Considering how popular video content has become, many business owners have decided to use video rather than images to showcase their new products or services. However, the success of these product videos is highly dependent on their quality. To prevent your product videos from failing, we have created a list of the most common product video production mistakes to avoid. Read on to learn more.

Pre-production and planning mistakes

Pre-production refers to all the activities carried out before a shoot to ensure it runs smoothly. Examples of pre-production activities are scripting, storyboarding, or budgeting. Although the investment required at this stage is lower than the one at production and post-production, here are a few costly and time-consuming things to avoid during pre-production. 

  1. Targeting society as a whole. Identifying those people and businesses that are more likely to use the product or service on offer will help your team develop effective marketing communication strategies. You can use analytical tools such as Google Analytics or Hootsuite or the analytics from previous videos to identify this audience. Although it is time-consuming upfront, you will end up saving a lot of money. 
  2. Not using a script. Scripting is key when it comes to video production. It is a great way to organise your ideas and create a cohesive story. Once finished we recommend you share the script with your team members to receive some feedback and tweak it accordingly.
  3. Not focusing on a single message. You will lose your audience’s attention if you try to communicate many things at once. Therefore, try to create one video per each of the messages you want to convey. 
  4. Not being creative. No matter what type of product video you make, be creative. Film a customer testimonial, host a Q&A, provide a behind-the-scenes look or share the making of the product. If you think outside the box, your video will probably be more interesting and memorable.
  5. Setting the wrong tone. Make sure the wardrobes, lighting, tone or background music align with the essence of your product and your brand values. Otherwise, your viewers will be confused.
  6. Assuming the audience will care. Your audience will only care about your product video if it is useful and entertaining to them. Thus, make sure you provide valuable information such as the products’ uses and benefits.
  7. Not telling a story. Shooting your products’ features is no longer enough. You have to show viewers how your product solves their problems instead. Good storytelling tools are case studies or customer testimonial videos.

Product video production mistakes

Now that you are aware of the most common pre-production mistakes, let’s look at some of the errors that occur during the execution stage. 

  1. Poor quality. 360p or even 240p videos are still found on some brand’s YouTube channels. How are these videos going to convert viewers if they can barely see the product? Make sure you produce high-quality videos, or you will find yourself wasting time and money.
  2. Bad lighting. A video with poor or low lighting won’t look good on screen. The good news is that you don’t need professional equipment to have great lighting. In fact, the best light to use for a shot is sometimes the most convenient.
  3. No sound or poor sound quality. You won’t boost sales if people can’t understand the message you want to convey. We recommend you check the type of microphone you are using as well as how far it needs to be from the person who is speaking before recording to get the best results.
  4. Forgetting about the call to action (CTA). A call to action (included throughout the video or at the end) will show your audience what to do next. This is an important step if your main goal is to raise the conversion rates. Common CTAs are “Call us today” “Visit our website” “Follow us on social media”. 
  5. No customisation. Branding is crucial in video marketing. Including brand-related elements in the video will help people familiarise themselves with your brand. Some of the elements you can include are your brand name, your logo, related colours, etc.

Common mistakes during the distribution process of the product video

Finally, here are some things you should avoid during the distribution process of the final video.

  1. No strategy in place. The success of a product video is also highly dependent on its marketing or distribution strategy. A high-quality video production will not drive sales if the video does not reach your target audience. Therefore, it is really important to do some research about which platforms does your audience use the most and about the best timing to post your video.
  2. Failing to use SEO for your video. Right now, there is a lot of competition and video content out there. Being found on SERPs will then be almost impossible unless you use SEO tactics and techniques. Some of these practices are adding keywords with high search volume and low SEO difficulty in the title, description, and tags. 
  3. Not using analytical tools. Analytics are key to run successful marketing campaigns. They give you insights into your content’s quality and your target audience’s habits which will help you plan future campaigns. 

How can firms ensure they don’t waste resources on an ineffective film?

Firms should hire an experienced agency with a portfolio that showcases their capability in video production rather than a low-cost alternative. Video production is not a cheap process, and if you hire a low-cost company or videographer, chances are you will end up with a low-quality video, which in turn may damage your brand image.

Final thoughts 

If you make some mistakes while running your business, it’s okay. It is part of the overall experience. However, try to take advantage of the blogs that summarise common mistakes (like this one) as you will find yourself saving a lot of time and money that can be later invested in the company’s growth. 

If after reading the blog you have any questions regarding the product video production mistakes, get in touch. We would be happy to answer them.

Thank you for reading,

Maria.