Get our RSS feed
Search BizReport
News by Topic
Marketing
- Advertising
- Search Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Loyalty Marketing
- Mobile Marketing
- Social Marketing
- Viral Marketing
- Trends & Ideas
- Internet Marketing 101
Beyond Marketing
BizReport : Social Marketing : October 16, 2009
Internet Marketing 101: How to get more from social, video
When it comes to social networking, many marketers are in the space at least minimally. They have created a social profile and are possibly Tweeting or updating their status every few days, but most still think of social networking as just something to do when they have something new or different to report. When it comes to video, the same can be said. Marketers are beginning to create video campaigns to engage even more consumers, but aren't necessarily telling the stories consumers want to hear. There is a way to do both better.
The challenge, according to Troy Young, VideoEgg Chief Marketing Officer, is to achieve interaction with the consumer. To do that, marketers need to take social from a question-marked category and add it to their 'Media' category.
"Social is really just media, it's just another way to get consumers to spend time with content," said Mr. Young. "There are two dimensions to the social stream: first, getting engagement and second, making a story which can move through networks. You can have blogs, which are social media vertical publishing platforms. You can have news sites, and then you can have the networks like Facebook."
So first, marketers need to being thinking of social as 'media' rather than 'networking'. Social is another advertising tool to interact with and engage the consumer. First step? Make it easy.
Remember the KISS principle - Keep It Simple, Stupid? You probably learned about it in school. The premise is the simpler it is to take action - read an article, click a link, react to a social feed - the more likely a consumer will interact.
Second, really think about what viral means and what you can do with viral messages.
"In 90% of cases," said Young, "social content isn't viral. Instead of trying to making something viral, concentrate on making a solid, strong message that can be shared. Then, see what the consumer will do with it."
It is interesting to note that most campaigns and even videos which go viral aren't really intended to go viral. But the message engaged the consumer, who wanted to share it. And share it. And share it.
Third, create a content platform.
"In an environment where you want the consumer to willingly spend time, you have to create a content platform, no matter what type of product [is offered]. The challenge is that companies are spending millions of dollars in advertising but they don't have a relationship with the consumer or the way or reason to create a relationship," said Young. "For example, it is next to impossible to drive traffic to a margarine site because there isn't that relationship to build from. Margarine is just margarine; consumer will use it but not think about it. The Internet, however, can deliver more time from the brand to the consumer. [A margarine brand] could create recipes, better ways to cook, preparing food. All of these types of content can help brands better connect and create a reason to return to the site."
Finally, Young reports seeing marketers create both shorter and longer content to engage consumers differently. From a pure advertising perspective, marketers are creating shorter 'spots', but when it comes to engaging the consumer, they want to tell a longer story.
"Brands want to get the attention with the short video and then they want to engage the consumer with a longer, story-type message."
Tags: online video, social content, social marketing, social media, social networks, social video, video content, video marketing, VideoEgg
Subscribe to BizReport
Please enter your e-mail here:
Latest Headlines
- U.K. mobile Internet users spend 2.2 billion minutes on Facebook in one month
- MMA: Good news for m-commerce, consumer comfort with mobile banking on increase
- U.S. teens texting ten times per hour
- Report: Aussies spending more time online in the same places
- Brand Keys: This is the decade of brand
- BET: African-Americans are tech influencers
- Online shoppers to spend more than offline this Valentine's Day
- Report: 75% of Super Bowl viewers visited advertiser websites
Comments
I am so thankful for the kiss principle. If not I would never get anything done. :)
Posted by: Steven Roddy on October 16, 2009 06:30
I think this is a great post in its attempt to explain how video is actually social. However, I disagree slightly with the first point that marketers need to think of social media an advertising tool rather than networking. I would argue that the key to social media is that it's social. It's not only building brand awareness by creating content that consumers find engaging (or interesting enough to share) but also, creating brand trust. Part of that trust is demonstrating the ability to reach the consumer on a personal level by providing them with something useful and saving them from having to watch yet another commercial or see another ad (which is even more annoying online because the web is about convenience, not interruption). Yes, social media IS media but with an emphasis on social. If you can't provide online content that consumers find interesting enough to interact with, then it's time to rethink your strategy.
Posted by: Rachel Melville on October 17, 2009 19:21