Modern marketing methods such as social media can seem unfair, especially when a company in an innately, more interesting industry, such as travel or fashion, seem to get a head start by default. Meanwhile, what about companies considered more on the boring side, such as an IT company trying to get their target customers to come to another year of management software? Or a manufacturing company trying to get noticed. Of course, they should always implement the basics first, such as SEO, because without implementing some manufacturing SEO, they won’t get noticed online in the first place. But where do they go from there to really stand out?
One way would be to combine the most trendy marketing methods around: social and video. Video, in particular, can really even the playing field. Sure, your product may not be worthy of an endless number of filtered photos. And you may not have hundreds of thousands of social followers to contribute to your viral goals. But you can certainly take out your iPhone and record yourself telling an interesting story about your product or service and why it’s so important to your audience.
Video is being shared more than ever before on social media. After all, it’s the very best way to have your audience pay attention to you. As your competition begins to get in on the act, it’s more important than ever to introduce video in your overall marketing strategy.
Here are a few examples of how companies have managed to beat up their competition using social video.
Think Like a Publisher
While you may have come across this advice before, it’s perhaps truer on social media than it is anywhere else. On social media, your audience wants you to energise them with facts, inspire them with stories, shock them with news, and any other way you can disrupt their daily lives. To capture their attention in the first instance, you need to know what makes a good story and have the motivation to consistently create good content, Basically, you need to think like a publisher.
Use Influencers
B2B marketers are still failing to take advantage of this tactic as much as they should; although we’ve seen a number of B2C brands use it with some effectiveness. If you want to reach more prospects and boost your social media following, there are few methods as effective as this one.
It does take time and work to build and nurture these relationships. But they can do two very important things: 1) help you create effective social video and 2) help you access new sections of your market that you previously had no way of reaching.
The very best influencers typically want to be involved in the content they create. By working with influencers on your social video, you might find that the end product will be far more interesting than if you’d have created it alone.
Tell Stories
Most companies aren’t doing their case studies justice. They’re making them about themselves when they should be about their clients.
Your prospects want to know how someone that sounds like them had their problems solved by your product or service, not about its “wonderful” generic features. Allow case studies to do what they’re supposed to- tell your client’s story. Don’t even think about shouting about why your offering is the best in the business. This is even truer when it comes to video, where there’s the greatest social proof potential and where you can let your customers do your talking for you- literally.
While case studies aren’t as commonly used in B2C marketing, companies like REi and British Airways have effectively used customer stories to get their values across in a more authentic and less salesly way.
Use Powerful Emotion
Complex and strong emotions have led to social users engaging and sharing more.
We know that high levels of arousal and dominant feelings increase the likelihood of a successful social video. We react positively to intense emotions when we feel in control of them, such as inspiration, delight, or awe. We also react negatively to confused or weak emotions that we don’t feel in control, such as disgust or distress.
As well as extremely surprising or positive content, the most shared is emotionally complex. As human beings, we enjoy experiencing a range of different emotions. Almost all highly successful social videos created a rollercoaster of emotions within us, such as Nike’s stunning video content.
Final Words
If you’re considering making video a part of your online marketing strategy, you’ll find plenty of ways to stand out. Just look around you- there’s an endless supply of inspiration for your online content.