Millennials are a ready and willing audience for engagement via social video, being practically glued to a screen or mobile device at any given hour of the day.
It takes less time and less effort to view a video versus reading an article and digesting a brand message. So, it is easy to see that this is an ROI-effective way for high numbers of eager viewers to be introduced to your brand or product via the power of social video.
Once created and disseminated, the video and its fans will then do a lot of the advocacy and marketing legwork for you, thanks to the very real power of social media and sharing.
Here are 4 ways you can make social video reach millennials and amplify your brand campaign:
Get ready to start a two-way conversation
Stop thinking about advertising, in which a viewer is spoon fed an idea and pushed towards the sell as a single-minded call to action. Social video is an active medium that demands interaction – likes, shares, comments and feedback. There is also value in a brand being talked about and recognized, as well as being bought and sold. This is the brand advocacy aspect, so be prepared to welcome and encourage viewer engagement in your brands’ videos. This is an important way to build relationships with your audience and also provide a real “voice” to the background of the video content. As well as comments, interactive tools and methods of engagement such as competitions or photo sharing, are the way to go.
Produce quality video content that tells a story
Your social video should be more like a story than an advert. It has to be high quality content that would be a stand-alone reason for a millennial to spend 3 to 6 minutes watching it – remember, this is the same demographic that watch Netflix and online streaming in order to avoid adverts. Don’t make the same mistake as the ad people. Content that inspires emotions trumps content that pushes for a hard sell. Let the audience make an association between your brand and an emotional response that is positive.
Make friends and influence people!
Getting key influencers on board is vital for the popularity and social element of your content to see the light of day. There is no social in social video if it isn’t shared. This doesn’t mean viral video necessarily – there can be a highly defined core demographic that your campaign needs to reach – but it does mean that you are in touch with the right influencers. This could be a celebrity, musician or a YouTube channel content creator with a massive following of their own. Gathering a community of targeted influencers will help to advocate the brand message and extol the virtues of the product, giving your brand credibility, endorsement and gravitas from the figures your key demographic look up to and to whose recommendations they listen.
Actively share video content with others who will do the same
The true beauty of social video is its intrinsic purpose as a medium to be shared with audiences via social media. Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram all have legions of influencers and their fans ready to engage with your content and share it with their friends; sharing your brands’ messages with the video. That’s the best way to start a rumor on social media – let your video’s story spread like wildfire, and watch as the message travels from social media via fans and to a much larger audience from there.