We’ve come a long way from the traditional “viral videos” that would be passed along through email chains and Facebook shares. What was once a medium for showing cats doing typical cute cat things has now become one of the most important marketing platforms for many brands and companies. Video is the new newspaper, or magazine, or blog post. As our attention spans continue to shrink, many companies are leaning on video marketing to lead the way as they head into 2017. Here’s what you need to know about this rapidly emerging marketing initiative.
Video Marketing Should Be Authentic
One of the biggest things many brands will assume is that they have to spend tons of money on production costs and promotion to make their video go “viral.” The truth is, we can’t really predict what makes a video explode on the Internet. However, we do know that the amount of money spent on production and promotion has minimal effect.
Obviously, it’s good to have some editing and production skills, but you don’t need to be the next Michael Bay to produce a great video marketing campaign. Case and point…Furkids Kitty Commercial. In just a few weeks, this rudimentary video has garnered almost 5 million views. It’s combination of humor, and tongue-in-cheek production quality has become a viral hit and shows that timeliness and humor can go along the way during your video marketing campaign.
Go Platform to Platform
Another important thing to think about for video marketing is adjusting your video campaign to be successful across all platforms. Many assume that YouTube is the only outlet that should be focused on, which is not the case. Social media outlets like Facebook and Snapchat have become very important channels to consider during your marketing campaign. Marketers can no longer post a video on YouTube and expect it to perform well across all channels. Snapchat and Instagram videos will obviously need to be shorter, and hashtags are also an important way for consumers to find your video.
Another interesting finding is that many users of social media prefer to watch videos without sound. For instance, multiple publishers say about 85% of all videos on Facebook are watched without sound—making captions crucial and music less so. Whether it’s because many of us are hiding from the boss at work while watching videos, or just prefer silent media, it’s important that your video translates well even without sound.
Don’t Overdo It
It sounds simple enough, but many companies will be quick to try and copy whatever the viral video is that month. While it’s smart to follow the trends, your audience will easily know when you’re just trying to jump on the bandwagon. As stated before, overproduction can also be another sign that a company is not taking into account who their audience is. Most social media users, especially millennials care more about timeliness and speed, overproduction value, and intricacy. Don’t try to get hip with the times just because those around you are marketing in that area. Make sure your brand has a clear and distinct video marketing campaign that highlights your strengths in a clear and concise manner.
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