Video Marketing: How to Get It Right
The old ways are still the best. That’s what a lot of people say, anyway. Of course, it depends exactly what you’re talking about. There’s plenty of things we used to do that are were never the best way to do anything. But when it comes to advertising, this adage may still ring true.
The Internet hasn’t so much changed marketing as it has introduced new ways to do it. Research online marketing and you’ll find a bunch of practices your company should apparently be using. Search engine optimization.
Conversion rate optimization. Social media marketing. And, for sure, you need to be looking into these things. An online presence is incredibly important, given how many people, y’know, use the Internet.
But the best way to get people talking about your product really can be found in the classic way. That’s by making a memorable and potent video advertisement.
It’s why the classic adverts still intrigue us. Look at Apple’s 1984 Super Bowl advert. To this day, it is still used to promote the product. So how is it video marketing done effectively?
Apple 1984 Commercial Introducing Macintosh Computer from Aakash Jha on Vimeo.
Find Your Audience
When you make a video advertisement, you’re making a piece of entertainment. Many people may argue about its worth as art. It doesn’t matter where you fall on that particular spectrum of opinion.
There’s no denying that the same considerations need to be made when you’re making an advert. You need to understand that your video isn’t going to appeal to everyone.
Not only do you need to craft the video so that the message is relevant to your product. You need to ensure you’re not crafting the video to try to entertain every possible kind of person.
This may sound risky on the surface – isn’t a narrower focus the opposite of what an advert is supposed to achieve? But there is no other way. Know the kind of audience your product appeals to and make your video accordingly.
Make Sure the Stars Are a Fit
One of the most sought-after things in this arena is the casting of a celebrity. We all want to have a celebrity endorse our product.
Of course, we know that many of the younger generation are quite cynical when it comes to celebrity endorsements. Unless the advert really takes advantage of that celebrity’s casting, they’re not going to be fully engrossed.
An incredible example of using a celebrity in just the right way? Check out this advert from Kahlua. Kahlua is a coffee liqueur, and the advert stars Jeff Bridges.
While not being very overt about it in the video, there is a powerful link between these two things. Coffee liqueur, being the key ingredient of a White Russian drink, plays an important role in the film The Big Lebowski.
Think Star Wars is a cult film? Think again. The Big Lebowski is the ultimate cult film, starring Jeff Bridges as Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski. The reuniting of Bridges with coffee liqueur was enough to have people racing to see the advert.
Of course, more bizarre casting choices can also work to great effect. Those recent adverts for the mobile game Clash of Clans are a good example.
Christopher Waltz and James Corden don’t have much to do with Clash of Clans, but such a strange choice of duo on-screen was enough to intrigue people.
Waltz may be a two-time Oscar winner, but he’s not in the same league as George Clooney or Brad Pitt. And James Corden? The guy from Gavin & Stacey? These are odd choices, but it’s that very oddness that had people remembering the adverts.
Give the Audience Something They Want to Rewatch
The sign of a perfect video advertisement is one that people actually flock to see. People don’t just see Old Spice adverts on the TV. They’re so amusing that, even after all these years since their initial airing, thousands of people a day go to YouTube to see those adverts again.
The Man Your Man Could Smell Like is one of the all-time great advertisement campaigns. They feature all the things you want. An extraordinarily good-looking man. Unique and innovative filming techniques. Absolutely tons of humor. Not only that, but the entire setup is completely unorthodox.
Old Spice is a product aimed at men, but these advertisements are largely aimed at women who buy hygiene products for their male partners.
To me, the greatest example of an online video marketing campaign is Will It Blend?. This video series advertises the company Blendtec. (In case you hadn’t guessed, they make blenders.)
The videos were actually devised by and stars the founder and CEO of the company, Tom Dickson. In these videos, Tom Dickson takes various objects – some normal, some bizarre – and blends them in a Blendtec blender.
“Will it blend? That is the question,” he begins every video in the long-running Internet series. Most of the time, the item does indeed blend. Blendtec blenders are very strong, you see.
These videos show just that while making the audience laugh. Most of the episodes have millions of views, and sales of Blendtec blenders have been sky-high since the campaign began. It’s true marketing genius.
Get the Video Made Right
So, you’ve got your concept. You’ve signed a star or two. So who’s going to direct it? Photograph it? Arrange the lighting?
Here’s another thing about great video marketing. The videos themselves often have high production values. That, or they’re at least made by competent film producers. Maybe you shouldn’t try to shoot the entire thing yourself.
You should look into hiring a company specializing in commercial video production.
Get It on The Right Platforms
Once you’ve made the videos, it’s time to get viral. You need to ensure that the videos are uploaded to your website and/or blog. Get them on your Facebook page.
Upload them to YouTube. You need to get as many eyes on it as you can. You also need to maximize the ease of sharing these videos by putting them on the right social media platforms.
Perhaps now it’s time to research those newer marketing techniques we mentioned earlier!
Have you considered making your own videos ads? Share your thoughts and comments below.
