Marketing is ever evolving. Customers are savvier than ever before to the tricks of the marketing trade and, as such, they’re looking for a more authentic connection with the brands they choose to buy from. There are a variety of new ways that more face to face marketing approaches have sprung forward. Whether it’s on Instagram’s relatively recent live TV feature, or through a dedicated YouTube channel, brands are helping customers put a face to their name, with big results.
Brands Already Doing it Well
Learning through watching a video has been proven to be far more effective than learning simply through reading. Arming customers with knowledge is a great way to help them feel empowered to choose the right company. As long as your company is doing excellent work, then a well informed customer is a blessing. There are plenty of businesses that use this strategy to engage with their customers. Online casino company PokerStars provides helpful tips and instructional videos to their customers, allowing them to familiarise themselves with the game of poker, before diving in. Similarly, Benefit Cosmetics have recently started a live video campaign, where would-be customers can tune in and learn about emerging trends and new products from the beauty industry.
Videotaping Key Events
If you want to get in on the video marketing strategy then there are several ways of going about it. First of all you need to decide what you’re going to video; some brands focus on talking directly to the consumer through a ‘selfie’ video, but others choose to videotape the highlights from key events. If your brand is events based, or holds seminars, workshops or something similar, then this could be the route for you.
Periodically videoing guests, speakers or acts at your event gives would-be customers a clear idea of what it might be like to attend. For example, events companies that put on live bands frequently show videos of the encore to entice new customers. In the same way, TED talks are broadcasted through their YouTube channel and via app. In this way, people who may want to see a live talk can get a feel for the event and money can be earned from advertisements from people who are just happy to watch at home.
Creating a V-log
As mentioned previously, some brands find success in creating selfie-style videos, where a figurehead for the brand creates content as though talking directly to the viewer. This format has several benefits. The first benefit, is that it’s very low cost – all you need for this type of content is a willing participant and a front-facing camera. The second benefit is that it’s personal; we communicate on Skype or via FaceTime regularly, so seeing a face on a screen has become synonymous with communicating for us. In this way, viewers feel more connected to the face behind the brand and react to the message you’re delivering as though receiving it from a friend.
The final benefit of this method works in two parts. On the one hand, you can build up a rapport with customers, simply by them becoming accustomed to seeing your face on screen. The familiarity of hearing about the exciting things your brand is doing will help them to see you as a friend. If you choose to take advantage of the option of Live Video Streaming, which is provided by platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, then you can also directly interact with consumers, again boosting your relationship. On both of the aforementioned platforms, viewers can ‘react’ with likes, love-hearts and other emojis, as well as leaving comments. If you happen to notice a comment that would fit into your stream well, then you can address that viewer and offer an answer to their comment. Although this is directed at one potential customer, in particular, the effect is that the other viewers quickly realise you’re a brand who is truly invested in their customer base.