The Harsh Truth About Video

“We need video!”, said every exec, marketing director, and enthusiastic intern at least once… usually right after a competitor posts a flashy reel or the CEO’s teenage kid goes viral on TikTok for dancing next to a Labradoodle.

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Cue the rush to find a videographer, slap together a script, drop a few thousand bucks on production, and… crickets. Maybe 342 views (and half of them are your team refreshing the page). The dream of “going viral” quietly fades into the abyss of YouTube’s suggested videos.

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Here’s the thing no one wants to say out loud: Just “doing video” doesn’t actually do anything.

Video isn't a silver bullet. It’s not some marketing sorcery where you upload a clip and leads rain from the heavens. But a lot of teams still treat it like it is, like video, by itself, is the strategy.

Except it’s not.

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What is the strategy? It starts way before you hit “record.” It’s about knowing who you’re talking to, what you’re trying to say, and where that message needs to go to actually reach them. In other words: Audience + Message + Distribution.

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We’ll break that down in a second. But first, let’s dismantle the myth that video alone is enough.

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The Myth of Video as a Silver Bullet

Somewhere along the way, “video” became the darling of the digital marketing world. Blame TikTok. Blame YouTube. Blame that one marketing conference where someone shouted, “Video gets 1,200% more engagement!” and suddenly every brand with a ring light thought they were ready for prime time.

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And look, video is powerful. But the myth that it’s some kind of instant-fix magic wand is where things go off the rails.

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Too many teams fall into the trap of spray-and-pray video marketing:

• A big production budget (because “high-quality” must mean “high-performing,” right?)
• A vague, generic message that tries to appeal to everyone (and resonates with no one)
• And absolutely zero plan for what happens after it’s uploaded (maybe a hopeful Slack message: “Hey team, share this?”)

This is like building a rocket and forgetting to fuel it. Or worse, launching it with no coordinates and hoping it lands somewhere useful. What’s missing is clarity, intent…a real plan.

When video fails, it’s not because the format doesn’t work. It’s because the foundation is missing. There’s no understanding of who it’s for, what it’s supposed to do, or how it’ll actually reach people.

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What Video Actually Is

Let’s get something straight: video is a format, not a strategy.

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Saying “We should do video” is like saying “We should print brochures.” Okay… why? For who? To do what exactly?

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Video, by itself, is just a medium; a container. What matters is what’s inside it, who it’s for, and how you plan to use it. Without that, you’re just tossing pixels into the void and hoping they impress someone. Video is a tactic, not the plan.

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It’s one of many ways to deliver a message. A powerful one, yes, but only when it’s supporting a bigger strategic goal. Think of it like a hammer. Useful tool. But if you don't know whether you’re building a house or a bookshelf, you’re just swinging wildly and making dents in your marketing budget.

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Before you hit “record,” you need to know:

• What are you trying to achieve?
• Who are you trying to reach?
• What action do you want them to take?

Otherwise, video becomes just another shiny object that eats time, budget, and team morale.

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The Real Strategy: Audience + Message + Distribution

Let’s strip this down to what actually matters. If video isn’t the strategy, what is?

Three simple pillars:

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👉 Audience. Message. Distribution. That’s it. That’s the magic formula. And it starts with the one thing most brands skip right over:

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Audience: Who’s it For?

If your answer to “Who’s this video for?” is “everyone,” congratulations, you’ve just made a video for no one.

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Effective marketing doesn’t speak to a crowd. It speaks directly to a person. And that person has a name, a role, a pain point, and a lunch break they don’t want interrupted by generic content.

So, define your target. Not just demographics like age or job title, but psychographics:

• What keeps them up at night?
• What pressures are they under at work?
• What are they already sick of seeing in their feed?

Behavior matters, too. Are they just discovering your brand (top of funnel)? Actively researching solutions (middle)? Ready to buy but need that last nudge (bottom)?

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Where someone is in the buyer journey should shape everything about your video; from tone, to length, to what you’re asking them to do next. A 2-minute explainer might work beautifully for a curious lead. But a returning customer? They want the value prop in 10 seconds or less, and maybe a discount code while you’re at it.

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Bottom line: You can’t craft a message, or choose a format, until you know exactly who you’re talking to.

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So before you storyboard or shoot or start fighting over background music… start with this question: Who needs to see this, and what do they care about?

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Message: What’s it Saying?

Once you know who you’re talking to, the next question is: What exactly are you trying to say?

This is where a lot of brands panic and try to say everything at once. Mission statement, product features, customer testimonials, a touch of comedy, maybe a dog? The result is a hot mess of mixed messages and confused viewers.

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Here’s the rule: Clarity before creativity.

Get laser-focused on what you want the audience to think, feel, or do after watching. Are you:

• Informing (like a product walkthrough)?
• Inspiring (like a brand anthem or origin story)?
• Educating (like a how-to or explainer)?
• Entertaining (like a clever sketch that highlights industry pain points (think: “If SaaS onboarding were a dating app”), or a tongue-in-cheek parody that shows you get your audience’s world.

Once you know the goal, write like a human. Not a press release in a trench coat. Drop the jargon. Speak to one person. And don’t be afraid to let your brand’s actual personality show. People remember videos that make them feel something, not the ones that sound like every other SaaS company at a trade show.

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Your message should be clear enough that someone could sum it up in one sentence. If it takes a paragraph to explain your video’s point, go back and simplify.

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Distribution: Where’s it Going?

You can make the most beautiful video in the world… But if you post it once on YouTube, whisper “Hope for the best,” and walk away, it’s not going to do a damn thing.

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Distribution is where your video actually earns its keep.

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Ask yourself:

• Is this going out via email? Paid ads? Organic social?
• Will the sales team use it? Will customer success? Is it going on the website?
• Should you repurpose it into cut-downs, teasers, quote cards, vertical video, GIFs?

Different platforms require different treatments. A 90-second LinkedIn video won’t work on Instagram Stories. A YouTube how-to might need a punchier teaser for Twitter (okay, fine, “X”). And everything, everything needs to be mobile-optimized and captioned.

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Also: don’t forget thumbnails, titles, and CTAs. They’re the invitation to engage.If your distribution plan is “post and pray,” you’re wasting your production budget. If your plan includes thoughtful placement across multiple channels tailored to specific audiences, now you’re cooking.

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Strategy First, Tactics Second

At the end of the day, just producing a video isn’t the win. The win is knowing exactly who it’s for, why you’re making it, and what it’s meant to do.

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A great video isn’t great because it looks expensive or went viral for five minutes. It’s great because it’s intentional. It’s targeted. It serves a purpose inside a larger plan, and it actually moves people to act.

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So here’s your move: Audit your current video efforts. Ask the uncomfortable questions:

• Is this supporting a real business goal?
• Do we know the audience beyond a job title?
• Was there a distribution plan... or just wishful thinking?

If you’re leaning more on vibes than strategy, now’s a good time to reset.

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