The hope of any digital marketing campaign is that it goes viral. That means that potential customers from many demographic sectors will be watching your marketing video for no other reason than everyone else is watching the same video. Folks like to be part of the trending conversation and viral videos can make those hashtags resonate. Will your next digital marketing video be viral worthy?
You Need to Push Your Content
Even though going viral is the goal, you need to do the groundwork to bolster the chances of your marketing video reaching as wide an audience as possible. That starts with working through your company’s established social media platforms. You want to make sure your video is tagged back to your domain and social media accounts. It can't just be about uploading the video and waiting for “likes” to add up. You want to spark conversations among the viewers in the hopes that they will share the video (TED Talks, anyone?). You will also want to post on other users’ platforms. You need to be proactive with sharing your marketing video if you want to expand your reach.
Diversify Your Content
The content of your videos needs to engage your target audience. The least effective videos are the ones that focus on the hard sale. Instead, marketing videos should be about presenting a story. Using doTERRA's channel as an example, they don't just talk exclusively about essential oils, but things all around in the industry. They are telling a story of how essential oils can be a benefit for consumers. It is a difference between saying, “you have to buy this now” versus “wouldn’t you be able to benefit from this?”
Teach Your Audience
The vast majority of people who will be watching your videos will probably be visual learners. This means that they appreciate being shown how to do something as opposed to reading about that “lesson.” If you can teach your audience some aspect about the product that you’re pitching, then you’ll be providing them with that lesson in a way that resonates with them.
One way to achieve that goal is to create a video that shows a tip or demonstrates how to use the product. For example, Clint’s Reptiles’ channel takes the difficult subject of exotic pet care and breaks it down for their audience in a way that is friendly and easy to understand. As you teach your customers how to use your product or how it works, a simple, friendly approach often works better than trying to squeeze too much into a 5- or 10-minute video or overwhelming them with special effects and loud noises.
Finally, don’t forget to use humor in your digital marketing campaign. The majority of viral videos are funny. Did the last video you shared make you laugh? That’s what people like to share.