Campaigning with videos
Young Europeans watch more clips than ever. More precisely, 88% of young Europeans watch video content on social media platforms weekly. A video is thus an extremely powerful tool to deliver your content in an engaging way on different occasions. If you collect donations for your charity organisation or want to market a new programme such as your own fitness training, you can promote it effectively in the form of a video.
But how do we know what type of video resonates with which audience? And how can we stand out on popular platforms such as Youtube, where over 500 hours of video are uploaded every minute worldwide?
A customised message
A video can be done well and even be engaging but fail if the marketing message does not come across. We can tell this if either the audience leaves the video after 10 seconds of watching or cannot recall the message correctly.
Weak marketing messages explain how the seller sees the world. Strong messages start in the world of the consumer. A prime example is this clip of Google India focussing on friendship and only sneaking in the brand.
Once you found an audience-centred message, you can add appealing key words. Here are two easy yet underrated examples helping you catch the attention of young Europeans:
Use the word “You”
“You” looks like a simple pronoun, but it is very energetic. It is the easiest and most direct way of addressing people, putting them at the centre of your campaign. For example: we need your help.
Use the word “New”
We all get excited about new things: a new restaurant, a new functionality, a new house appliance, a new piece of technology. Whenever something innovative comes out, it has the potential to appear in many parts of our daily lives but especially young people. For example: New app ChatGPT.
A word-based messaging strategy does not always have to limit the words and phrases that can be used by your brand. It guides organisations to select words that evoke similar feelings and emotions. In this clip, you will see an example from the world of sales.
Give them more but not of the same
Perhaps besides the exception of cat videos, the public is tired of seeing the same clips popping up in their feed. Three formats work particularly well to get your audience hooked.
Short docu-fiction series
A recent video marketing trend realises that web series keeps the audience attention longer. It creates a link with and inspire your audience. Sometimes the videos can even turn into a soap opera where clients and prospects cannot wait to watch the next episode. Here is an episode of The Two Bellmen created by the Marriott hotel chain .
The idea comes from a beloved bingeable long-featured TV show. Selling is secondary; the emphasis lies on displaying likeable characters at each stage of the storytelling arc. Unlike ads where pushing the product comes above everything, docu-fiction series lean more into the relationship between customers and a brand.
How-to videos
When planning your content strategy, think of the role your brand plays in the day-to-day lives of your target audience. Describing how your products can solve problems adds clear value.
Dan Murphy's markets themselves well. Vintner Daniel Francis Murphy founded the liquor brand in Australia in 1952 and today you find 250 stores across the whole country. On their website, you can learn how to brew excellent cocktails. A closer look then reveals that you can buy all the ingredients for these excellent cocktails at Dan Murphy’s stores.
Personalised video messages
Personalisation is not newfound. The idea emerged in the 1980s as “relationship marketing”. Today, video can facilitate tailored experiences to greet your segments. Customers also increasingly prefer a conversational approach to engagement no matter what channel they use. It treats clients as individuals with unique preferences rather than handling them as part of a faceless crowd.
Here is an example from Facebook.
Which platform fits?
Before producing killer content, we should have the habit of asking which social platform is the right platform for your viewers. When hosting and distributing videos for campaigns, there are many platforms you can choose from - and each has some advantages and drawbacks.
Base your selection ideally on your objectives, resources and messages. Experimenting with a combination of platforms and measuring results can also help you find the best option.
According to the digital marketing consultancy convince & convert,
YouTube is the biggest and most popular video stage, offering a massive potential reaching out to wide audiences and offering a variety of monetization options.
Vimeo is the video professional’s choice because it offers a premium video quality with advanced privacy and security features.
Facebook has the largest social media audience by accepting a variety of ad formats and targeting options. It is best for website traffic because many options are free of charge.
Instagram is a visual platform with a highly engaged audience, creative video editor, and range of video formats. It has a hipper, younger, positive lifestyle audience.
Snapchat is new and affordable with access to private person to person photo and video sharing, live video chatting and creating caricature-like bitmoji avatars.
LinkedIn reaches the upscale, smart business people and decision makers. Expensive, but high quality.Twitter focuses on opinions and news, reaching smart geeky people.
Pinterest is mainly used by women who like crafts, cosmetics, and do-it-yourself projects.
For long, branded videos or streams, you can also go on dailymotion, sprout video or Twitch.
Video is a powerful medium for storytelling. What is in your videos is up to you, whether it is a product, live stream, brand promo or educational clip. But we should always bear in mind that a video can serve as an effective way to connect with people and build more satisfying relationships.
Three tips to campaign better with videos
Show how your audience sees the world to get your message across.
Engage through short series, how-to clips or personalised video messages.
Choose a media platform that fits your goal and audience.
- written by Elif Akyüz, elif[at]thedandeliongroup.eu
Learn the techniques. Boost your confidence. Make your point.
Click here to unlock your potential.