The recent rise in popularity of live video has many brand marketing plans in a bit of a tailspin—if you’re not leading in the space and killing it, you’re falling behind and struggling to stay relevant.
To those who are embracing the trend by using video to showcase your brand in new and savvy ways: kudos. You’ve figured out some of the basic tricks that make this the stuff of marketing dreams.
To those who are huffing and puffing and asking for a timeout so that they can keep up with their peers, don’t worry. While constant change and the introduction of visual platforms won’t subside, there’s hope for even the most overwhelmed among us. And that hope lies in the fact that video content provides an edge for all of us. No matter your marketing plans or your brand presence, you have something to gain from using video to communicate your narrative.
It’s About 3 Things:
- Being timely - video can be quick and raw
- Being relevant - by producing quick, raw, videos, you can chime in on relevant themes before it’s too late
- Communicating effectively to your audience - video is engaging and easily digestible
I know what you’re thinking: Being relevant, timely and communicating effectively? Those goals remain unchanged. This is not the enigma. It’s what I have aimed for, always.
But live video actually helps us to achieve these things more realistically by allowing brands to become more relatable: By representing ourselves in a newly raw and realistic manner, we not only connect with our targets in different ways, but extinguish the need to compete so much. Instead, we embrace the individuality of what it means to be the very brand that we’ve always sought to define. In addition we can focus more on us and less on them (the competition).
So if you’re still the buttoned-up, perfectly shiny magazine-spread brand, consider a refresh. The beauty of social these days is that no one is perfect. In fact, it’s what’s relatable that’s appealing. Imperfection is beauty, after all. So kick off your boots and wipe away that concealer and show your audience what’s real. Show your audience what it wants to see.
Scenarios
Manufacturers + retailers: Take your viewers behind the scenes, show what it takes to create the products they love.
Luxury brands + service providers: Offer real-life situations, showing users of your product who know and love the brand. Show rather than tell viewers why you are successful.
B2B: Don’t worry, you can be successful, too. Share your company’s human side: your people, your community engagement...your company’s culture can be a huge selling point.
The proof is in the pudding. So feel free to have pudding while on live video. Even marketers need a snack and your viewers want to know what real life means for your brand.
The bloopers can be gold. Behind the scenes can define your brand. Being playful can humanize your execs. The opportunities are endless.
Many brands can inject fun into their personas. So play and experiment and use live video to watch your metrics skyrocket.
Not a video pro and lack budget to hire one? Don’t worry, try live video features on Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, or use a fool-proof video editing software like Adobe’s Spark Video Maker and you’ll have your followers fooled. Guaranteed.
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