Most are surprised to find out that very few brands, 24 percent to be exact, use video marketing, and this is a lot more surprising since 7 out of 10 marketing professionals say it converts much better than anything else. This means neglecting to use video marketing is simply inappropriate. If you do not have one already, get one started, and use these suggestions to make your strategy terrific.

Aim for the Optimal Time

Timing is crucial in every aspect of life, but you must pay special attention to it when it comes to crafting your video marketing messages. If it is way too short, people will not get any value from the video. If it runs too long, people will get bored and just move on.

Make videos just enough time to get your message across. Bear in mind that different lengths work best on different platforms. For Facebook, 30 to 45 seconds is best suited. If you are making a video for an e-mail promoting message, though, you can go longer depending on what you are trying to say.

Include a Call to Action

Do not treat your potential customers like The Sopranos treated its fans. Never show customers what they came looking for and then simply just fade to black. Include some type of call to action at the end of the video. Whether this is a call to visit your website or read a white paper, never waste this chance for follow-up.

Remove Bad Videos

If your local business has a YouTube or other video sharing account, it might seem counterintuitive to delete any of the content. Actually, though, a badly performing video can result in less visibility. If one of your videos has too many down votes, negative comments, or just runs too long, consider axing it to boost your channel's reach.

Great video content is necessary for any successful marketing campaign. Because of this you must devote time to your video strategy. If you're not outdoing your competition in anything, at least outdo them in video.

Blogs, articles, and whitepapers are some of the most powerful pieces of content but that does not mean that you should avoid other platforms. Videos are also highly effective marketing tools, and depending on your audience, you may even get value from podcasts and slide presentations. Regardless of anything else, do not neglect video which is predicted to dominate 64 percent of all marketers' strategies one day.

Here are three content marketing mistakes you should avoid

Focusing Too Much on Yourself

It seems second nature for an organization to focus on itself when marketing to others, but this should not be the key objective when it comes to content marketing. Consumers enjoy imaginative content because it is valuable. In fact, 90 percent of prospects find custom content useful. This implies marketers must focus on providing value instead of saying “Look at us, we are great!” Rather than selling your customers, try showing your customers why the product or service will make their lives easier and they, in turn, will ask to buy it.

Leaving Out Calls to Action

Just because you are trying to give appeal more than a “Buy Me” vibe in content marketing, it doesn't mean you need to neglect your sale entirely. Once you've provided the information the purchaser values, always add a call to action at the end that would interest them given the content they read. Make certain it flows smoothly, though. “Buy Now” does not flow well from informative content.

Focusing on Only One Format

The written word is a powerful thing, but it mustn't be the only tool employed in your content marketing strategy. It is fine if most of your time is spent with blogs and articles, but don't forget videos, slide presentations, podcasts, or any other form of content that your clients may be interested in. If nothing else, at least utilize video, which is expected to dominate 64 percent of marketers' strategies in the future.

Don't let little goof ups ruin your entire marketing strategy. The good news is, the most common mistakes are often possible to avoid.

It's probably not earth shattering news that video is taking the online world by storm, and in fact Cisco Systems is predicting that by the year 2017 more than two-thirds of all web traffic will be video.

This is both negative and positive for marketers, since on the one hand we know that video helps conversions by a large degree, and can help you find a far wider audience by virtue of their viral and sharable nature. Then again, when you are at a loss as to what type of videos to produce, or feel as though you don't have anything, inaction follows and you miss out.

To avoid that second scenario, we've compiled 7 great ideas for your business to produce videos that will be of interest to your audience.

7 Types of Videos for your Business

Product Demo – Recording a demo video for a new product or feature of an existing one is a great selling tool as well as customer care item. It may also serve as a good lead generation tool via YouTube.

Rolling out New Products – If you are launching a new product, this type of video can serve as a sales tool on your web page. This is an entirely different emphasis, as you are writing for sales.

Tutorials – One of the most-loved uses for consumers is the tutorial video. Creating a video that shows the entire process in depth will get you many satisfied and return customers. These are also valuable as lead gen tools.

Video Testimonials – Getting your satisfied customers to record a short video testimonial can go a long way toward supplying the social proof many need to get off the fence about purchasing your products or services. Most are going to be happy to help, especially if they get a shoutout or link back.

Tips and How to's – Videos showing tips and advice on related aspects of your business will help you grow in authority and traffic.

Interview Influencers – Getting an interview with an influencer or thought leader in your market will help you grow in stature in your audience's eyes. It is also of use to the interviewee, as they get exposed to a new audience as well.

Webinar and Event Invites – Using a video to invite prospective customers to an upcoming webinar or live event is outstanding when delivered through a video. Don't be too embarrassed to be a little outrageous or innovative here!