Numerous businesses, big or small, are either fully immersed in the era of video or considering its implementation in their marketing campaign. However, all share several concerns regarding this relatively new way of approaching customers. Ranging from strained budgets to a lack of ideas, the problems stack up to the point where most companies leave video marketing as nothing more than a concept. The pressure of making a viral video enhances and the possibility of failure, or creating something embarrassing, halts production.
The main issue is that most businesses don’t know where to start. So far, a surprising 69% of professionals have used video in their marketing campaigns, and the other 31% plan to use it in the future. While that represents a majority, it’s still a small percentage given that 2016 has been deemed the “Year of Video.” There are numerous success stories of companies who have had their video campaigns go viral. And there are some tips to learn from them before embarking on the process of creation and production.
Gain loyal following
Building loyalty with your brand is essential. However, how you do it is by proudly showing your ideals instead of just promoting a service. Advertise your values, not your product. Dove achieved this splendidly through their “Choose Beautiful” campaign. It sent a wonderful message to its public, made people think, inspired, and, most importantly, they emphasized their beliefs. Dove is a lead brand in a majorly crowded market. Soap brands often promote the same thing: cleanliness and health.
However, the international company took it further by advertising beauty and encouraging women to see it in themselves. In spite the controversy of the campaign itself, it achieved just that. It raised questions, displayed their beliefs, and perhaps made the audience ponder more complex concepts such as “reality versus perception of beauty,” a common issue within our society. Getting their consumers to believe in their values is part of what makes Dove such a successful brand. They grow a loyal following not just by believing that every woman is beautiful, but by promoting it constantly and compelling their customers to believe it as well.
Reach all ages
Metro Trains Melbourne’s video was a near instant success when they released their “Dumb Ways to Die” campaign that promoted safety. The purpose was to emphasize the importance of staying off train tracks and keeping a safe distance away to avoid potentially fatal accidents. What made this campaign so compelling is a beautiful mix of creativity, powerful message, colorful animations, and a catchy tune to go with it. More importantly, all these elements made the video relevant across all ages, whether adult or child. And, it showed, in essence, that animation is critical to convey certain messages.
The colorful characters and lighthearted song allowed viewers of all ages to enjoy the video. It’s amusing, touching, innocent yet explicit. In fact, creating an animated video might just be the best solution if you want to reach a wider demographic. It has a powerful way of explaining something that would otherwise be a little gruesome if using live action. Instead, it depicts animated characters that are whimsical and colorful instead of a video that’s serious and dramatic. They used a universal way of reaching their audience because the message itself, safety, is something anyone should keep in mind. And they found a way to deliver it to everyone, which ultimately made it viral.
Interaction is key
Technology has advanced to impressive levels, and it’s now possible to develop interactive apps. Instead of just showing your product to your customer, a successful marketing campaign can make them interact with it. Small features and abilities to lure them in will persuade them to turn from viewers into buyers. Research has shown that clients are 64-85% more likely to make a purchase after seeing a video of it. That is why it’s vital to create one that no only presents your product, but also offers your clients that extra bit which allows them to interact with it.
Mercedes-Benz is an excellent example of a company who took the step further of showing their availability and willingness to satisfy their customers. Their 2015 campaign allowed potential buyers to create their own GLA model, complete with color, roof and tire design, along with several other features. The company took it beyond the customer’s imagination and allowed them to create a visual representation of the car of their dreams. Clients didn’t just scroll through pictures of the product. Instead, they interacted with it through virtual customisation. It’s persuasive tactic because it shows your audience that you are dedicated to satisfying their needs.
Understand your audience's needs
Know your audience. It’s a rule of life, a rule of entertainment, and a rule of marketing as well. Knowing who you are addressing is one of the essential steps to creating a successful campaign. However, once you understand who your audience is, you also have to realize what they need. Facebook’s “How to Say More with Stickers” in their tips series displayed it wonderfully in a short and compelling video. While the purpose was to present their implementation of stickers in chat, they went further and explained why.
Through their simple video, they did more than showing a different kind of emoji or instructions on how to access them. They used it to prove that they are providing their users with a new way to communicate. Needless to say, that’s the core of any chat service. Facebook used video to explain this very concept, efficiently introducing the feature and showing that they are offering their audience what they need. The power of video was on full display, taking up mere seconds that were far more engaging than reading any simple text. It’s appropriate and relevant to their efforts of promoting video content on their platform.
Nicola Mendelsohn, Facebook head of operations in Europe and Africa, even spoke about the upcoming boost in video, as the written word could slowly perish in the online world.
Appeal to emotions
Marketing is more than numbers and statistics. It’s part psychology, which implies creating something that invokes emotion in your viewers. What has a mere purpose of promotion can turn into a wonderful story that connects your product with your audience. Google Maps’ “Homeward Bound” story tugged on the heartstrings of millions of viewers because it wasn’t a presentation. It was a story. The video showed an emotional tale empowered by visual cues of things we all know, such as childhood memories, flashes of the places we’ve been, and the touch of a mother’s hand.
Emotions are a vital component in creating viral content. It’s more than proving your product’s technical prowess. It’s about showing how they can use it and how it can enrich their lives. By appealing to their emotions, you can associate your product or service to feelings. In today’s crowded market, a successful campaign is about offering a solution. It cannot be presented just as “what the customer needs.” Your product should be “what they want” as well, and emotions are a powerful way to create that bond. Don’t sell a product. Sell a solution or a feeling. Offer inspiration and forge a connection between what you have to offer and your customer.
Taking tips and learning lessons from successful viral campaigns is an important part of marketing. However, it’s never about copying their methods, but about understanding their approach and how it can be applied to your own strategies. A truly successful marketing campaign is rooted in its substance and what it brings to its audience.
By Christopher Tuckerman, 'digital marketing devotee' and innovation promoter
Want to keep up with the latest ideas in digital marketing? Free conference and exhibition Integrated Live is the place to be.
PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.
comments powered by Disqus