4 Reasons Why You Should Not Use Templated Video Services

Are you currently taking for granted that making a video will raise conversion rates and sales?

I know many who do. And it’s easy to think like that with all the hype around video. Video really is great for engagement; there’s absolutely no doubt about that.

45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week (Wordstream).

But conversions are not necessarily guaranteed. Using online video services like Biteable and Animoto can be risky. Stay with us and we’ll reveal why this is the case.

First the good news:

We all know video has excellent ‘initial’ engagement rates:

We also know video is great for potential customers to retain a memory of your product or service:

And finally, our all-time favourite statistics are these:

Don’t these statistics just make you want to smile and push out random video content like a sausage shop? Well, yes, and no… 

Not all video ads perform equally well. Just because your target audience is inclined to watch your video doesn’t mean that you can serve them up poor-quality. 

 

 

The quality of your video has the potential to change the perception viewers have of your brand.   Whenever your explainer or promotional video plays it BECOMES your company. Years of a carefully created brand identity can be destroyed in seconds by a low quality, template-based video.

 

 

Services like Biteable and Animoto have their place, but the intricacies and insight required in quality storytelling just cannot be addressed within these templates.

 

 

First impressions really do count. Quality matters in video advertising and if you end up publishing a makeshift, templated video that looks the same as everybody else’s, it might just backfire.

Let’s see why quality should be your top priority when running a video advertising campaign:

Low-Quality Videos Get Less Engagement. So, what is ‘quality’?

1. Craft

Craft is the know-how and skill in producing an effective video. It’s not in everyone’s skill basket, nor should it be. The experts at this ‘craft’ are the video designers who work in conjunction with skilled marketing experts, to carefully plan and then execute.

Craft includes:

2. Professionalism

A low quality video shows your business is not willing to invest to establish a more professional image.

Viewers that see a great looking, professionally produced video unconsciously perceive the company and brand as more successful. (And professional doesn’t necessarily mean expensive).

If you’re thinking of cutting costs by whipping up a quick video on your smartphone with your employees as cast and crew, keep in mind that as for brand perception, a poor-quality video is worse than no video at all:

(Storyhunter)

3. Targeting

Targeting involves:

 Defining Your Audience

 

Defining an audience is a complex process that includes building buyer personas.

Narrowing down your video audience to a specific buyer persona— rather than a generic audience—will help you create a much more targeted and effective video in the long run.   You might run into problems if your audience are savvy video watchers  with an eye for quality and detail.  Your targeted profile’s expectations might not translate to the simplistic DYI templates of online video making services.

4. Storytelling

You need to clarify your story.     

 

Storytelling is an art in itself.   A well-crafted video that takes into account the story you have to tell, all-important timing (including the dynamics of your message), and the correct elements to appeal to your target audience – requires experience and insight.

 

There’s nothing that will deter viewers more than leaving them feeling like they didn’t gain anything from watching your video content.

 

 
Information overload can leave viewers feeling confused and unengaged. Don’t try to explain what you do, sell your service, and bring up a case study all in the same video. A tailored video with a specific message and a specific goal will be much more effective in the long run.

A bonus note on Budgeting

Why?

Failing to plan your budget at the beginning is a good way to inadvertently go over budget. Knowing your budget helps with planning effectively and efficiently for your spend, and it also helps manage outcome expectations. You need to spend money to make money, but the ROI with quality video is always wonderful.

“When you purchase an explainer, you’re not just simply buying a video, you’re paying for a proven, effective process. To put it even more plainly, you’re paying for the results you’re going to end up with. If you hire a company based upon their “cheapness”, you’ll unfortunately get exactly what you paid for…a cheap-looking, non-converting video.”

Templated videos don’t necessarily align with your MARKETING GOALS

Marketers now have only 2.7 seconds to capture an audience. Attention spans are shorter than ever. (MarketingMag)

 
Does your business have the know-how to capture your audience in that 2.7 seconds? We do 🙂
 

Conclusion

The bottom line: no video converts if it’s not reflecting your company objectives, and you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.

Most businesses want to be seen as:

Unique

Innovative

Professional

Modern

Online animation and video services can be OK but you will be using animation elements from an existing database of presets. These services all have predefined characters and graphic elements and you can’t create your own graphics within the apps.

The best and most popular ones seem to be:

Biteable
Animoto

 

(Learn what the pros and cons of these services are here).

The design or template your company decides on for its brand is what company B down the road might also decide is the defining look for their brand.

You may get the pre-packaged online service videos quickly but you might find yourself settling for something that wasn’t as great as you had initially intended. AND you might find the video that is meant to represent your brand has also been used by several other ‘unique’ brands.

Your video needs to BE your company. Your level of professionalism, your unique service or product, your innovation and modern approach will be judged by your audience from this video. If it hasn’t been crafted to reflect these values then it won’t reflect well.

Online video services are not ‘bad’ if you are cash strapped, however if you want to build your brand (and maintain it) using explainer or promotional videos, you should definitely go for custom videos. These are created from scratch and are much more creative and engaging. They are tailored to your business objectives and communicate precisely who you are.

If you’re interested in exploring a custom made video, our combined video and marketing packages can give you optimal results for a manageable price. Contact Bijoux Visual today.

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