.5x speed all the time."

"In fact, I planned for everything except my speaking skills. I planned for the content and lighting, as well as the background, the location," Nausheen recalls. "But it's true that you could have the best cameras with the finest lighting and the most engaging images, but if you aren't able to present yourself your camera in the best way, if you don't know how to change your speed and stop for a moment the message is likely to be lost."

What to do: Recheck your speed and script your breaks

Sixth Mistake: Struggling for the perfect result

"When I first started with video, the mistake that I'd made the whole time was trying to create the perfect video and thinking that I was able to," says Jay Clouse, Founder of Creator Science.

The pursuit of perfection can be unattainable and exhausting because you second guess every decision you make. Most of all, it hinders your ability to be your unique self on camera.

"Because whenever you are trying to strive for perfect, it begs to ask: what is the perfect what is perfect?' "And what you probably do is compare your work to another's work, who's been doing this longer than you do. And so, you try to make this derivative, memetic version of the work that this individual did. "[Butit's unlikely that you're capable of being able to do it as well." Why? "Because they probably have greater experience, and additionally because they're making 'their' videos."

What can you do instead: Find your style

This is easier said than executed. However, Jay advises to be a bit loose in camera to bring out your style. "[This means that you won't feel like you're being rigid. And you're not going to attempt to emulate your style."

The first step is to accept the concept that you don't need to copy anyone. In the end, "Make the video that you are planning to create the way you would make it," Jay points out. Remember that finding your style takes time. Therefore, Jay Acunzo's suggestion of recording as many videos as you can to nail the camera's presence is helpful here as well.

Make high-converting videos today

Simply put, you should take the time to plan your video ideas. Work on your storytelling, speaking, and camera presentation skills. Don't forget to plan your presentation with a script pointing out:

  • What you'll talk about
  • The way you'll handle how you'll cover
  • You'll stop for a moment or two
  • What you'll do to vary the rate of speed

And if scripting gets time-consuming, use 's AI script generator. This is how you can create videos that will keep your viewers hooked until the very the end