This year, as I now have a 7-month old baby girl, I decided to forego attending Social Media Marketing World 2020 in San Diego, and instead opted for the virtual ticket. Man, am I glad that I did! The takeaways were vast, but all I can say is that if you haven’t yet employed video as an integral part of your social media marketing efforts, now is most definitely the time to start.
In the SMMW20 keynote presentation aided by clever Star Wars references, Social Media Examiner Founder and CEO Michael Stelzner gave his audience “the key to success” in the current state of social media. After highlighting the issues of consumer distrust in marketers, a lack of organic reach, and rising ad costs, the mood may have seemed grim. However, this was only momentary. Next, Stelzner revealed the secret to everyone’s future success: harnessing the power of video.
Why video? Stelzner presented data that showed a giant shift in where consumers are turning to help inform their purchase decisions. He pointed out that the top three most downloaded apps in the last three months of 2019 were Disney +, TikTok, and YouTube – all video platforms. Trailing right behind these three was Instagram, a platform that heavily relies on video content and, conveniently, what Stelzner labeled as the perfect place to start.
According to Stelzner, Instagram’s Stories feature is the place for marketers to get their toes wet when it comes to utilizing video as a powerful marketing tool. Stories are temporary and more casual than other forms of video, and for this reason they don’t need to be perfect. Still, they’ll appear on the explore page. They’ll allow you to see who’s viewing your content. They’re low stakes, but offer big rewards.
Furthermore, he emphasized the importance of creating content both for education and entertainment. The rising popularity of TikTok highlights the demand for creative content – and this new platform represents an abundance of untapped potential for marketers. Stelzner pointed out that only 3.42% of marketers he surveyed reported using TikTok to reach consumers. The virtually untouched platform has huge prospects.
Finally, he stressed the value of using YouTube as a vehicle to reach consumers. If marketers can create intriguing videos that are both educational and entertaining, YouTube is the place to put it.
Stelzner pointed out that consumers go to YouTube seeking out specific information, with the intent of consuming video content. Whereas, video is consumed on other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, in a more passive manner. Thus, on YouTube, they’re likely to stick around to watch your video in its entirety, and will subsequently stay on the platform longer – something that the YouTube algorithm will reward users for.
Storytelling is at the heart of video. Whether it’s a short and spontaneous Instagram Stories clip, or a longer-form YouTube narrative video, if your message is compelling then you will start to create authentic connections with your audience. If your audience feels a sense of connection, they will be more likely to turn into loyal customers who will be primed to buy whatever it is that you’re selling. The “know, like, and trust factor” is huge in genuine marketing strategies!
Stelzner encourages marketers to utilize the power of what he calls ‘the force,’ or storytelling in the form of videos, as soon as they can. This form of marketing is slowly becoming the new norm, and soon enough it won’t seem so new. If you find yourself with more time while at home in quarantine, why not tackle some of the tasks you’ve been putting off, like learning the art of video marketing for business?