The Micro-Moment: And What It Means For Marketers

What is a micro-moment?

The reflexive moment where a person reaches into their pocket for their devices to help solve a problem or answer a question is known as a “micro-moment.” Micro-moments are the perfect opportunity for marketers to show consumers the value of their product or service.

However, marketers need to change their perspective in order to use these micro-moments to effect. To capitalize, you need to focus on consumer needs rather than who the consumer is. Unless you want to be thrown aside and have the consumer move on to the next post, your brand must offer a relevant, concise and compelling message that captures the consumer’s attention and intention right away.

Using Video For I-Want-To-Learn Micro-Moments

Because consumers are making real time decisions in these micro-moments, it is paramount for your brand to become a resource to consumers. Think about this: 70% of all millennials say they can find a YouTube video on anything they want to learn. So, when a millennial asks the question “How do I do this?” they’re visiting YouTube first. That means a strong video marketing strategy is a key tool to grip these consumers in these “I want to learn” micro-moments. However, 58% of consumers watch videos that are less than five minutes, while just 66% of consumers are fully focused on the content they are watching. These statistics really highlight the necessity of producing concise and valuable content for your audience if you want to leave an impact.

Sephora

A perfect example of a brand taking advantage of these “I want to learn” moments is Sephora. A huge driving factor into the rise of Sephora as a giant in the beauty industry and a multi-billion dollar company is the way they’ve shifted their video marketing tactics. In the last few years, beauty tutorials on YouTube grew exponentially and brands like Sephora took notice. Now Sephora has an extremely successful YouTube channel with over 1.2 million subscribers that has helped turn them into the $37.2 billion giant they are today. They also recently finished a campaign to find new brand ambassadors that saw over 15,000 applications from influencers from which they chose only 24 people to further their reach on social media platforms.

Lowe’s

“How-to” videos are a simple way to show consumers how they can be successful in an unfamiliar situation. Questions about home improvement are prime for a visual learning experience, and Lowe’s is taking advantage of that fact. Lowe’s has created a library on their YouTube channel that has just shy of 800,000 subscribers where they’ve uploaded step-by-step videos with hundreds of tips and tricks for home improvement. Creating successful “how-to” videos comes down to making sure you’ve done enough research to give the consumer a valuable lesson to help further their knowledge, which Lowe’s does well by using professional contractors or other experts to host the videos.

SyFy Channel

Other brands have created specialized content calendars to be able to hit specific needs for consumers around popular times of year. One example of this is the SyFy Channel’s 31 Days of Halloween. SyFy created a video series in the month of October leading up to Halloween where the channel tackles several different topics for horror fans. Some of these videos are tutorials where they bring in makeup artists to teach the viewer how to make themselves look like a monster or zombie, while others are tips about how to have great decorations to turn their home into a haunted house. Although it’s a very specialized campaign, it’s there for people in their time of need for quick fixes around the holiday and has helped SyFy connect with their over 300,000 YouTube subscribers.

Videos are the perfect way for consumers to visualize the answers to their questions and brands have found a perfect way to reach them in reflexive moments of need. As marketing towards these moments continue to grow, it’s important to get out in front — because if your brand isn’t there for the consumer, your competitor will be.

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Updated on February 12, 2020.

5 Reasons Why Video Marketing is Necessary

If you’re having trouble convincing your C-Suite to use video marketing, we’re here to help. You may be fighting the perception that video marketing is a huge commitment. Managers think that video is time consuming, hard to track, and requires a lot of attention to detail. However, video marketing is a lot easier than they think, and it can reap huge rewards.
 
According to Wyzowl, 87 percent of businesses now use video as a marketing tool. Video has been seen as a powerful asset to consumers, with 79 percent of people say a brand’s video has convinced them to buy a piece of software or app.
 
Video is the present and the future, and it is absolutely necessary for every brand and company to be using video to its fullest potential. There are so many reasons why video marketing works, but here are five reasons why you and your brand should unequivocally be using video in your marketing strategy.

1. Social Platforms Love Videos

48 percent of people said they’d be most likely to share video content with their friends, ahead of any other type of content. That means if you want to make an impact on social, you’ll need to be posting videos.

The social opportunities for video are growing everyday, from posting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Linkedin, to creating live videos, stories, and virtual reality. This flexibility allows you to pinpoint the exact content and distribution method that reaches your audience best.

In addition, video is much more engaging to social viewers than any other type of content. For example, Facebook notes that “many creators who post videos on Facebook prompt discussion among their followers, as do posts from celebrities.” In fact, live videos on average get six times as many interactions as regular videos. Incorporating video into your posts drives higher engagement and interactions. Instagram and Twitter videos also automatically play in your newsfeed, making videos more eye catching and consuming to followers than just text.

 

2. Mobile Viewers Love Video

A study recently released by Deloitte found that Americans collectively check their smartphones upwards of 8 billion times per day. And, according to JWPlayer, more than 75 percent of worldwide video viewing is mobile. That means to reach that giant mobile audience, video is the way to go.

“The growing range of content that’s available from on-demand services like YouTube, Netflix or Facebook Watch is also encouraging viewers to watch more frequently on smartphones and tablets while on the go,” according to Mobile Marketer. Readily available video content makes it easy for users to engage on social media, and the demand for fast content is rapidly growing. Therefore, big companies like Facebook Watch and Netflix are constantly adapting to meet the demands of their audience.

3. Video Commands More Attention

There are so many things in the world that are demanding a consumers attention — and there is only so much attention to go around. Because video uses both visual and aural stimuli, it dominates static advertisements in capturing audience attention. By catching your viewer’s eye, video can raise awareness and possible ROI.

In a heat map study done tracking consumer eye movement and attention on the search page, published on Moz.com, videos were shown to be particularly powerful in capturing eyeballs compared to static ads, even when these videos were not the first results.

 
On top of this, the average user spends 88 percent more time on a website with video. So if you’re trying to use your website to make an impression, a video is a sure way to do it. You can easily track your website metrics by using Google Analytics.
 

4. Stronger Emotional Connections

According to Entrepreneur magazine, branding is “the marketing practice of creating a name, symbol or design that identifies and differentiates a product from other products.” Emotional branding then, is creating an emotional connection to one company that separates it from the rest, creating brand loyalty over time.

It is those emotional connections that create higher ROI and audience engagement. According to Medium, 94% of respondents said they would be highly likely to recommend a brand they were emotionally engaged with. You can use video to reach the audience on an emotional level, while also pushing your product or message.

For example, Green Buzz Agency produced “A Boy and His Dog,” which shows how with the help of Make-A-Wish® Mid-Atlantic, Cooper received a service dog to help him with his seizures caused by Dravet syndrome. By interviewing the parents to hear not only about the struggles of raising Cooper, but also their gratitude for Finn, we gave the audience an inside perspective into Cooper and his family. Additionally, this video premiered at the annual Evening of Wishes Gala, helping Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic raise over $720,000 to help support local wishes.

While traditional marketing methods are expected by audiences, video is a new experience, every time. Most people can still recall a video or commercial that made them laugh or cry, even if they saw it months or years ago. If making an emotional connection is the most effective method to get a consumer to take action, videos are the most powerful way available to deliver the message.

5. Video Drives Organic Traffic

By 2021, 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic will be from video. According to Moovly, a brand is “53 times more likely to show up first on Google if you have a video embedded on your website. Since Google now owns YouTube, there has been a significant increase in how much videos affect your search engine ranking.” But 75 percent of people will never scroll past the first page on a Google search. So here are some tips on how to get your video on the first page of google:

Put your keywords in your title, description, and in your actual video.

This will help Google rank your video on its relevance to what the user is searching for. Google Trends and Adwords are both helpful tools in generating keywords for your video. Remember to also include the keywords in your actual video, for example as narration at the beginning. Google has voice recognition software that picks up on the words that you’re actually using in your video and determines which keywords it should be ranking for.

Get traffic to your video.

You made great content, now share it! You can do this by posting your video on Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and including it in any blog posts or pages on your website. Adding a call to action to your post may help others share it too! You should also try to embed your video wherever you can, whether that is on an outside blog post or website.

Conclusion

All this is to say, if you’re not using video, you should be. It is one of the most effective ways to reach audiences in this digital era, especially on mobile and social platforms. In the end, it makes the most impact on your viewers, and that will only help your bottom line.

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Updated on January 24, 2020.

Best Practices: Video Editing Software

Marketing Generation Z

Step aside Millennials, Generation Z is on the rise. Gen Z is the most diverse generation yet; they are expected to comprise 32 percent of the global population in 2019, outnumbering millennials, who will account for 31.5 percent. 

 

Who Is Generation Z?

Generation Z includes everyone born between 1996 and 2010. The eldest are barely into their twenties, so they’re still figuring out how they fit in socially and economically. What we do know about Gen Z is that they act out of many internal motivations. They are often self-aware, self-reliant, innovative, and goal-oriented.

Nevertheless, they are an extremely cautious group of people. They are generally pragmatic, practical, and risk-averse. Overall, this new generation is made up of young people who want to make a difference in the world.  

 

The Generation Z Debate

Still, there’s debate over the specifics of Generation Z psychographics. This group includes people so young that researchers haven’t had the time to solidify the generation’s place in the world. Some analysts believe that the generation represents negative personality traits. They believe the generation is unfocused, has short attention spans, is addicted to social media; The list goes on and on. Others believe that they are good multi-taskers, early starters, and entrepreneurial.

Altitude’s Jeremy Finch has an interesting take on Generation Z. In his Co.Exist article, Finch discusses how Generation Z gets a bad rap and tries to refute some of the negative generalizations about the people included in that group.

Generation Z uses what Finch calls an “eight-second filter.” Instead of the misconception that people in this group have short attention spans, he proposes that they spend eight seconds evaluating whether or not the information is important. Gen Z does this to preserve what valuable time they have. They strive to be as productive as possible and this filter helps them do so.

Finch goes on to describe Generation Z’s online and social media usage as a means of “brand management.” This group is using social media to create the image of themselves they want to reflect to the world. Lastly, he describes Generation Z as “practical pragmatists,” people who plan ahead and work independently.  

 

Reaching Generation Z Through Social Media

Uniquely Generation Z is incredibly difficult to market to. People included in that generation have a deep mistrust of advertising and make immediate decisions about their interest – or lack thereof – in certain media. Generally, this leads them to skip ads as soon as they can.

But, Gen Z is constantly plugged in. They are an internet, mobile, and social media invested group. Most of them hardly remember life before technology at all. As George Beall puts it, “Gen Z’ers were born social.” They are globally connected through the internet, making the internet the best place to reach them.

Generation Z sees most advertisements on mobile devices. This presents a great opportunity for marketers to use social media and online apps to distribute their advertising content. Generation Z doesn’t use Facebook as much as Millennials and Generation X does. They’re more present on Instagram, Snapchat, and various messaging apps. 

Yes, they do skip ads, which means you have to create an ad that will hold their attention. Gen Z is more likely to watch shorter videos — between 10 and 30 seconds. The closer to 10 seconds, the better. Shorter ads work well for this group because it makes it harder for them to skip the ad immediately. This puts media companies, like Quibi, in an excellent position to grab the attention of Generation Z with their short-form video content. 

This new generation is especially susceptible to comedy content. They are three times more likely to enjoy a funny ad than a serious one. They are also more receptive to ads that feature music and a good story. 

Gen Z is quickly moving up in the market. They are more and more important to target with each passing day. Keep the above tips in mind when you decide to start marketing to them.

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Updated on February 11, 2020.

Katie Murray, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Lucy Wolfe and Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Storytelling With Content Marketing: What We Learned At #SMSsummit

We attended the Social Media Strategies Summit in NYC, and it was insightful, to say the least. Over the course of two days, we listened to some fantastic presentations about content marketing given by senior-level marketing professionals from companies like Hootsuite, OWN, Facebook, and more.

 

The biggest takeaway from the conference was how to use the power of storytelling in content marketing. Content marketing is a great way to provide relevant and useful content to your prospects and customers to help them solve their issues. 

 

Here’s what we learned:

 

Videos On Product Pages Can Drive Up Conversion Rates By 20%.

 

Audiences are looking to be engaged. If you incorporate video into your strategy, you have a higher chance of leading your audience throughout your social channels and website.

 

Take Prose for example, which is a one-of-a-kind, professional hair care line that can be altered to accommodate your preferences. They do a great job of incorporating video into their brand. From product gifs to Instagram stories, Prose is creating engaging content for their audience.

 

Lorelei Orfeo, the Director of Social Media for Prose, stressed in her presentation that shoppers are looking for proof of brand integrity through trustworthiness, particularly ingredient sourcing and production processes. So if you include a video of someone explaining the product or showing how they use it, consumers will be more likely to interact with and trust your brand.

 

Content Marketing Is King, Distribution Is Queen.

 

People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Content marketing is focused on creating valuable and relevant content to “attract and retain a clearly defined audience – and ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

 

Lead magnets can help you give an incentive to potential buyers in exchange for their email address, or other contact information. This is a valuable tool in content marketing because contact information gives you a physical address through which to send content, which gives you the resources to learn more about your audience to further tailor your content to their needs.

 

Terry Rice, Founder of Terry Rice Consulting, gave two examples here:

A “click here to join our email list” doesn’t work.

But a “sign up for our newsletter to check out the latest goods” is more effective because you offer the potential buyer an incentive to sign up. In order to be successful, content marketing needs to focus on providing value, not a sale.

 

Since 2016 Storytelling Has Grown By 826%.

 

Before 1990 there were 8 channels we could communicate through. Now there are 100s. Your audience won’t spend more than 10 seconds on content if it doesn’t grab them right away, but if you are able to capture their attention, they’ll stay engaged to watch a story that resonates. Make sure to utilize this to your advantage.

 

Thomas Harding, CEO of Mish Guru, gave the example of this video, which depicts the life of Defence Lawyer and refugee advocate Deng Thiak Adut.

 

What made this video so successful? Western Sydney University, through the use of Deng’s story, delivered a powerful message of resilience that resonated with their audience.

 

When we pay more attention to the customer than the industry, the customer pays more attention to us. – Jay Acunzo

 

Find what your audience cares about. You need to be really clear on how you want to reach them and what will connect with them. That’s where data comes in: Data is king. Data can give us a rich story on our audience. What is the content they engage with? How do they spend their time and on what channels?

 

It may be helpful to think of it like building a media company inside your marketing department: monitor trends on social media and use that data to find out what stories your audience are interested in. Is it topical – local – unique – human? People don’t relate to brands; they relate to humans.

 

If we, as marketers, provide good content and great stories, the interest will follow.

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Updated on February 14, 2020.

Lucy Wolfe, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

How To Grab Your Audience’s Attention In The First Three Seconds

Facebook and Nielsen found that up to 47% of the value in a video campaign was delivered in the first three seconds, while up to 74% of the value was delivered in the first ten. So if you can hold their attention for the first three seconds, you have a higher chance of successfully delivering your message.

In our fast-paced, media-driven world, you need to understand the consumers of today in order to create content that they will engage with.

Here are some tips to grab your audience’s attention and keep it: 

The Thumbnail

It’s the first thing your audience sees, so make sure it’s compelling and relevant; make your audience want to click on your video.

The thumbnail should be colorful, creative, and impressive to the audience. We’ve seen a lot of success with thumbnails that feature faces, such as our “Love Has No Labels” video for Ad Council. The thumbnail depicts 2 girls hugging each other. We believed this shot from the video perfectly represented the message of unconditional love in the video. On our portfolio page, this is one of the most clicked on video thumbnails because the emotional message draws people in.

 

The Soundbite

The first thing your audience hears should grab them. For example, if a video opened with someone saying “And that was the day I would never forget,” your audience would think “What happened?!” and feel inclined to keep watching to find out.

If viewers don’t understand the concept of the video from the get-go, they’ll lose interest. When we’re telling a compelling story, we want the audience to lock in right away. For example, in our Make-A-Wish documentary, “Wizard For A Day,” we opened with a black screen and the sound of an audience cheering for the first three seconds. This technique draws the viewers in because they want to see what the audience is cheering for, so they’re likely to watch longer than the first three seconds. 

 

The Opening Shot

The opening shot is the audience’s first look into your video, and you always want to make a good first impression. Accompany your soundbite with a creative shot to really draw your audience in.

 

In our video “Ellie’s Story,” we opened with a shot of a transgender girl’s father crying as he says, “I’m really scared for her.” Within the first three seconds, the viewer is captivated as the shot immediately pulls them into the story of Ellie.

If you capture the viewer’s attention with the thumbnail, the soundbite, and opening shots, you’re guaranteed to engage your audience and keep them watching for more than three seconds.

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Updated on February 11, 2020.

Lucy Wolfe, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Video Production Lingo Made Simple

Intimidated by video production lingo? Want to be “in the know” when you’re on set? That’s exactly why we’ve broken down the most commonly used words and phrases thrown around by video production crews.

 

Accent light: This is a light unit “that emphasizes one subject.” 

 

RELATED:  THE BASICS OF LIGHTING IN VIDEO PRODUCTION 

 

B-Roll: B-roll is alternate or supplemental footage intercut with the main shot. “A-roll” isn’t a term commonly used, but you can think of it in terms of A footage and B footage – A being the main shots, B being the supplements.

 

Call sheet: This is a list of the crew, talent and/or client who will be required on set for the day. Details include attire, location and time, equipment needed and the planned schedule for the day.

 

Clapper: A clapperboard, or clapper, is what you think of when you think of a director going, “Lights! Camera! Action!” and clapping down that black and white rectangle. It typically has, “a place to write the scene, take, and shot with some other information like production title, director, and DP.” It’s an iconic symbol of film production, but in reality, the board is used for identifying shots and making it easier when it comes time to edit the piece together.

C-stand: Nickname for a century stand. This multi-purpose metal piece of equipment is essential on all film sets, and you’ll hear the term thrown around a lot. It’s “primarily used to position light modifiers in front of light sources. It consists of a collapsible base, two riser columns, and a baby pin on top.”

Photo by Manfrotto 

C-47: A commonly used nickname for a clothespin, which has a variety of purposes on a film set.

 

DP: Director of Photography. He or she works alongside the director, and is “in charge of the look, lighting and composition of the film using various complex physical and technical skills.”

 

PA: PA is short for production assistant. He or she is, “a member of the film crew and is responsible for various aspects of a production.” They usually work alongside the producer and help wherever help is needed.

 

Per Diem: “This is a daily allowance of costs incurred while filming on location.” It is used for food and the like.

 

Post: “That’s okay, we’ll fix it up in post.” This is referring to post-production, when all of the filming is finished and the editing commences to create the final product.

 

Rough cut: “The first version of the unfinished video. It often includes a sample voiceover and music, placeholder graphics, and is indicative of the direction of travel.” This is usually uploaded on a site for others working on the same piece, but put on private so the general public can’t see while it’s still a work in progress.

 

Sticks: “Hey could you grab the sticks?” If you hear this on set, that person is referring to the tripods – or the 3-legged pieces of equipment that holds up the camera.

Photo by Vanguard  

VO: Voice-over. This is an off-screen voice narrating the footage on screen.

 

Video production crews will throw around lingo all the time that may sound like a foreign language to you. Make sure you brush up on your film set terminology before you’re on the call sheet!

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Updated on January 24, 2020

Written by Alanna Goodman, Marketing and Communication at Green Buzz Agency.  Emily Herman contributed to this post.

A Look Into the Rapid Success of a Youtube Influencer

With over 2 billion logged-in Youtube users each month, how do influencers make their videos stand out? We interviewed YouTube influencer Stephen Sharer, who has over 7.6 million Youtube subscribers to date (and over 444,000 Instagram followers). His fans are astutely called “the Sharers” and he has built a brand around his slogan, “Share The Love.” His very enthusiastic videos are a PG series of adventurous activities with his siblings – usually taking place in his own backyard. How does he take everyday objects and surroundings and make them worthy of millions of views? We chatted with Stephen to see how he has grown his brand and acquired his success:

Q: Can you tell me a little bit about when you started your channel and how it’s grown through the years?

S: I started the Stephen Sharer Youtube channel in January of 2017. Within the first 3 months, we started gaining thousands of subscribers and within six months, I had over 300 million views with 1.5 million YouTube subscribers. Today, the Stephen Sharer Youtube channel continues to grow and now has over 3.7 million subscribers and over 1 billion views!

Q: Who exactly is your target demographic and how do you appeal to them?

S: The great thing about my channel is that it targets a wide range of audiences. It started off with mainly young boys around ages 6 to 15, but since the initial start we have had a huge female demographic tune in as well as parents, grandparents and even toddlers (both boys and girls). Brands love that I appeal to a wide range of demographics and am super family- friendly. It’s comparable to a modern Disney Channel!

Q: How did you come up with your “Share The Love” branding?

S: The Share The Love brand was a collaborative effort between my brother Carter Sharer and I. I have always been about spreading peace, love and positivity, so Carter searched for a logo that would symbolize that and found the sign language symbol that stands for “I love you.” From there, we started our slogan “Stay Awesome and Share The Love, Peace” and the “Share The Love” symbol and brand was created. Today, the Share The Love brand is world renowned with merchandise being purchased and worn all over the globe. Our “Share The Love” hit song also has over 38 million Youtube views.

Q: How have you built your community of fans and followers?

S: The community of fans and followers (known as the “Sharer Family” or “Sharer Fam”) has continued to grow due to the strong branding of positive content that Carter Sharer (brother), Grace Sharer (sister), Otter (our dog) and I have produced. Children and young adults all around the world love the creative concepts we come up with and parents and grandparents love allowing their toddlers, children and grandchildren to watch because they’re filled with educational fun, do-it-yourself projects, and activities that encourage you to think, get off the couch and be active.

Q: How do you keep your community engaged and continuously watching, liking, and commenting?

S: Our community stays engaged due to the fact that many of our videos end in suspense and are continued later on, as well as the virality of the topics we choose. New followers may tune in because of the trending topics we center our videos around, but will subscribe and join the Sharer Family community because of the love, positivity and encouragement to get up, explore and try something new.

Q: What has been your most viewed video? Why do you think it was so successful/shareable?

S: My most viewed video besides the “Share The Love” music video is the “MOST DANGEROUS NERF MOD! (EXPLODING COCA COLA).” This video was so successful because of the virality of the idea. Carter and I took something as simple as a Nerf Gun toy, modded it with a household item, and gave it the ability to explode Coca Cola and other sodas! The idea was simple, yet the result was a fun DIY hack that made soda explode and blast all over the place. Anyone can do it!

Q: How do you keep your content fresh and exciting?

S: Every day is new and nothing is going to be the exact same as yesterday. Things change and so do people’s interests. In order to stay relevant, fresh and exciting I am always thinking of creative ideas and searching for new products I enjoy playing with that I think will make for an excellent video. Something I get excited about is always worth sharing! People always ask, “How do you come up with your ideas?” and are astonished with my answer which is simply, “I just think of something awesome to do.”

Shortly after watching a few of my videos on the Stephen Sharer YouTube channel, viewers start thinking open-mindedly and consider doing things outside of their normal habits and comfort zone. We try to get their creative juices flowing so they will suggest crazy ideas for videos we should create next, which we often do! By taking their suggestions and giving them exactly what they want to see, we keep them engaged and the Sharer Family continues to grow!

Influencers and the Future of Video Marketing

Stephen Sharer’s success on YouTube is impressive, with subscribers and views in the millions. But the success of his self-made videos isn’t even an anomaly. At the end of 2019, over 16,000 YouTube channels had over one million subscribers – and that number continues to grow. The boom of loyal YouTube subscribers indicates something important about the future of video marketing and how brands can secure their audiences.

Much like user-generated content, influencer videos are able to deliver on authenticity. Prioritizing story over an over-the-top production value lets audiences build a more authentic and lasting relationship with an influencer, or even a brand.

To build and maintain an audience, even the biggest brands need to pay attention to the continued success of YouTube influencers, like Sharer. The next generation isn’t easily wooed, and they want video content that feels real. So, what will your next video look like?

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Updated on September 18th, 2020

Alanna Goodman, Marketing and Communication for Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos: Video Marketing Edition

Dig back into that deep, dark part of your brain where your high school memories hide. Remember English class where you learned how to write persuasively? If you’re like me, you were taught 3 persuasive appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. Since video marketing is all about persuasion – persuading someone to buy your product, think differently, or take action – these persuasive appeals are also very applicable to videos.

 

Ethos

 

Ethos is all about establishing character. Who are you? Why are you credible? This is where your brand comes in. Your brand undoubtedly has a reputation and image surrounding it. When developing content, it’s important to leverage your brand. Convince your audience that they can trust you with their business.

 

For example, in this 50th anniversary Mercedes-AMG spot entitled “What Drives Performance,” they discuss their roots as well as how far they’ve come. Giving background on the company and how much success they’ve seen over the last 50 years (paired with stunning visuals) is a great way to demonstrate ethos.

 

Pathos

 

Pathos is about emotion. This is where humor, empathy and every other emotional appeal enters the picture. Create a connection between your viewer and the product. A great example of this is the “GoPro: Fireman Saves Kitten” video which reached over 40 million views on Youtube.

 

GoPro often cleverly uses user-generated content to promote their products. In this specific video, a fireman records himself rescuing an unconscious kitten from a burning, smoky house. Besides being very emotional and memorable, this makes viewers want to have a high quality, easily accessible camera too, so that they can record their own incredible, unpredictable moments.

 

RELATED: HOW TO HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND THROUGH VIDEO AND SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Logos

 

Finally, logos is about logic. You’ve convinced the viewer why you are credible and poked at their emotions, but consumers are logical decision makers. Tell them why they should go out and use their hard-earned money to purchase your product. This is where the facts and figures enter, or at least your persuasive argument. Prove that you are better than your competitor, which may or may not require hard stats and data.

 

In this Bounty commercial, they appeal to the logical side of parents who have messy children. Bounty juxtaposes their super absorbent paper towels to a generic brand to show how much better their product is. The idea is that parents can get more out of each roll with Bounty and it “is two times more absorbent than the leading ordinary brand.” This paints Bounty as an easy, logical choice for parents.

 

 

Integrating these three appeals into your video marketing strategy won’t guarantee wild success, but it will help you create effective content. And in the storytelling business, content is key.

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Updated on February 7, 2020

Alanna Goodman, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Andrew David and Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Making a Video for Your Restaurant

From Bon Appetit to Facebook, cooking videos continue to dominate the digital media space. If anything can stop you from mindlessly scrolling through social media, it’s a gooey cheese pull and the slow bubble of creamy homemade tomato soup. If you are a restaurant owner wanting to share your story, it’s about time to start integrating video as part of your marketing strategy.

More than just making you drool, these videos let the audience fall in love with cooking as an artform. As Netflix’s Chef’s Table proves, the all-encompassing sensory experience of crafting a meal is rich and compelling. By capturing the sights and sounds of a chef at work, the viewer is able to really feel the food in a way that transcends the two-dimensionality of the screen. So, what are you waiting for? Check out our tips for effectively representing your restaurant with video marketing.

1. What’s Your Story?

If your restaurant has a rich or interesting history, tell us. What inspired the creation of your restaurant? How long have you been in business? Try to tell it as a story. This may appeal to customers because it’s less of a hard sell and shows your restaurant’s personality and character.

2. Keep it Short

Keep your video short! Studies have shown that videos up to 2 minutes long get the most engagement. After that, it’s difficult to keep viewers’ attention. Make sure it opens with an attention grabber too.

3. Get People Hungry

Include artistic visuals of your food. The goal is to make your viewers crave your dishes – perhaps even dishes they normally wouldn’t typically pick off the menu. Get creative.

4. Rely on Your Community

Interview your customers! Make sure your interviews are with real people, not paid actors, and your restaurant will gain more credibility. After all, restaurant-goers LOVE reviews!

5. Use Your Resources

Low budget, no problem. If you’re a new establishment running on a lower budget, don’t let your budget stop you from utilizing video. Here are a few suggestions for successful, low budget video marketing:

Promote your videos through social media! You don’t need to spend tons of money on advertising to get the word out. Surveys have found that  89% of all marketers indicated that their social media efforts have generated more exposure for their businesses.

Ask a young, loyal customer to post Snapchats or even a Youtube video of your restaurant. If you have someone you know well who is passionate about your food, give them coupons in exchange for their work. Consumer-generated advertising works very well.

Buy a tripod. You can find inexpensive tripods on sites like Amazon that will help keep a steady shot to ensure a higher quality video.

Now that you have the basics, you can get started on shooting and marketing a video for your restaurant. Whether you’re a small mom-and-pop establishment, a big corporate chain, or have several Michelin stars, the power of visual storytelling will maximize your restaurant’s reach and allow you to connect with people far outside of your immediate community.

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Updated January 31, 2020

Danielle Santilli, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman and Alanna Goodman contributed to this post.