5 Mistakes Every NEW Video Marketer Makes

by liz germain | Jul 12, 2019 | Uncategorized

Before you hit “record”… Here are the 5 biggest mistakes I see new video marketers make:

1. Pointless rambling.

This is so common. It usually happens because you haven’t defined your target demographic well enough.

Who are you talking to? Who are you NOT talking to?

Get wayyy specific. What are the problems/challenges this person is facing that you can help them solve?

Who are they already listening to online? What does that current conversation look like?

Ask yourself… What is this person secretly Googling that they’d be reluctant to tell others they’re secretly Googling late at night when they’re in their #feelings?

What is the language THEY are using in those conversations and searches (not just what you *think* they’re using)?

Once you know, you can keep your content straight to the point and avoid rambling aimlessly on camera.

>> If you’re not totally sure, go browse related forums (Quora, Reddit, YouTube, FB groups, IG comment sections, etc) and find the specific, relevant language they’re already using.

Don’t just assume you know…

Once you know who you’re talking to (and about what), the rest is so much easier. Your videos become intimate, concise, personal conversations with a best friend instead of an empty stage for you to preach on to an invisible audience…

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2. Not doing advanced keyword research beforehand.

You need to know the search metrics around your prospect’s language and whether those keywords are viable enough to invest your time in.

Find relevant keywords in your niche that are high volume + low competition.

Obviously this is the biggest step people skip because keyword research is somewhat complicated and a very technical skill to learn.

But it’s not as hard as you think, and the payoff is HUGE. Especially for long term growth!

>> Don’t skip the keyword research. It should be the main thing that informs your entire content strategy and the first thing you do before you ever hit record.

If you don’t know how to do this or have no desire to learn, hire us and we’ll either teach you how to do it, or just do it for you and save you the headache.

Or reach out and I’ll send you 3 free keyword plugins that will change your life in this category and at least get you on the path to learning…

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3. Skipping past the starting phase of the customer journey.

This looks like jumping right into “mindset” content without first meeting the prospect where they’re currently at, which is usually a much more superficial issue.

People are not online searching for “self love” or “money mindset” …

(lol wouldn’t it be nice if they were?)

They’re looking for things like “how to stop overeating” or “how to make a Facebook ad” or other surface level things because those are the immediate problems that keep them up at night.

They aren’t at that more advanced level of awareness yet to even KNOW that ‘mindset’ is something they need to address.

That’s where you come in. It’s your job to lead them there, but first you need to meet them where they’re currently AT.

Join the conversation they’re already having in their head and release your judgments about how it’s “beneath you” to create content like that…

When you do, don’t be surprised if you start getting messages like “How did you know that’s EXACTLY what I was thinking?”

(um, because I researched your life and your problems, then looked at the data to figure out how I could start connecting with you hehe)

>> Speak to your prospects in their own language and give them what they *think* they want upfront so they can find you… THEN teach them what they *actually* need inside your tiered content, programs & services.

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4. Not understanding how each platform’s unique algorithm works, and how to leverage each for maximum results.

You need to know what TO do, and what NOT to do, on each individual platform. Newsflash – they’re not all created equal.

I know you already know this, so the question is why aren’t you applying it?

Do you even know which platform is the best for you to use and why?

Or are you just doing the easy things that require the least amount of work and growth on your end?

Or worse, are you just doing the things you see your competition doing because “it seems to be working for them”…

One of the most common examples of this is when people just upload their podcast episodes or Facebook live videos onto YouTube without changing a thing about it…

Or send the same template promo message to everyone they’re connected to on LinkedIn…

Yuck.

>> This is not a good strategy. Don’t do it! Pick one or two platforms to MASTER, and go all in. One of the reasons I love YouTube so much is because you can make ONE piece of content that can then be broken down into:

– transcripts for blogs
– mp3s for podcast episodes
– video clips for ads
– GIFs for email campaigns
– short form video clips for IG stories, Facebook and IGTV, etc

Pick the platform that’s going to give you the most leverage and help you amplify and “recycle” the content you produce.

Making video content is quite time consuming, so first know why you’re even making the content in the first place and how to get the most bang for your buck before you start.

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5. Cramming way too much info into one video / trying to be everything to everyone.

Google & YouTube are looking for *specific* answers to *specific* questions, not a whole compilation of every FAQ anyone has ever asked you, all crammed into one video.

Should your content be comprehensive? YES.

But should it try to answer every single question under the sun that your prospect might have? NO.

It should effectively answer ONE question with extreme detail, comprehensive coverage and tons of value (plus a CTA) for the viewer.

>> Keyword research really helps you get clarity in this category. Create comprehensive answers, but to SPECIFIC questions (not all of them at once for every single person).

If you try to be everything to everyone, you’ll end up giving nothing to no one. Refer back to #1 again…

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Are you guilty of any of these? If so, it’s okay, you’re not alone.

But if you find yourself making any of these mistakes, it’s time to get a better strategy.

The bare minimum you can do is get the 3 keyword plugins I mentioned above.

They’re outlined inside the YouTube Growth Hacks Guide, which you can get for free here.