We all know that video can be a powerful marketing tool, but it can also seem overwhelming. Many small businesses are reluctant to tackle video marketing because they are worried about the expense, the time commitment or the learning curve for the technology.

But effective video marketing is a lot easier than it was just a few years ago – and it’s incredibly important. According to Cisco, by 2022 82 percent of consumer internet traffic will come from watching video.

Here are some of the most significant video marketing myths – and why they shouldn’t be an obstacle to your efforts.

It’s too difficult

This is probably misconception No. 1 about video marketing. In reality, video has become easy to do for almost anyone. The iPhone in your pocket has a camera that’s better than camcorders of a few years ago.

We’re not trying to produce a Hollywood-style movie here. The truth is we can shoot, edit and upload video all from our phones. Don’t let a lack of technical knowledge stop you from embracing video.

We have the advantage of working in an incredibly visually attractive industry. One of our clients recently sent us a short video of their team preparing a pine slab for a countertop. The entire video, shot with an iPhone, is barely 30 seconds long and is nothing but two employees cutting the pine slab with a circular saw. A post featuring the video on Facebook is one of their most popular of the entire year. That’s not surprising – TechCrunch says social media posts with video get 48 percent more engagement.

Video costs too much

See above – these two objections tend to go hand-in-hand. Yes, you can invest in cameras, lighting and video editing software to improve the quality of your work. Most videos, though, don’t need to cost a fortune. Keep in mind that three-quarters of online video is watched on the small screen of a phone.

However, for some videos, it is worth investing in a professional videographer. Just like you should use a professional photographer to document your best projects, it is worth it to take the same approach for some videos. This is especially true if you want the videos to have a long life, such as customer testimonials or project walkthroughs that will have a place of prominence on your website.

But for that average video for social media? Yeah, you can probably handle that with a quick flick of the phone.

I’m not photogenic

You and your team don’t need to be movie stars or polished presenters. Most people want to see real people. Sure, if you’re producing a television commercial, that is an entirely different situation, but for the average online video the important thing is that you deliver good information.

You and your employees know the latest remodeling trends and products. You know your customers. That’s what matters. Salespeople are the most obvious candidates because they tend to be extroverts, but you may find some hidden stars elsewhere as well. Take plenty of takes to get comfortable and you’ll find that for most people the awkwardness fades away. 

There’s not enough ROI

Generally speaking video is incredibly effective. More than half of marketing professionals say video offers the best ROI of any marketing method, according to a recent HubSpot survey. Research from multiple studies shows that video increases engagement, improves retention of the brand message vs. text and drives more traffic back to company websites.

The return on investment for video can be hard to track, but shares and views will give you some idea. A deeper dive into the statistics on your Facebook page, for instance, will give you more information about those fans that engage with, like or share your video. YouTube statistics tend to be less useful, although it at least tells you how popular the video is, if not a lot about who is watching it. If we use video to drive traffic back to the website, that can also generate a lot of great information. There are also several video analytic services that can help you track the success of your video across multiple channels.

Want to learn more? Contact us today!