Three Steps to Creating Customer-Centric Viral Videos [VIDEOS]

Creating viral content is a goal shared by many brands because it exponentially increases marketing reach at minimal cost. It isn’t a realistic goal because the whimsy of the general population creates viral messages. A better goal is to create videos that speak directly to customers and prospects. Good content and a little luck can turn marketing messages into customer centric viral videos that generate revenue.

There are three steps to creating customer centric videos. They are:

1. Identify a problem that your company’s products or services solve.
2. Find a creative and entertaining way to show the problem being solved.
3. Create a message that makes your customers and prospects say, “wow!”

Two companies recently provided examples of doing this very well. In fact, they did it so well they’ve received coverage all major media channels generating millions of dollars of free publicity. The first company, Volvo Trucks, features Jean-Claude Van Damme in an epic split. Everything about the video is carefully crafted to show the trucks’ steering stability while entertaining the audience.

The only marketing message in the video is posted at the end. It simply reads, “This test was set to demonstrate the stability of Volvo Dynamic Steering.” Anyone who has driven for long periods understands the need for better control with minimal effort. Truck drivers especially understand this because they drive for hours on end. If you’ve ever spent any time riding in a big rig, you know that after a few hours your body can feel like it’s been beaten.

The Epic Split video is not Volvo’s first attempt at communicating the benefits of dynamic steering. Ten months ago, the company published a video that explained their dynamic steering technology. The video tells viewers what the system does and how it does it.

And, almost a year later, the video has received approximately 83,000 views. Two-thirds of the views came after the release of the Epic Split video as shown in the chart below:

Prior to releasing the Epic Split video, Volvo published a teaser that gives insight to the planning process and credibility to the final product.

Jean-Claude Van Damme’s video received over 40 million views in one week and generated interest in other videos. There is one primary difference between the two dynamic steering videos. The Epic Split video shows viewers what the system does in a dramatic way instead of telling them. The marketing message doesn’t have to be spoken because people cannot look away from the screen. It is a commercial that entrances viewers.

The second example is from GoldieBlox. The company’s mission is to “inspire the next generation of female engineers.” Before discussing the viral video, I have to say that as a female engineer, I love the concept of letting girls be girls while building things. I fit their customer profile as a girl who likes engineering activities and as a mother. 

Most likely anyone with a digital footprint has seen or heard about this video because it is the new media darling. The video isn’t as viral as Volvo’s Epic Split but it has a solid growth line since being launched a few days ago.

The video is clearly designed for girls and their parents. It taps into the social consciousness that questions the minimal number of females in engineering. The “before and after” storyline shows that the world is changing:

There’s a powerful message in the video but mostly, it is just fun to watch.

GoldieBlox also provided behind-the-scenes videos featuring the stars. The girls are delightful. The video is fun. And the press can’t stop talking about it. Oh, there’s one more thing. This video is a commercial too.

Both companies created videos that identified problems, provided solutions, and had a “wow!” factor. Online communities and traditional media have rewarded them well. They are reaching their customer base and can reasonably expect a return on investment. Here are some details to keep in mind when creating your videos:

Pay attention to the length of the video. Limiting the videos to around two minutes or less increases opportunities for viewing and exposure.

Consider different angles. Both companies created videos of the video being made and added commentary to tell the story.

Don’t forget the text. Search bots cannot read videos. Adding details in the about section improves natural search results.

Put a link to your website at the top of the about tab. If you bury the link in your description, people have to click to see it. GoldieBlox made it easy for viewers to go to their website. Volvo didn’t.

Ride the wave. If your video goes viral, be available for interviews and respond to online communities.

Keep your eye on the ball. The objective is to build a connection with the people most likely to buy your products or services. Commentary by others shouldn’t derail the process.

(VIA)

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5 Reasons Your Viral Video Won’t Go Viral

Marketing executives and advertisers speak of the “viral video” in hushed tones, fearing that if they express their desire to “go viral,” aloud they’ll be met with a chorus of angry naysayers screaming “you can’t make a viral video, they just happen… as if by magic!” They still all want one, though. Developing, producing and successfully launching a viral video campaign is equal parts inspiration and orchestration, and based on my 7 years of running a creative agency that makes videos, here are some of the things that keep them from getting off the starting line or fizzing out along the way.

1. TMI! TOO MUCH INFORMATION You started with a funny, crazy idea but got worried that there wasn’t enough “message” or “call to action” so you kept adding and adding. You wondered why the video got less and less entertaining. Congratulations, you made an infomercial. At the very best, you made an ad. Most people run away from ads unless it’s Super Bowl season or from a brand that consistently makes good ads, so don’t count on them sharing your video too much. One of the main purposes of a “viral video” is to build awareness of and/or interest in something. Leave the messaging and selling part of it for the areas that surround the video and the wider conversation,  and let the video do it’s job of going viral.

2. YOUR VIDEO’S NOT FUNNY, THRILLING OR SHOCKING ENOUGH It all starts with the big, creative ideas, and ends with the brass having the balls to push the limits of acceptability and do something completely unexpected and memorable. Videos that go viral all have one thing in common. People are thrilled by them, the cover their mouths in surprise and have the sudden urge to show them to other people. Lots of viral videos are just real life events that happen, but many of them are obviously produced for brands, and as long as they’re good, viewers don’t mind a bit. When you’re producing a video with the intent of going viral, you have to tap into those feelings of excitement, amazement and if at all possible, make it funny… really funny. Not vanilla funny with a side of mild humor. I can’t think of a single brand out there that can’t do with some funny, and in the right hands, anything can be made hilarious.

3. LACK OF PAID MEDIA SUPPORT People can’t laugh at, be amazed by and share something they can’t find. In almost every case of branded entertainment, you need some form of paid media buy to jumpstart the process. You know those brand videos you see in the top viral charts, the ones that got there on sheer amazingness? Yeah, not so much. They do have to be amazing, but they also need a big, paid push at the start. It’s done all the time and is no less ethical or purist than paying for TV audiences, radio airtime or billboard space. Paid media support can come in the form of video seeding, paid ads, promoted content on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube, paid placements on blogs, publications or paid influencers.

4. LITTLE OR NO BLOG, PUBLICATION AND INFLUENCER OUTREACH Aside from, or in addition to, the paid tactics, there’s the earned media approach. This consists of pitching bloggers, writers and influencers and making them  care enough to share your video with their readers and viewers. This tactic is very effective provided you’ve satisfied #2 and are ready with #5.

5. WEAK SOCIAL MEDIA SHARING STRATEGY Viral videos live and die on their ability to be shared. So grease the skids. You’ve made a great video, paid for initial support, tapped some awesome bloggers,  writers and influencers to help push it along but you didn’t develop an integrated sharing strategy that goes from the initial activity you’ve bought or earned, to your social media channels and current fans of your brand, out to new fans. For example, when that awesome influencer blasts out to their one million Twitter followers, are you prepared to capitalize on it and push it further? How about the videos your fans are starting to create (on their own or because you suggested it) based on your video? Do you have systems in place to make them into rockstars and promote their content? Viewers will see their videos and want to make their own, but first they’ll have to watch the original.

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Is B2B Social Media Marketing Behind B2C?

The Perception

There seems to be a general perception that social media is better suited for B2C versus B2B marketing.  This view is supported by a general lack of easily accessible social media success stories in the B2B space; on the Internet and at conferences.  But it is a misconception.

The Reality

Without a doubt, there are countless impressive B2C success stories, including the funny Bodyform video created in response to a disgruntled Facebook post, and the successful OldSpice video campaign. But social media is also extensively and successfully in use for B2B marketing. We simply might not hear about it as much because the examples are not as entertaining.

B2B social media is best suited to generate awareness.  To just pick a few examples, social media can help build thought leadership, increase the reach of events, or strengthen your brand. But social media can also foster action and engagement. Used right, the social tool kit can help you leverage advocates and influencers to spread your message, generate content for you, and even generate leads.

When a B2C campaign goes viral, you are likely to hear about it. When a Global 2000 company manages to increase reach, action, and engagement with their target audience, they either keep it quiet, as a competitive advantage, or it simply is not an entertaining enough story to get much coverage.

The Top Ten Viral Videos of 2012

2012 has been a great year for video sharing with the ten most viral videos being shared 28 million times compared to the 16.8 million of their 2011 counterparts.

Here’s a look at the ten most shared non-music videos based on the Viral Video Chart by Unruly Media.

This ranks videos based on how many shares they get, rather than their number of views.

Top of the Charts:Invisible Children:Kony 2012

It is somehow reassuring to find that the top viral video of 2012 wasn’t advertising a big multinational brand selling a product. Instead it was a video about humanity produced by a not for profit organisation. If you haven’t seen it yet, you really should, not only because it is compelling and incredibly moving, but also because it is a very fine example of how to make brilliant use of social media.

Amazingly it is 30 minutes long, which normally would be considered too much, especially for a viral video. But it has been hugely successful. How come it has been shared so much? Well, the content itself certainly helps. It is an emotive subject and the film is well crafted and narrated with a really personal approach.

Early on in the film we are told that the video is an part of an experiment.

This is intriguing in itself and makes you want watch it. The messages are about the empowerment of the individual and are the kind of thing people do share, for that very reason.

The marketing strategy is also excellent, encouraging people to take action by showing them how the power of social media is already making a huge difference in this cause by bringing people all over the world together for positive impact.

Even if you don’t donate money, it is primarily about raising awareness in order to put pressure on policy makers and those with the power to do something at a governmental level. The video even identifies the 12 policy-makers it wants you to put pressure on and directs you to their website where you are shown how to contact them.

By also involving key famous influencers such as Angelina Jolie and George Clooney, who have huge followings on social media, the video really becomes contagious.

Runner Up: TNT: A Dramatic Surprise on a Quiet Square

If you saw an enormous red button saying “push to add drama”, how could you resist it?

This promo video for a Belgian TV network is great fun and shows what people do when faced with just such a tempting button, then showing what happens next.

It works almost like a flashmob (remember T-Mobile’s Dance Flashmob of 2009?), by involving members of the public in a seemingly spontaneous happening.

The action is well staged and the film itself uses plenty of cameras in order to capture the all important reactions of the unsuspecting passers-by. When everything returns to normal, they are left dazed and wondering if they just hallucinated the whole thing. Brilliant!

The ad agency who produced the video, Duval Guillaume, shot the whole thing 11 different times then put together the best footage with the best reactions in the final edit.

In terms of sharability, anybody who actually witnessed the event itself will have told all their friends and undoubtedly searched for YouTube footage having seen the cameras. So the seeds of a viral video were already being sewn at the production stage.

Number 3: Abercrombie & Fitch

Great, upbeat song by Carly Rae Jepsen (ok, so they must have an enormous budget to be able to use it!), and an army of good-looking, extremely fit guys lip-synching and having fun, wearing only their Abercrombie & Fitch jeans. Irresistible.

A feel good promo video which represents the brand values of A&F perfectly.

Their target audience are the university student “college kid” demographic, so this fun, sexy video panders to it perfectly.

Fortunately it is exactly this age range which share videos contagiously when they really like them. Young men want to be the guys in the video (attractive and fun), and everyone who appreciates them and the music will share it. Great combo.

Number 4: DC Shoes: Ultimate Urban Playground

This is a must for anyone who likes fast stunt driving, not to mention the backdrop of the amazing city of San Francisco. DC Shoes specialise in footwear for extreme sports.

The idea of having a city all to yourself as a playground is very appealing especially to the target audience who will enjoy adrenalin rushes and will probably have done something similar to this virtually in video games.

The real thing is awesome. The bridges and steep streets of San Francisco, and even a car ferry, become a stunt race track for an amazing driver (who is of course wearing DC Shoes).

Emotive music at the end, as well as an impressive list of sponsors, which were no doubt rather handy to have involved.

Number 5: P&G – Thank You Mama – Best Job 2012

This is a beautiful film gently promoting some of P&G’s household products. It shows a glimpse into the lives of mothers around the world and the emotional and physical journeys they go on with their children. We see them getting their children up in the morning to go off to their various contrasting yet similar activities, interspersed with the many household tasks they have to do (washing up, laundry etc), and seeing the children grow and meet challenges eventually going on to become athletes in the 2012 Olympics.

Using the Olympics as a focus is clever, as it is topical and something most people can relate to, as is recognising the hardships and joys of motherhood (although a little bit presumptuous as there are plenty of other carers doing the same, but it works well as a catchy title and focus!), so they are onto a winner with the combination.

Number 6: Dancesport Studio: Two Year Old Dancing The Jive

This has to be the lowest budget of the top ten! It is a sickeningly sweet and funny home video of a 2 year old dancing the jive which a dance studio have used to promote their services, using the tag line “It is never too early to start…” Cute kids doing funny things equals very shareable.

Number 7: Melbourne Metro: Dumb Ways To Die

A funny animation showing “dumb ways to die” with a silly catchy song about them to raise awareness of safety around trains and traintracks!

Using humour to get across a serious topic can work really well.

Number 8: Chevrolet: Ok Go – Needing/Getting

A car advert in the guise of a music video. It’s a quirky song which uses sounds made by the car to create the percussion, as it goes on a journey knocking into various sonorous objects on it’s way.

Kind of a mini mobile “Stomp” (if you’ve seen it). See below if you haven’t:

Number 9: Volkswagen: The Bark Side

A canine chorus barks out the Imperial March from Star Wars. Part of a series. Funny and cute wins the day again.

Number 10: PBS Digital Studios: Mister Rogers Remixed – Garden of Your Mind

This is a nostalgic remix of a 1970s American children’s program promoting the original back catalogue of the studio’s programs.

The ad appeals to exactly the age group the network are targeting. Nostalgia is another good hook for virals.

So what does all this tell us? In short, a combination of emotive, empowering, inclusive, recognition-giving, funny, cute, sexy, upbeat, quirky, original and nostalgic makes the perfect social video.

Creativity is key so think twice before shelving your most risky and crazy ideas.

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How Did Gangnam Style Go VIral?

We're all feeling sufficiently fed up with Gangnam Style, be it the original or the enormous number of spoofs, but how did Pys hit the big time? This is about more than one Korean pop star becoming a global phenomenal it’s about our obsession with the word viral. How does something go from a YouTube video to a viral video? This week has seen the release of hilarious spoof video by agency St John’s, based in Toronto, that mocks the growing trend in buying views to make your brands video at least appear to be a viral hit. 

There was no gaming when it came to the spreading of Gangnam Style, this was the real deal; a video that people wanted their friends, family and distance acquaintances to share in the enjoyment of.  

The label behind Gangnam, YG Entertainment, had a plan long before the video went live. They knew they wanted to break into new markets and started building a platform they would be able to push content out on. Looking at their various YouTube channels they had 2.5 million subscribers pre-Gangnam and had achieved in the region of 1.6 billion views of musicians’ videos across those channels. Having these subscribers is key and meant they could get a high number of views in a short space of time helping them quickly gain shares and get featured in YouTube’s daily chart. 

Having an audience is a good start but you need them all to share it and watch it, again and again. YG Entertainment did their research when it came to casting the video and by featuring popular celebrities from South Korea they knew this would get the media’s attention. They had a famous entertainer who is the chap thrusting in the lift, the guy in the yellow suit is a renowned comedian and the kid is popular from Korea’s Got Talent. All helping it debut at number in the Korean Pop Chart and gain 500k views on its launch day of 15th July. 

Over the next month the video starts to build global momentum, but the volume of tweets and searches rise at a far slower rate than later on in the campaign and predominantly features traffic and search emerging from South Korea.

In mid-July there are then a few further tweets from @AllKPop, relating to the video's general profile, sales of the song as a ringtone doing well etc, but nothing out of the ordinary. Although much has been made of the impact of various celebrity supportive tweets, my interpretation is that mainstream media coverage initially brought it to many people's, including celebrities attention. 

On 30th July Gawker wrote it up leading to 19k in Facebook likes/shares. I believe this lead to Billboard writing it up and the barrage of well followed celebrity tweets that followed, all pushing lots of traffic to YouTube. 

There was no stopping Pys after this with coverage in Time Magazine, Mashable followed. The next big announcement came on September 3rd when a YouTube video showing Psy drinking a shot with Scooter Braun, who is best known for managing Justin Bieber. This shot wasn’t just some friends catching up over a drink it was the start of them working together and marked Gangnam for big things in the states. 

Activity over the next two weeks triggered the biggest spike in the entire campaign, as Scooter Braun made some inspired media bookings. Alongside these bookings, Scooter also has a contact book to die for and his own artists have some of the largest marketing databases in the world, all of whom 

Psy now had access to.

Thanks to Scooter Braun, Psy appeared at the MTV Awards as a last minute guest and alongside another of Scooter's clients, before going on to make his first appearance on the TV Show Ellen alongside Britney Spears. Britney (of course) tweeted this, creating a huge 1.3m tweets containing the term "Gangnam Style" over those few days alone.

Just as growth started to slow again, Scooter got Psy a spot on NBC Today show, and a second appearance on Ellen, that triggered a final but forceful spike in searches, tweets and video likes.

The very final peak, the icing on the cake so to speak, was when the Guinness World Records team issued a release relating to Psy breaking all known records for the number of views that the video has had. At this point, everything slows and a slow decline begins.

A host of "hilarious" copycat videos then began flooding YouTube and Twitter and the media is seemingly giving all of them air time, but this cannot buck the overall downward trend in terms of consumer interest, searches and tweets.

If this has been too wordy for you here's a video summarising Gangnam's rise to fame with me and the boss.

(via)