Unpacking social media video marketing

A CNN report published on 31 July 1998 reveals that “before long, MTV was the red-hot center of the music business… Music videos soon became the most innovative stuff on TV.”

The irresistible power of video is demonstrated clearly by how Michael Jackson’s album, Thriller, became the bestseller of all time following an investment of a whopping $1.5m in the making of the video for the album’s title track.

© georgejmclittle via 123RF

Video has the capacity to produce exceptional results. It is a seductive format that has great pulling power on human beings. Why? We are visual beings and we rely on moving images to make sense of the world. Visual content is quite easy for us to assimilate as we process it 60,000 times faster than text. Creative visual content arouses strong emotional reactions and in turn these trigger the sharing of content leading to its virality.

However, this is not the only benefit, especially in the context of Emotional marketing. Research has shown that customers’ purchase decisions are influenced by emotions first and it is only when such a decision is made that the mind kicks in to justify the purchase. Thus, video marketing leads to higher conversion rates in campaigns.

Video marketing’s popularity is also based on its ability to enable marketers to capture the attention of customers and engage over longer periods of time. Engagement produces trust and this is one of the most powerful currencies in the digital economy. Put video marketing in the context of the attention economy that is characterised by dwindling customer attention spans - then it becomes clear why video is a great solution.

Smart brands don’t use their ads to interrupt the conversation. They become the conversation and video makes this possible.

So what are some of the platforms that marketers can use and what is the unique value they can unlock from each platform? I discuss two of my favourite below. However, there are many other options available.

YouTube

YouTube is the second largest search engine and its users view at least 2,777,777 videos in a minute. This translates to a huge and engaged audience that brands can benefit from.

Ways in which YouTube can help brands:

Gain authority – Marketers can use YouTube to present research, discuss trends, and demonstrate new products. This makes a brand (and its people) a trusted voice.

Build brand awareness – Just remember that people come to YouTube to learn and be entertained. Brand content must therefore entertain and educate.

Find new PR opportunities – Good video press releases can be picked up by journalists and this expands reach.

Showcasing products – Video is very good at product demos.

Snapchat

This is a new kid on the block and is very popular with the youths. Its users watch over 10 billion videos a day!

Why use Snapchat?

Millennial reach - Snapchat is usually associated with Millennials. Brands targeting them have the perfect venue.You own the screen - When a user opens your snap, it fills their smartphone’s whole screen. Briefly, their undivided attention is dedicated to viewing the brand’s messaging.

According to Gary Vaynerchuk, a social media marketing expert, a lot of people think that since Snapchat content disappears, it cannot provide any meaningful value, but that’s not the case.

On many social media platforms, viewers scroll through content quickly. And even though those posts will be there forever, viewers will never see them again. Marketers are only grasping for 50% of users’ attention at a time, and those users never look back.

Snapchat users can’t look back. However, marketers have 100% of their audience’s attention for the length of the content’s life.

Video marketing is a very effective tactic that attracts the attention of the customers, helps marketers gain their trust and engages with them and for effective brand communication. It is no longer an option and doing it correctly represents the master key to increased revenue, share of voice and market leadership.

I help brands create and execute effective video marketing strategies. Let’s chat.