How To: Break The Mould For Online Video Advertising
Written by Kari Jansson, CMO Channel Editor
Companies are growing wise to the advantages of online video and its potential to have a growing effect on their business – provided it is done well. Remember the ‘Hunter shoots a bear‘ ad that went viral back in 2010? What’s about ThreeUK’s fantastic #DancePonyDance integrated campaign of late?
When someone mentions online video, nine times out of ten you’ll think of YouTube. And with the likes of Redbull and Vice TV already leveraging online video to front their digital marketing campaigns on the platform as well as outside of it, there’s plenty we can be learning. Indeed, these are exciting times for the world of video content marketing.
Of course, the digital arena’s most popular video sharing site is usually the most obvious place to start when creating a brand channel; so much so that its CEO – Salar Kamangar – believes that the future of content is in its emergence of niche channels: “Now it’s about giving people exactly what they want to watch. Today”.
Although initial costs may be considerably high, the effects can be lasting – provided that the content has an impact. A company or brand not using online video advertising a few years down the line is likely to lose its ‘voice’, in the same way that the gap is building between those ignoring social media and those embracing it.
So, following on from a recent MeetTheBoss online video roundtable, outlined below are methods in which marketers should be considering when undergoing an online video advertising strategy.
When launching a successful online advertising campaign, the key factor must be the content you are marketing. No exceptions. There are, naturally, other factors to consider, including audience, platform and method – but regardless of your target metrics, the content has to come first.
Some companies may not embrace the possibilities of online video because of the ‘fear’ of not being able to produce exciting content, the repercussions that may have for the brand and its perceived impact on a potential audience. But you mustn’t let fear stop you.
As most will know from experience, success rarely comes first time round, so saving room for error is essential in the online video world. The difference between failing and failing ‘intelligently’ is your ability to learn and fix quickly. Fear attaches itself to failure so adopt the latter and give yourself room to maneuver.
Sometimes the lowest quality videos can create the highest quantity of views. For example, the kitchen supplies manufacturer Blendtec and their budget online video campaign ‘Will It Blend’ that became a global overnight success. It has a large Facebook following, millions of YouTube viewers and could even be named ‘one of the most creative marketing campaigns of our time’
Evidently, the content you use doesn’t necessarily need to be expensive to create, it just needs to reiterate the right message about the brand. And understand its potential within the content marketing mix.
Following on from the point above and addressing the importance of creating eye-catching content, the methods you use are just as pivotal.
In comparison to a blog piece or feature article, video is more likely to capture the immediate attention of viewers. If a picture is worth a thousand words, what can be said for online video? Instead of producing a brash, uninspiring video that does little more than stroke your brand’s ego (and have customers clicking off before you’ve even begun), consider thinking outside of the box – provided it is relevant to your target audience.
Consider how you’ll market your campaign and find the right creative balance. RedBull are masters of this (as we are reminded again and again). The scale of their campaigns reaches a huge global audience; they’re essentially marketing an energy drink, but they’ve got their storytelling down to a tee, and the brand wins as a result. And what happens when you put great storytelling first? People want more. Case and point: the masters of energy drinks are constantly being asked to make their teaser videos longer. LONGER.
Online Video creates a personal interaction between the brand and the consumer, and as technology advances more people are choosing to view content online.
In order to stand out, the content your company is sharing online needs to have an impact. In an ideal world, the consumer will seek the content then share via social networks that will reach a mass audience. However, the nature of online consumerism means it is difficult to map people’s online behaviour across the board. Your metrics only apply to specifics.
Choosing where your online video advertising campaign is featured is pretty crucial. At the end of the day, your video is worthless if people aren’t clicking through to your company website and buying your product. Where online video is concerned, positioning is everything (after content). For example, if you’re trying to encourage more traffic to your website, placing video content on your website probably wouldn’t be the smartest move. Well, not unless your content is groundbreaking!
While online video advertising still has a little way to go, brands are realising that (although it would be nice to have both) quality content needs to trump quality production. Speed to market is key; positioning content at the centre of your audience’s social network is a guaranteed way to extend your reach.
To take your online video conversation to the next level and find out what those outside of your industry are doing their online video strategies, check out our upcoming online video roundtables.
Topics:
IT,
As a journalist, editor and now presenter at MeetTheBoss TV, Ben has been writing and speaking about the intersection between business, people and technology for the past 15 years. In a career that’s taken him from working for consumer music and style mags to Editor-in-Chief of Business Management magazine – via work for the likes of The Guardian, Frost & Sullivan and Bloomberg, amongst others – he’s interviewed some of the biggest names in business, spoken at international events and moderated countless roundtable discussions.