Are you perplexed by the lack of viewership, comments or followers when it comes to your videos? While not every video is going to suddenly hit the Internet and become an overnight sensation, it is possible that the problem lies within some technical flaws related to the way that you’re presenting your videos. Below are five of the most common mistakes made by companies along with the solutions to fix them.
#1: Your Videos are of Poor Quality.
When videos are difficult to watch because they are too grainy, have “splotches” of color throughout the video, or have mismatched times between the audio and video, viewers just can’t handle all the noise. Unless they’re super-patient, most users will tune out immediately in favor of a video that doesn’t tax them.
To solve this issue, it may be wise to hire a professional to either make or edit your video. This will result in the quality videos you need to attract a following. It will be well worth the investment rather than continuing on your current path.
#2: You Aren’t Posting Your Videos on YouTube (News - Alert).
If you have chosen a platform other than YouTube to host your videos, that’s fine. However, you should always have a YouTube channel as well. YouTube is owned by Google (News - Alert), the powerhouse search engine; hence, all YouTube videos have a natural tendency to rank first in keyword results.
Obviously, the way to rectify this problem is easy—start a business YouTube channel. Then, head to #3 below and see how to make sure it’s properly set up!
#3: Your Videos Aren’t Optimized.
Search engine optimization (SEO) isn’t just for web pages, blog posts or articles. It’s also for videos. Every one should be connected to one to three keywords, and should be optimized on every level.
As you go through your YouTube channel, start optimizing all your video descriptions. Include a few keywords, as well as the URL to your business website. This will help more people find your videos, and then check out your company’s web pages, too.
#4: You Haven’t Added a Transcript.
YouTube allows you to add a transcript to all your videos, which is a great boon because it enables you to take your optimization one step further. If you’re wondering if users actually pay attention to the transcript, the answer is “yes.” Some viewers can’t understand a word, so they’ll head to the transcript.
While you can transcribe your videos in-house, you can also outsource this project. There are transcription companies that operate on the cheap, too. You may find that you have to review all the transcripts, especially if they weren’t done by native speakers, but for a low investment cost, it could be worth it.
#5: Your Videos Aren’t Cohesive in Terms of Your Business Strategy.
Finally, it’s important that all your videos make sense in terms of your business’s marketing and sales strategy. Many organizations make the mistake of putting videos “out there” that really have no meaning to the public. Though the videos might be clever, funny or entertaining, if they don’t encourage people to find out about your product or service, they’re lacking.
Every quarter or so, gather your team to strategize about the videos you’re planning to post in the next few months. This will help you ensure that all the videos point viewers in the direction you want. For instance, you may wish to create a special landing page just for viewers of a certain video. Not only can this help you track who is seeing your content, but you can whet their appetites to join your e-newsletter, make a purchase or download a white paper.
More than anything else, it’s important that you don’t forget that videos can be a terrific part of your overall business plan for success. Tweak them as needed, and analyze the results. You’ll be better informed, and chances are higher that you’ll begin to get a regular audience.