Video marketing campaigns are proliferating. Most companies plan to either initiate or increase video marketing in 2016 as video continues to produce enhanced marketing results and return on investment. However, many businesses struggle to produce and promote marketing videos; poor quality videos often disappoint consumers and reflect badly on businesses that produce them.
“The State of Video Marketing 2016” survey from video production company Wyzowl reports that 61% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool, and 66% of those businesses were not using videos just a year ago. Almost all (91%) plan to either increase or maintain video spending this year, and 67% plan to increase spending.
The survey found that:
- 76% of businesses that now use video believe that it provides a good ROI.
- 93% believe video has increased users’ understanding of their product or service.
- 72% say video has improved their website’s conversion rate,
- 36% believe videos have reduced support queries.
“Video usage is accelerating at a phenomenal rate, but a number of businesses (39%)—for whatever reason—are yet to add it to their marketing strategy,” the report states. “Spending is also on a dramatic upward curve, and businesses looking to cut their video budget are in a very small minority (8%).”
The Problem with Quality
The survey also reveals that low-quality videos are an all-too-common issue. Organizations that fail to produce high-quality videos risk alienating more than 60% of their potential customers, the report warns. It reveals that:
- 61% of users surveyed postponed buying a product after watching a bad explainer video.
- 37% said they were annoyed when the video didn’t explain the product or service clearly enough.
- 25% said the video’s low quality was discouraging.
- 21% found that the video was too long.
Why Videos Fall Short
Videos that explain company products typically fail to interest viewers and increase sales for reasons other than visual quality. Mehroz Khan, co-founder of Video Explainers, explains key elements of high-quality explainer videos, in an Entrepreneur article.
The script. The script is critical – more important than visual quality. It must captivate viewers, explain the product, and persuade them to act. The best scripts entertain while informing.
A relatable character. Viewers must be able to relate to the character or characters in the video. It’s essential to select a character who is likeable. Consider details like their age, clothing and facial expressions.
The voiceover. The best voiceover artists rivet listener attention, while an unpleasant voice will prompt them to hit the close button. Don’t try to cut corners with voiceover talent – seek the best. Often, costs of well-known voices are not significantly higher for voiceover work.
Video flow. Nonstop and captivating video flow keeps viewers engaged throughout the entire video. Short explainer videos must have engaging visuals.
Music and sound effects. These may seem inconsequential, but make an enormous difference in maintaining interest and increasing conversions. A soundtrack specialist adds greatly to viewing pleasure and message delivery.
Bottom Line: While video has produced proven results in digital marketing, many companies produce video programs that don’t meet established quality standards and, therefore, turn off customers. Companies embracing video marketing must produce videos that meet consumer expectations for quality. Those expectations are established by TV commercials and commercial YouTube videos. Videos that fall short on good storytelling and production values are likely to fail in delivering expected marketing results.
William J. Comcowich founded and served as CEO of CyberAlert LLC, the predecessor of Glean.info. He is currently serving as Interim CEO and member of the Board of Directors. Glean.info provides customized media monitoring, media measurement and analytics solutions across all types of traditional and social media.
While videos may be working wonders for the companies that are doing them right, it seems like there are a number of companies putting money into video production only to be met with sub-par results. No matter how much money you throw into a video project or campaign, it still has to feature a compelling message or delivery that is going to capture the attention of your audience. As digital video marketing becomes even more prominent in the next year or so, I feel like more companies are going to get the hang of delivering their message the right way using video.