Having a wide-lens view of how you plan to market to your target audience can make all the difference between success and failure in creating a video that will get a buzz. After all, video marketing increases a company’s chance for exposure where content articles fail. Don’t be lost, but hopeful. Get solid strategies that will increase exposure, ultimately improving your bottom-lines.
There are 5 simple and effective key points you may follow in order to create a video marketing strategy.
Know Your Target Audience
Demographics about your target audience only provide generalities about people, age and sex. But, understanding your target audience goes deeper than geography.
You will be much more effective if you research how your target audience thinks, what they like to do with their free time and why they would care about your product or service. Have a clear perspective on the motivation of your audience in order to engage them.
The best way to figure out how to engage an audience is to map out data points for reference. In other words, who is buying your product or service now? What other videos appeal to them? What are their likes on social media and what other types of products do they tend to buy? If you are just starting out and have very little or no buyers have a clear understanding of the gap your product or service fills in the market.
Tell a Story
People can relate to a story. Tell a story simple enough the person watching is able to pass it along to their friends verbally, repeating what happened. For example; “John walked into a store, bought some candy and gave it to a homeless person on the street.” The idea is simple enough to explain, but intriguing because homeless people usually want food or money, not candy. Since the story defies logic, it is more likely to get talked about. When creating your videos, be sure to keep in mind what story you want to tell about your product or service. Keep it simple, but with a twist. Take the time to write out a script, developing your story into a meaningful answer to a solution for your audience needs.
Trigger Emotional Connections
Puppy, kitten and kid videos always seem to get shares on any social media account. It is human nature to feel an emotional connection to the innocence of youth. The reality though is that not all products or services include animals and kids. Even if the video contained elements of animals or kids in order to gain more “likes,” it’s probably not the most authentic way to really engage your audience and market your video. Don’t over-think this idea. Figure out what simple concept may appeal to your target audience. Funny content is more likely to be shared rather than dramatic or sad content unless the sad content sparks an emotional trigger. Develop brand affiliations to philanthropic organizations that align with your company’s goals and mission. Build a story around those connections, which create a relatable factor to your brand.
Social Currency
People share content because it gives them a sense of social currency or social status that looks good to their peers. Not so long ago, when people actually went to the bookstore instead of Amazon, the self-help aisle wasn’t a place where people wanted to be noticed. No one wants to admit they are depressed or sad, so content with self-help type subjects don’t get shared as often. If the subject matter triggers an emotional value, regardless of context, it will likely be shared. Social currency and emotional triggers work together as key elements in your marketing strategy. Provide useful and valuable information for your audience so they know something their friends may not. Passing along information that is useful to friends allows people to feel they are helping their friends, elevating their own social currency.
Write an Effective Headline
When posting your video either on your website or social media platforms, be sure to include an effective headline that grabs attention. The headline should contain keywords that are search engine optimized (SEO), which will enable your video to be found easily and organically. If you want your company name to be found via search engines after posting to YouTube, be sure to include your company name in the headline. Also, be specific. Using the word “cats” in your headline is very broad and may not market your video as effectively. Google’s Keyword Planner is a fantastic tool to utilize when narrowing down keywords for your headline.
In addition to keywords, use words that speak clearly to your target audience providing your selling proposition. Carefully organize the points you want to make, by writing what is most important about your product first and then follow with secondary points. Use effective words like, “simple, easy, reliable, and incredible” to describe your product or service. Remember, to include language that relates to your audience such as, “just like you.” For copywriting ideas, check out the book “The Copywriter’s Handbook,” by Robert Bly. Even the most seasoned copywriters use this book as a reference in order to get their creative juices flowing.
In Summary:
Above all, building a marketing strategy takes some research. Spend the time understanding whom you are marketing to and why they would care. Without a clear perspective of your end game, there is no point spending marketing dollars that you will be throwing out the window wondering why no one has watched your video. Simplify your message with keywords that appeal to your target audience. Learn from past responses to what you market and pay attention to trends that may bring your video social currency. Be flexible to change your approach on the next video, when things don’t always go right.
Have you struggled with getting your video noticed via social media? Leave us your comments below.
– Video Caddy