Imagine a small Brisbane business owner who spends $5,000 and weeks of their time making what they think will be their game-changing video. They hit publish and wait for the magic to happen. But… crickets! Complete silence from their audience.
This scenario is so common, and it happens because small businesses often jump straight into making videos without any kind of plan. At Grizzly Bear Media, we help Brisbane businesses fix this problem by building effective video campaigns.
In this article, we’ll show you the biggest mistake small businesses make and explain what happens if you make it too. We’ll also share how to use video as part of your wider marketing plan.
Read on to see why your videos miss the mark and how to fix them.
Forgetting Your Content Strategy First
One of the most common mistakes small businesses make with their video is jumping into filming without a plan. It’s like building a house without blueprints. You might end up with walls in the wrong places and no idea where the front door goes (honestly, it’s a recipe for disaster).
Let’s get into detail about what you need to decide before you hit the record button.
Know Your Target Audience Before Filming
Look, you can’t make a video that talks to everyone. More specifically, when you try to please everybody, you end up pleasing nobody. And it happens because different people care about different things and speak in different ways.
That’s why good businesses get precise about who they’re talking to. They know what problems keep their audience awake at night and which social media platforms their customers use most. They even understand if people prefer quick tips or long explanations.
Set Clear Goals for Your Video
Every video must have a clear purpose. What does it mean in particular, though? Well, some videos should introduce people to your brand, while others may explain how your product works or get people to book a meeting. When your video doesn’t have a clear intent, it just floats around the internet doing absolutely nothing.
But how would you make sure your video has a purpose? We have an easy solution to this problem. Simply let your goals guide the video. They’ll decide the length, the tone, and the platform. Most importantly, your goals will set the call-to-action (CTA).
Pro Tip: Always check your filming spot for noise and distractions. A quiet space makes your video easier to watch and keeps attention on your message.
Common Content Marketing Mistakes to Avoid
The truth is, poor planning almost always causes problems for your content marketing. Most common issues here include hard selling, weak trust-building, poor technical prep, and no clear CTA.
Now let’s break down these problems and how you can fix them.
Building Trust Over Focusing Solely on Sales
We don’t know if you’ve noticed, but modern audiences hate hard sales pitches, especially on social media. They can sniff out a sales pitch like Yoda senses the Force, and they’ll scroll past your content faster than The Flash. Why? Because they don’t trust you yet.
This is the reason trust always comes before sales. When you prioritise values like sharing tips, advice, or stories, people start to see you as helpful instead of aggressive (admit it, we all mute hard-selling accounts instantly).
Here are the types of videos that build trust instead of turning people off:
- Brand Story Videos: People want to see the faces and stories behind a business. That way, it feels more real than a sales pitch. Plus, when you show your passion and explain why you started your business, your message will stick, and people are far more likely to remember you.
- Educational How-To Guides: These videos solve problems for your audience without asking for anything in return. You share a skill, and people pick up something useful right away. Over time, they begin to see you as the trusted expert they can turn to.
- Client Testimonials: Real customers talking about their experience carry more weight than anything you could say about yourself. Videos like these provide proof that other people trust you enough to work with you.
How a Plan Solves Production Errors
Many technical problems, including poor sound, bad lighting, and shaky footage, happen when you skip the planning stage. But don’t worry, you can use a good content strategy here to fix these problems before filming.
Proper planning prevents these most common mistakes:
- Inconsistent Branding: When you plan your content correctly, you decide on colours, logos, and messaging ahead of time. This approach keeps all your videos feeling like they belong to the same business instead of looking random or thrown together.
- Poor Audio Quality: Frankly, your audiences will forgive shaky video, but they won’t keep watching if the sound is bad. That’s why it helps to plan in advance by picking the right microphone for your space and testing it before you record.
- No Clear Call to Action: Unfortunately, a video with no purpose feels like a dead end. Good planning fixes that issue because you decide what your viewers’ next action should be. Your video then ends with a clear step forward.
Integrating Video Into Your Marketing Strategy
Have you ever wondered why some videos keep getting results while others don’t go anywhere? The difference is planning (we know it sounds like a repeat theme, but that just shows how important planning really is). When a video is part of your whole plan, it keeps paying off rather than feeling like a one-off.
We’ll explain more about how you can make your videos an integral part of your marketing plan.
Using Multiple Channels for Distribution
Believe it or not, one video can work on lots of different platforms with little tweaks. For example, a full YouTube video can become a quick Instagram Reel or a short snippet in your email newsletter. Each version reaches different people in its own way.
The main thing here is knowing how every platform’s rules work. Like, Instagram loves vertical videos that run 15 to 30 seconds. However, YouTube works better with longer content that teaches people something or makes them laugh.
And then there’s Facebook. Many Facebook users watch videos with the sound off, so don’t forget to add captions when you post there.
Good small businesses are aware of this strategy, which is why they plan for multiple platforms right from the start. Say you record one interview. You can use it in several ways. The full video fits well on your website, whereas a shorter version works nicely on LinkedIn. You can even pull out quick quotes to share on social media.
In the end, one filming session gives you weeks of content across different channels. Pretty efficient, right?
Pro Tip: Keep your video files organised with clear names and folders. When you’re reusing clips later, it saves a lot of time.
When to Use a QR Code in Your Content
QR codes connect your offline marketing to your online videos. They act like a bridge from the real world to your content (like Pokémon Go, but for marketing).
These codes work well on printed items like brochures, business cards, or product packaging. Someone might see your flyer but not have time to watch your video right then. In that case, the QR code lets them scan it quickly and watch your content later when they have more time.
So, what’s the best plan for using QR codes? Well, it involves telling people exactly what they’ll get when they scan the code. For instance, write “Scan to see how we helped Sarah save $2,000” or “Watch our 2-minute demo video” alongside the code.
When people know what to expect, they feel more curious and are far more likely to scan.
Your Strategy Makes Video Worth the Investment
Small businesses often fail with video because they don’t plan ahead. They get excited, hit the record button, and hope for the best. But without a strategy, those videos are nothing but expensive clips that bring zero results.
In today’s guide, we covered the main problems that arise when you don’t plan properly. You’ve also learned how to solve those problems and the ways you can integrate your videos into your overall marketing plan.
If you want to stop wasting money on videos that don’t work, contact Grizzly Bear Media today. Let us build you an effective video strategy to get you the best results because you deserve it. We’re ready when you are.
