Creating video content for websites and social media is a battle many business owners face. From developing content ideas to finding the budget, and then appearing in front of the camera - the thought can be daunting. 

As a digital marketing solution company, we’ve seen first-hand how videos significantly improved our client’s brand awareness. Our very own weekly LinkedIn newsletter successfully leverages videos created by our Head Assassin to provide digital marketing insights. 

Whether we like it or not, videos are impactful and proven to be serious weapons for getting your customer's attention. In this blog, we’ll address the biggest challenges faced by businesses in developing videos, and offer our advice on overcoming them. 

Let’s begin your warfare on video content marketing. But first, 

Why Is Video Content Marketing So Important?

Marketing through videos is widely adopted by businesses worldwide and in Australia. A survey by IAB Australia confirms this, as 84% of people above 14 claimed to have watched a video online in the last seven days. 

Source: IAB Australia

Viewers typically retain information better through videos than other marketing channels, so it’s no wonder that businesses are making it a critical part of their marketing. The ‘Digital 2024 Australia’ report highlights some upcoming digital video marketing trends to take note:

• TikTok and YouTube rank first and second in place on the average time spent on a social media app by Android users 
• More than half of Australians aged 16 to 64 use social media for information about brands and products
• There’s a notable decline in time spent watching TV, reading online, and listening to podcasts.

Social media platforms dominating the Australian market are primarily video-based, indicating a significant shift in our preferences. If you’re a business capturing an Australian audience, video content is a must in your marketing campaign. 

However, creating videos can be met with a range of hostilities. Let’s look at the five biggest video marketing challenges today. 

Lack of time 

Juggling multiple marketing channels with different types of content can be difficult. A primary challenge for many business owners is finding the time to create videos, as they are already busy managing the overall business.  

According to Hubspot, 39% of marketers say they lack the time to create video content for their businesses. 

Lack of content ideas 

You may have the time to create videos, but what should you record exactly? Business owners can be paralysed by indecision about what to show in their videos, leading them to think it's better not to create one at all. 

The secret to video marketing is in understanding your customer persona, knowing what they want to see, and developing valuable content in your area of expertise.

Perceived budget for video creation 

Many business owners wrongly perceive video marketing as expensive, which is a myth. A simple Google search on the costs is enough to turn any business owner off. 

The results. 

The truth is, creating videos can be done with just a camera phone. You don’t need a big production company to create fancy videos that may not engage your audience anyway. 

Camera shy

Video marketing isn’t easy for everyone. Most business owners and their employees do not like being on camera, making it a significant challenge to develop videos. It’s often awkward to hear oneself speak on camera, and this fear limits brand owners from appearing as the face of their business.

However, videos are here to stay. We only need to see the changes done on social media and Google to understand this, so there’s no better time to get in front of the camera than now. 

Bottlenecks in video production process  

Producing video marketing content can be notoriously complex, from editing, resizing, adding captions, and getting approvals. 46% of marketers say managing feedback and requests is a big hurdle in making videos. However, 49% of them will increase their video use if they can publish videos in less than an hour. 

So, how do we defeat these video marketing challenges and showcase our brand with engaging videos?

How to Win the Battle Against Video Marketing Challenges

Tip 1: Get over your fears 

Personal videos, with the business owner or staff as the focal point, are very compelling. In our experience, these videos are the most effective in capturing and retaining customers' attention. So shift your mindset and start recording videos showcasing your expertise and advice.  

We all dislike watching ourselves in videos, especially in the early stages of recording when we are at our worst. But like all crafts, you will improve your skill with time. 

Tip 2: Create a video matrix 

If coming up with video content proves to be difficult, develop a video matrix. This foolproof method highlights your areas of knowledge on the y-axis and business talking points on the x-axis. By doing this, you’ll be able to think of ideas in no time. 

Here’s an example of a video matrix we use. 

Tip 3: Get started 

The first step is always the hardest, so don’t delay your video production any longer. Start recording using any tools you have, whether it’s your laptop, camera, or phone. 

You don’t have to aim for perfection in your videos. In our experience, customers aren’t looking for videos with cinema quality but authentic and raw videos from the business owner. So consider filming your videos first and making any minor edits afterwards. As an easy video content, start by having staff film videos on your business operations and do voice overs. 

For businesses just starting, consider using the Spark Camera & Video Editor app to shoot and edit videos easily. We also recommend using AI videos to save time when editing and filming. Learn more about this in our AI video creation blog. 

Tip 4: Add Subtitles 

Subtitles and captions can increase the video viewing rate by 80%, as many audiences watch videos in crowded spaces without audio. If you’re releasing videos on YouTube, subtitles and closed captions are also highly effective for SEO, as YouTube scans them and matches them with a user’s search query. 

So ensure that your videos have subtitles so your audience can watch them with the sound off - which improves your video engagement.  

Key Takeaway 

Video content is the future of marketing. If you want to capture a broad audience and attract more attention to your business, it’s necessary in your marketing strategy. With the rise of video editing tools and AI, recording videos has never been easier for business owners. 

Here are the main takeaways in facing your video content challenges:

• Get over your shyness and create a compelling, personal video showing your expertise. 
• Develop a video matrix with your business knowledge and talking points for more content ideas. 
• Don’t wait for the ‘right timing’ or for ‘things to be perfect’. Just start creating videos with the tools you currently have.
• Use AI video creation tools to help simplify your video process. 
• Add subtitles to your video to accommodate audiences who view without video and to improve video SEO.

To learn other best practices in creating deadly content marketing, speak to the experts at Digital Assassin.

Digital Assassin provides affordable web development plans for Australian businesses to build and manage their website with ongoing tactical content and SEO best practices. To learn more about how to build a great website, read our eBook, So You Need a Killer Website. Alternatively, speak to an assassin today.