Social Video: Educate, entertain and generate leads
Video for social media is an ever-evolving concept. Ever since YouTube debuted in 2005, video has emerged as the burgeoning choice for online content creation - and it has only skyrocketed since.
Fast forward 15 years, and we have witnessed the growth of video in many different ways - the most recent and prominent example of this is short-form video content. Growing from a Vine, snappy stories have evolved into our daily reality, with anybody, anywhere in the world able to educate, entertain, or express themselves with this easy-to-use format.
Top Brands using Video on Social Media
Brands from all industries have been capitalising on the success of video, while challenging audiences to question the status quo - we’ve moved from straight-forward, in-your-face marketing towards organic, thought-provoking developments in community based advertising.
Where previously you may have scrolled past a lengthy (by today's standards) five minute Product Y showcase on YouTube presented by a company employee, you may now be introduced to a brand by a relative, colleague or complete stranger in a 10 second TikTok, which presents you with an idea or concept of Product X without trying to sell it to you directly.
And those 10 seconds may prove to be all you need to find yourself investigating and taking further peeks into Product X. It could happen in the form of a catchy dance challenge, a rising influencer’s day-in-the-life, a sharp and succinct video review, or an incredibly relatable and versatile meme. What is important, is that you were tagged or messaged on a given platform and were presented with an idea. That idea blossomed into interest, and that interest led you to explore the rest of the short videos on offer, opening you up to the possibilities of Product X. You laughed at, commented on or liked the video that you’ve discovered, likely to share or retweet to another relative, or another friend. Then your affinity towards purchase, and even the affinity of others, has been increased, all without you even realising it.
Video in the time of COVID-19
As we’ve written about previously, nailing your video strategy during the lockdown period of the COVID-19 pandemic could never be more important. Keeping a consistent social media strategy going and engaging with your community and fans is an essential way to ensure your brand comes out of this strange and uncertain time in the best position possible. And video is the perfect way to do that.
This could be a Live Q&A with employees or influencers. It could be tutorials or ‘How-to’s’ - communities are embracing the DIY aesthetic which negate the need for full on video production. People expect technical glitches - we’re all in this together after all. Don’t worry if your connection cuts on a live chat, or whether your demo is lit perfectly. Audiences all over the world are embracing behind the scenes visuals. Just look at Manchester United’s daily Group Chat videos on YouTube in which they invite past players and top celebrity fans on a Zoom group call for 25 minutes, chatting about anything and everything in the world of their team. Yes the connections sometimes drop and people have to repeat themselves due to poor audio quality but that is real life. This is the world we’re living in and audiences are embracing it.
A screen grab of Manchester United’s daily group chat video on their YouTube Channel featuring past players.
Who knows, perhaps this will change marketeer’s thinking when it comes to ad production? We’re starting to see it already - Mint Mobile and its owner Ryan Reynolds have recently launched a video campaign based on a PowerPoint presentation in lieu of an ad, as the pandemic has halted production.
Reynolds makes an appearance by explaining that his ad agency, Maximum Effort Productions, was in the middle of making an ‘epic’ ad but that because of Coronavirus, they’ve settled for just a PowerPoint. The ad then continues onto a parody of PowerPoint presentations, complete with cheesy stock imagery and, at one point, a puppy. The ad also teases jokes about Reynolds, cutting to a scene of his desktop and showing a quick video of the actor’s mum.
Yes, this has more appeal because it is culturally relevant now and may not be in a year’s time, and of course Reynolds’ personality and celebrity status is instantly newsworthy - so they can almost guarantee eyes on without much worry. However the gist is that no matter your budget, with the right influencer and a dash of creative flair, almost anything can be achieved using video.
How Mighty Social can help with your video needs
We have a dedicated, in-house studio with motion graphic designers and video editors to engage your community. From interactive IG stories to in-feed videos, we can create compelling content that speaks to your audience, and convince them that they need your product. Find out more about our video capabilities and how we can grow your social media video offering.