7 Video Content Marketing Myths Debunked

These days, video is a highly effective tool for marketers. YouTube has sited that every single day people are watching millions of hours on YouTube and generating billions of views. Furthermore, a study that surveyed nearly 400 marketers found that 69% of respondents are already using this mechanism to market their companies and products. So, not only is it an effective tool for marketers, it might be the easiest way to meet people exactly where they are, and, many marketers are already utilizing this channel.

Before embarking on a video content marketing strategy, though, it is important to keep in mind the myths associated with this type of work.

In this post we’ve outlined the top seven myths associated with video marketing and explained why they are, in fact, myths.

Myth #1: Fancy equipment or a production team is needed to create content through video.
While these assets might help in the production phase, they are far from necessary to effectively use video for content marketing. With the rise of apps like Snapchat and tools like GoPros, bloggers, businesses, brands, and celebrities are using tools as simple as their iPhones to capture video footage that can later be used for marketing. In lieu of video, here is one on how to effectively make a video without fancy equipment.

Myth #2: Creating and publishing a video will automatically lead to traffic.
While videos and other premium content will certainly aid SEO efforts, a lack of promoting and driving traffic to it will really hurt the return on investment that was put into creating the video. This might be more of a general content marketing myth but it is certainly worth noting. Once the video has been created, edited, and published, it is important to make sure there is a schedule in place for promoting it across social media platforms, via email, and that there is a plan for building links to it both within the company’s own website and across the internet. This will drive the right people to the video content and ultimately lead to more conversions.

Myth #3: Producing the most relevant content only is the best way to go about video content marketing.
It has actually been found that YouTube channels and companies that produce a wide variety of video content that might be relevant to a set of their followers or a particular audience they are targeting, are more successful. Not only should topics covered vary but also length of videos and editing styles. It is important for marketers to produce content that is going to keep people interested and clicking from one video to the next. Here’s an article with some more information on producing diverse content.

Myth #4: Cramming as much information into a video as possible is the way to go.
The majority of videos are left or abandoned after 10 seconds. That said, it is highly important to create a video that gets to the punch and presents viewers with a strong call-to-action to learn more. Following this approach is a marketers’ way of being respectful of the viewers time while also continuing to nurture them down their purchase path.

Myth #5: Videos need to be kept professional and serious.
Professional, yes, maybe. But it isn’t a bad idea to add some humor and entertainment. Remember people aren’t likely to watch the entire video so whatever can be done to keep them entertained and drawn in, so long as it remains professional, is a smart move to do.

Myth #6: Content created for a video has to only live in video form.
Think of all the ways in which snippets of video are distributed today. Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Vine, and the list goes on and on. Create a video to live on its own and then think of ways to pull smaller videos out of that. Creating a SlideShare with the video content is also a good idea. There is no need to recreate the message, just the medium.

Myth #7: Videos created for content marketing should mimic commercials. 
Like with any format of content created for online content marketing, your message should be one of helping your audience, not selling your product. Commercials historically exist to sell and increase customers. Online content marketing exists to position companies as thought leaders in their industry and to find potential buyers where they are in their sales process – which typically means providing them with valuable information that is going to help them along the way. Lululemon’s YouTube playlists, for example, contain videos not related to their products, but related to the activities people do in their products and the things their customers are passionate about.

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