Five Mistakes Businesses Make with Video Marketing (and How to Fix Them)
Simple wins that make your videos connect, perform, and convert.
Video is one of the best ways to reach people right now but a lot of brands struggle to turn views into results. After filming across Manchester’s events, hospitality and music scenes, we’ve seen the common pitfalls (and how to avoid them). Here are five mistakes we see all the time, and the simple fixes that make a real difference.
No Clear Purpose
A lot of businesses make videos simply because they feel like they should be doing video. The result? Content that looks nice but doesn’t do anything meaningful.
Every video needs a purpose, whether that’s to build awareness, promote an event, or sell a product. Without that clarity, you can’t shape your story or measure success.
How to fix it:
Before hitting record, ask yourself:
What do we want this video to achieve?
Who’s it for?
What action do we want viewers to take?
Once you know the goal, it’s much easier to decide what to film, how to structure it, and where to post it.
Ignoring the Audience
It’s tempting to focus on what you want to say, not what your audience actually wants to see. But if the video doesn’t grab attention in the first few seconds, it’ll get lost in the scroll.
How to fix it:
Think like your audience. What kind of tone, pace, and visuals do they respond to?
If you’re a bar or venue, your audience probably wants to feel the vibe, the energy, atmosphere, and people having a good time — not just be told about it.
Focus on what connects emotionally first; the information can follow naturally.
Overlooking Sound and Lighting
Sound and lighting are the difference between amateur and professional. You can have the best idea and location in the world, but if the lighting’s harsh or the sound’s echoey, viewers will switch off.
How to fix it:
Invest time in your setup. Even small lighting tweaks or an external microphone make a huge difference.
If you’re working with a videographer, ask to see how they manage lighting and sound on shoot days — the pros will have a plan for both.
Quality visuals and clean sound immediately lift how people perceive your brand.
Posting Once and Moving On
We see this all the time — a brand drops a stunning video, gets a few likes, and never uses it again. That’s wasted potential.
How to fix it:
Think of every shoot as long-term content. From one main video, you can cut:
Short Reels or TikToks
Story snippets
Behind-the-scenes edits
Still frames for posters or ads
You don’t need to film constantly — just be smart about repurposing. Consistency beats one-off posts every time.
Not Tracking Performance
If you’re not analysing your results, you’re missing the chance to learn what your audience really likes. You might be repeating the same mistakes without even realising.
How to fix it:
Check how your videos perform: views, watch time, comments, and saves are all valuable signals.
If a certain style or tone performs better, lean into that for your next round of content.
Video marketing is a balance of creativity and strategy — and the best brands treat both equally seriously.
What now?
Great video marketing isn’t about spending the most money or following every trend, it’s about understanding your audience, staying consistent, and telling your story with purpose.
At MetaTrip Productions, we help brands do exactly that. Whether you’re launching an event, promoting your venue, or levelling up your social presence, we’ll capture what makes your brand unique and turn it into content that works.
