Viral Isn’t An Actual Plan
So you’ve decided you want to post your corporate video on YouTube or a similar video site and you’re hoping it goes viral. The real trick with online video marketing is that only relevant and engaging video works. You can’t set out to create a viral video on YouTube. The audience will decide if a digital video is worth sharing.
One sure way to stand out from the crowd (often easier said than done), is to take the time it takes to kick around the concept with your marketing team. Put your brain trust together and figure out a way to help your customers do something, or learn about something. Going viral to millions of viewers would be nice, but being noticed by thousands who respond to your campaign is a pretty good result too.
Try to create an interesting perspective on your company that specifically avoids talking about your product. Think about your company’s personality. What does Your Widget Company stand for? What problems do you solve for your customers? Is there a larger mission (Making Better Widgets for the World) you can focus on? Approach your business from a different angle and subtly surprise the viewer.
You could create a video that teaches people something, like how to make an accessory for your widgets. Then link to your website that features everything related to widgets, or maybe a booklet with more info that can be emailed to them. Sometimes a helpful how-to video with quality content, (the kind that people will want to share with their friends), can allow you to exploit the social aspects of YouTube and take you further into the buyer’s world than a blatant sales video. That’s the type of traffic you want.
Now your online video marketing campaign is working double-time for you, promoting your message and driving people to you website, where even more marketing videos – with a more direct message or two – can hook them.
About Ted Schellenberg
Ted Schellenberg has held positions in communications in the corporate, academic and public arenas, with specific experience in IT. Ted contributes a twice-weekly post on the online video marketing industry to LDRK Media's blog.