Modern consumers have spoken. Video marketing is taking the industry by storm. Thanks in part to the ever increasing devices and their integrated cameras that venture through life with us, it has never been easier to record and share our moments with others in the world.
Just as video has integrated itself into our day to day lives, it has found its way into our marketing plans, budgets, and campaigns.
What Causes a Video to Go Viral?
Brand Watch reports YouTube has over 400 hours of video uploaded to its platform every minute! Which means try as you might, no human will ever come close to watching nearly a ¼ of the videos posted to YouTube right now (and that number is exponentially climbing).
Videos are made to be shared. A video goes viral when it receives millions of views within just a few days. Social platforms are the drivers behind the viral phenomenon. As brands create conversations about their products and services, it’s natural that we as marketers have honed in on the power of video.
Videos that go viral resonate with their audience so well, viewers want their own network to know about it too. When their friend networks want their own networks to know about it too, well that’s when you encounter a viral sensation!
A Look at Viral Videos This Year
In a sea of endless videos that are uploaded each day, which videos are the most successful? Let’s examine three brands and their viral campaigns from AdAge’s Viral Video Top Chart.
Video 1: Samsung’s “/Make” Campaign
Samsung’s video campaign did a great job at showcasing the creativity of its community. Taping into the mass marketing mentality of its customers, this video places their customers as protagonist of their own stories. The video states “Creators aren’t born. They’re made” and Samsung has the tools creators need to “make” their own stories.
Video 2: Super Dad: T Mobile Has You Covered
This heartthrob video plays off of the the real life superhero persona of a Dad. T Mobile has created a successful narrative that so many of its customers can relate with – using a phone to plan, create, and connect people together. In the video, Luke’s Dad is planning his birthday party. A celebration to bring people together – just like T Mobile’s service.
Video 3: Mission to Mars: Keep Walking India
“The Walk We Take within our Minds.” What a great tagline to resonate with an audience. This video, as part of a larger “Journey” campaign for the Johnny Walker brand, helps to capture the recent India Mars excursion. By capturing these events, this brand drives home the human mission to do more, go further, and as Johnny Walker’s brand so often tells us – celebrate.
What Can We Learn from these Viral Videos?
Brands that understand video position themselves to do well in the competitive landscape. As we saw above, these viral videos make their viewer feel something. Videos that communicate well to their audiences are powerful. They deliver the wow factor, the punch, the tell me more reaction from their viewers.
What are the Three Key Takeaways for Your Video Marketing?
- A great video tells a memorable story: Video is the medium that allows our viewers to see and hear us. Are we creating those connections through sound and light that resonate? You have a great brand, a great team, and a fabulous content plan, so why would you leave your viewer hanging?
- Are Concise: Our customers are tired of too long, wonky videos that don’t deliver. It’s important that videos get to the point, but are long enough to have substance and make an impact with the viewer. All of the videos above were under 60 seconds.
- Keep the Conversation Going: One thing we can take away from the influencers that habitat our social channels is that people respond to human connections. We relate, we comprehend, and we enjoy being part of a conversation, even if it’s only one-sided. Video gives marketers the chance to drive the conversation. If your video does well, more than likely your audience will want more. Regularly updated videos help us tell our ongoing stories.
The Future of Video
Video channels continue to give the everyday consumer the ability to become a star. The video campaigns of today do best when they display our humanity: the good, the influential, and the humble. They hone in on our desire to share our content in effort to connect with others. These story-telling techniques are global – pivotal moments that we connect to, and we want to use to connect with others. We can only hope to expect that with continued technology, making, sharing, and viewing videos will only become more ingrained in our marketing content in the future.
