Social Media and the Fashion Industry

Social media is the gas in the fashion industry’s car. On social media, a good marketing strategy will spark conversation between the company and customers, changing the way brands introduce new products to the public.

The key is to keep people interested and invested in following your brand. Some traditional forms of marketing are starting to tire. Many fashion brands realize this and are coming up with innovative ways to market to their audiences.

What Each Platform Can Do For Your Brand

Social media may not seem like a new trend, but it is constantly evolving. High-end labels, generic labels, fashion magazines, and everything in between are connecting with audiences online and through apps. Platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Youtube, and Instagram are especially prevalent.

Twitter

Twitter is a great place for designers and brands to gain a huge following and let their audience know what they’re up to, promote their newest projects, and easily see what other Twitter users are saying about them. A good tweet can get thousands of retweets, which is a massive asset to increase brand awareness and engagement.

The trending topics and hashtag features of Twitter also encourage those who may not usually engage with a topic to take a look at what everyone else is talking about. If a given brand or designer does something newsworthy, Twitter provides many opportunities for that news to spread like wildfire across the social media platform.

Pinterest is a great social media forum for fashion brands to use because it’s a visual platform that attracts people in and around the industry. A brand can separate its apparel into different boards, or categories, to make it easy for potential customers to decide what they want to look at.

For example, a few of PacSun’s boards include “essentials,” “street style” and “denim.” According to Vibe Fashion Consulting, fashion accounts for 45% of Pinterest’s searches and pins. Consumers are also 10% more likely to purchase from an e-commerce website when directed from Pinterest than from any other social media platform.

Snapchat

When it comes to Snapchat, fashion video content thrives. Snapchat stories are often used for providing viewers with exclusive “behind the scenes” looks at designers and events, including Fashion Week. More than any other social media platform, Snapchat users can feel like they are having an informal, personal experience with a fashion designer, model, or iconic industry figure like Anna Wintour.

People can follow and subscribe to huge fashion designers and influencers like Alexander Wang, Glamour Magazine and Kim Kardashian, as well as hundreds of others. Snapchat is well liked because video content is more captivating than text or photographs, brands and influencers usually update it multiple times every day, and it is less censored and carefully curated than platforms like Instagram or even Twitter. This is one of the rawest and realest forms of social media.

YouTube

On YouTube, fashion brands are constantly creating innovative ways to connect with consumers, especially through active video content. For example, fashion brand Ted Baker found an inventive way to promote products through YouTube. In September 2016, he shared “Mission Impeccable.”

The three-minute video is a narrative-driven classic spy story that showcases the Ted Baker line. At the bottom of the video and in the description there are links to “shop the film.” The tag allows you to shop through specific items the actors wore in the video. This is an engaging strategy that promotes the product without pushing the product. Viewers were able to enjoy the video without feeling forced to make a purchase.

There are also pre-roll, mid-roll and post-roll fashion advertisements. This is great exposure for any brand or company, especially when a viewer isn’t given the option of skipping. Companies can pick which Youtube videos to advertise on so they have a particular knowledge of who their audience will be.

The fashion industry has continued to penetrate the market of YouTube video content by sponsoring beauty and fashion influencers. They pay influencers to review and market their products. In these types of partnerships, the influencers act as spokespeople for the brand, and the brand reaches millions of subscribers through the influencers’ audiences.

Instagram

Instagram, however, is arguably the biggest asset to the fashion industry. Fashion is a highly visual industry, so using a trendy photo-driven app like Instagram is a perfect match. With over 800 million active users, there is massive brand reach potential.

A recently added feature to Instagram stories is the “see more” option. Verified accounts, like those of celebrities, influencers, and recognized brands, can post Instagram story content with a relevant link. If users swipe up, they are taken directly to the web address associated with the link. For example, Macy’s could post a video of a woman modeling their newest dress, add the “see more” button, and with a quick swipe up the customer is taken to the link where they can buy that exact dress. This makes it effortless for the customer. The brand is dropping the product in their lap.

“Compared with other social media platforms, the viral nature of Instagram is much more potent in spreading a commercial message when it comes to fashion.” –The Independent

Endorsing celebrities to promote your brand’s products can astronomically increase sales as well. Since not every company can afford an A-list celebrity to promote their products on Instagram, B-list celebrities (who have more followers than you) are impactful too. According to Forbes, “Instagram images posted by influencers and celebrities earn an additional 4x engagement rate, for an 8x increase.” This also makes a product seem more credible and reliable if an influencer is willing to attach his or her name to it.

The Future of Fashion Marketing

Every social media outlet can and should be accessed to promote a company’s brand. The more exposure, the better. This B2C fashion industry will only continue to evolve as new apps are developed and innovative ways of connecting with consumers are created.

Updated February 11, 2020.

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

5 Tips to Make The Best Instagram Live Video

Live video is opening up a whole new channel for brands to reach right across the digital space and speak almost directly to their audience. We’re seeing a huge trend towards live video, with multiple video platforms optimizing for live video, including Instagram. Instagram is the perfect platform to connect right with your viewers. With a more personal feel, you can hype-up new products, go behind the scenes, or even just ask for feedback. There are a multitude of ways to use Instagram Live to enhance a brand.

Here are five tips to implement to make the best Instagram Live video for your audience:

1. What is your purpose?

Just like with all things in life, you have to know what you want to make before you make it. What is going to be the topic, the theme, the point of the video? Make sure you know what you want to do before you start the video.

With live video, when you make a mistake or take a false step there is no editing to help you smooth out the kinks. There are so many possibilities with live video, but that means you have to take a moment to prioritize what would best serve the brand. Is it a behind the scenes look at the production of your product? Maybe it’s an interview with a member of the team. We are at the forefront of digital marketing, so push the boundaries, get creative! But make sure you know what you are doing before you start.

2. Promote Your Live Video Before Streaming

Live video is great and all, but it doesn’t matter how amazing the platform and your ideas are if no one watches your videos. Hype your video up, make sure that you’re putting out the info on social media before your live video even starts. Instagram Live is so unique because it could almost classify as an event. Instagram Live also has a unique feature – it disappears once the show is done. In this way, Instagram is unlike Facebook Live video, which is saved and can be watched after your live event. This makes it even more important to promote Instagram Live videos, because once it’s over there is no going back.

The benefit to the finality of Instagram Live is that viewers will begin to feel higher stakes surrounding their viewership. If viewers feel that they might missing a one-time broadcast, they’ll feel more obligated to tune in.

3. Test Your Video and Audio Quality

You don’t want to start your Instagram Live Video and have something go wrong with the sound. It ruins the whole vibe of the video, and makes you and your company look unprepared. And, of course, people will stop watching if they can’t hear or see you. Especially if you have been hyping up the video for days or weeks, when it comes time to finally start the live show, and something as basic as video or audio quality is not up to par, it will reflect badly and disappoint your audience. Don’t forget your lighting and angles as well. Make sure everything is in the shot, not too bright and not too dark. And most importantly, make sure your sound is on.

4. Incentivize Viewers

It can be anything from a coupon to a piece of advice. Anything that will make more people tune in and be exposed to your brand is helpful. An Instagram Live video can be classified as an event. Reward your viewers for watching, and they will continue to come back for more. Many brands use Instagram Live to hype up a promotion, but what really helps to sell the brand is offering incentives.

J. Crew is a master at this form of marketing. The fashion brand regularly offers exclusive deals through their Instagram Live videos. Users have to click through the Instagram link, and it only lasts for a limited time – as long as they’re still streaming. This tactic rewards your most faithful followers, and encourages more casual fans to find value in following your brand.

5. Q&A Sessions

Instagram Live is a fantastic way to get more connected with your audience. Instagram live is already more personal and dynamic than a static post, which makes it perfect for question and answer sessions.

Flockler says that “real-time interactions can help you to build stronger relationships with your customers and show the personal side of your brand.”

Stronger relationships mean better returns on the backend and in the future. As with all marketing ventures, you should always think about the logistics. If you do a Q&A session there will need to be at least two people working the video. One person is the host, but you will also need someone who is receiving the questions from the audience and feeding them to the person on camera. Invite your followers to take part in the session and get some great feedback directly from your audience. Getting feedback not only helps you in the long run, but it makes the customer feel heard and more connected to your brand. A win/win for everyone.

Marques Brownlee, or better known as MKBHD, broadcasted a live Q&A on October 26th to his massive 5 million followers — and it proved to be an extremely effective way to grow. The day he went live on YouTube, he talked with his audience and answered any questions they might have, he actually gained more subscribers and views than he would have by posting a normal video to his page.

Live video is all about giving your audience a new and unique reason to follow you. Live video provides a more intimate and connected relationship with your audience, which allows for increased brand awareness and loyalty. Marketing live might seem scary, but the element of the unknown is what draws in video content consumers. However, make sure that while there is always that feeling of authenticity, try your best to eliminate as many unknown variables as possible. Know the purpose of your video before you begin, test your visuals and audio, hype up and promote your video before it even starts. Whether your are giving incentives, answering questions or even giving a behind the scenes look at your brand and company, live video is a great tool to connect with your audience.

Updated on February 12, 2020.

Maya Mandell, Video Production and Marketing at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Why Live Video is an Important Part of Your Marketing Strategy

Last summer Ted Yoder, a folk artist from Goshen, IN, tuned into a Facebook Live video to play Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ on a hammered dulcimer.

I always love some good hammered dulcimer.

Just kidding. I don’t know what a hammered dulcimer is either. But it sure sounds great – and a few others seem to agree because the video now has over 101 million views. And, just in case you’re not one of the 101 million people who have already watched the video, we’ll include it below.

Here you go:

Tears for Fears – "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" on hammered dulcimer.
Posted by Ted Yoder on Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Now, why did this video take off? Not only is Ted Yoder an incredible musician, but the live aspect of the performance makes viewers feel included, and makes the moment feel more ‘real.’ Especially at the end when Ted decides to introduce people to his raccoon on the spur of the moment. It exemplifies one of the best things that Live Video offers its viewers – real moments from real people. Authenticity.

Which is why live video has really taken off in the last year or so, and is continuing to grow in popularity today.

Growth of the Streaming Industry

According to a study from Research and Markets, the streaming industry is estimated to reach 70.05 billion dollars by 2021.

In comparison, the industry was worth $30.29 billion in 2016. So the industry is expanding at an incredibly high rate. Which means that the prominence of the streaming industry isn’t dwindling any time soon – at least not in the near future.

Moreover, according to a FreeWheel Video Monetization Report from Q3 2015, Live Video is far outpacing the growth of other forms of online video.

This image from a Yahoo Marketing Report shows that the year over year ad view growth for Live Video was 113% in 2016, whereas the year over year ad growth for Long-form Video and Short-form Video was only 30% and 9% respectively.

So if companies are looking to further include video in their marketing strategy, Live Video certainly appears to be the way to go.

Live Streaming and Social Media

On social media, the advent of Facebook Live has turned out to be an overwhelming success for the platform.

1 in every 5 Facebook Videos are live broadcasts. And over the last year, daily watch time for Facebook Live Broadcasts has grown more than 4 times over.

Not only has the amount of Live Video skyrocketed over the last year or so, but viewer engagement for Live Video tends to be much higher than for non-live content. For example, Facebook Live Videos are watched 3x longer than non-live videos on the platform, and users comment on Facebook Live Videos at 10x the rate of regular videos. Live Video gets your viewers involved.

What’s Popular?

According to a Livestream and New York Magazine survey, breaking news makes up 56% of most-watched live content, and conferences and speakers are tied with concerts and festivals at 43%. This all goes to show that people want to be included in events going on in the world around them. They want to feel as if they are a part of something.

On top of that, the same survey found that behind-the scenes access is some of the most popular content for Live Video. This also stems from people’s desire to be included, or have an exclusive inside look. In fact, 87% of audiences would prefer to watch online video instead of traditional television if it meant they had more access to behind-the-scenes content.

Emerging Trends

As video technology develops, Live Video will become an even more in-demand way to include consumers in events and experiences. With the advancement of Virtual Reality technology and 360 video, Live Video will become increasingly more realistic. What’s more, the development of drones will allow viewers unique viewpoints and greater access to Live events.

And, being able to realistically experience something via Live Video will often result in action from consumers. For example, according to Zero Gravity Marketing, after viewing a live stream of an event or concert, as much as 67% of viewers would then purchase a ticket for a similar event. So if you give people a taste of an experience with Live Video, they’ll likely be more inclined to buy into the event or brand if they like what they see.

This is all to say, if you can find a way to incorporate Live Video into your marketing strategy, definitely take that opportunity.

It’s a great way to engage with consumers on a more personal level, and a great way to make consumers feel included in your brand. Because it’s live and unedited it comes across as authentic to the viewers, and if done correctly, it can help build a trusting relationship between you and your target audience.

Updated on February 7, 2020

Dana High, Marketing and Communication at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Why Authenticity is Important in Video Influencer Marketing

According to a 2016 video consumer insights report from Google, 60% of YouTube subscribers said they would follow advice from their favorite video influencer on products to buy over advice from their favorite traditional Hollywood celebrity. Clearly, using social influencers in video marketing can be a powerful and effective tactic for brands, especially for the digitally-tuned-in Gen Z and Millennial generations.

On the other hand, the power of influencer marketing in video can have lasting damaging effects if it’s executed poorly. How can influencer marketing fail? Well, according to a market research survey from Deep Focus, when it comes to advertising, 67% of Gen Z prefer to be engaged by “real people” and people they can relate to.

That means if your influencer video marketing comes across as inauthentic to the viewer, it’s likely your campaign will flop. As brands create a video influencer marketing strategy for appealing to a younger generation, they need to keep in mind that Millennials and Gen Z are looking for authenticity in their brands and in the influencers they follow.

So, in order to use influencer marketing in a way that will appeal to viewers, brands need to create authentic content.

How can you make sure your video content is authentic?

1. Content Relevance

Because a younger audience is looking for authenticity from their influencers, breaking the trust of those consumers can be the downfall of the influencer as well as a brand. In a Bloglovin consumer survey on the ‘Global Power of Influencers,’ it was found that 61% of women said the number one reason they wouldn’t engage with an influencer’s post at all is if it felt inauthentic. So, what makes a post inauthentic? 59% of women said inconsistency.

If a sponsored post is inconsistent with the influencer’s already established brand, the post is sure to come across as inauthentic. Consider this, if a beauty vlogger who has previously posted about being against animal testing suddenly starts promoting a makeup brand that tests on animals, wouldn’t the audience feel like they are being deceived? The inconsistency with the influencer’s original content will create distrust between the audience and the influencer, as well as between the audience and the company being promoted. So when companies are searching for influencer’s to partner with, they should search for influencers whose values and interests intersect with their own.

This doesn’t mean that the influencer’s original content or brand has to fall exactly into the category of the company sponsoring them. But it does mean that there should be some intersection between the interests of the influencer and the sponsored brand to make the partnership feel more organic.

Examples to Follow

Jack Douglass, better know as JacksFilms, is a popular YouTuber and comedian who is known for creating humorous content for his viewers. He partnered with Lynda.com, an online platform that helps people learn software and technology skills, and encouraged his viewers to use the platform to learn how to create their own funny videos. He then featured some of these edits in a few of his videos. Although Jack’s channel doesn’t specifically deal with learning software or online skills, Jack and Lynda.com found that their partnership allowed his audience to emulate their favorite YouTuber, while also exploring a new learning platform.

2. Honest Feedback

If an influencer isn’t able to give their honest opinions about a brand or product, their audience will more than likely be able to detect their deception. Honesty is key when it comes to authenticity, and a brand wants their influencer’s honest opinions to reflect positively on their products. So not only should an influencer be able to be honest about a brand, but they should also genuinely like or trust the brand.

“43% of millennials rank authenticity over content.” – Forbes

If an influencer believes that audiobooks are annoying, then Audible should probably pass on that influencer. In a Forbes breakdown of the millennial consumer, it was found that 43% of millennials rank authenticity over content. So honesty and authenticity need to be established before they will even consider buying into the brands being presented to them.

3. Transparent Sponsorships

While having an influencer admit that their video is sponsored may initially seem like a negative, the honesty will create a stronger sense of trust between the influencer and their audience. More often than not, viewer’s can recognize when an influencer is advertising a product or brand –regardless of whether or not the influencer discloses the information. So by not disclosing that a video post is sponsored, influencers will make their audience feel as if they are being deceived. Or, like the influencer is trying to ‘pull one over’ on them. This could cause the viewer to develop an aversion toward that influencer, brand, and even other influencers participating in different sponsorships.

4. Personalized Promotion

In addition to inconsistency making a video feel inauthentic, 34% of women said they felt as if a post was disingenuous when other influencers’ were promoting the same product in the same way, on the same day.

If a company is targeting a certain niche with their video influencer marketing strategy, they are likely to find some overlap in the influencers’ audiences. This is all right. But, if the same people are seeing different influencers saying the exact same thing about a product, it begins to feel inauthentic. If a video is too scripted, nobody is going to believe that 10 different influencers genuinely believe the script they’re giving. Allow the influencer the flexibility to express their opinion about the product in their own way, while still touching on the key features the brand is interested in promoting.

Takeaways

All in all, relying on influencers in video marketing is not as simple as sending in a script and a product to any available influencer and asking them to post at exactly 3pm est. Effectively employing a video influencer marketing strategy requires building a relationship between the brand and the influencer, as well as maintaining the relationship between the influencer and their viewers. This can only be achieved through authentic content planning

Influencer Authenticity Recap:

Honesty. Be honest with influencer, and allow the influencer the freedom to be honest with their audience.

Interest. The interests of the influencer and their audience should clearly intersect with interests of the company and their customers.

Trust. The influencer should trust the company sponsoring them, as well as the product or brand they are promoting. This way their honest opinions will reflect positively on the company.

Personalization. Adding a personal touch to the influencer marketing video will come across as more genuine to the influencer’s audience.

In the end, all four of these key aspects should be integrated into your video influencer marketing strategy if you want to successfully appeal to your target audience. Without these tips, inauthenticity might just push viewers away from your brand.

Updated on February 10, 2020.

Dana High, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

The 5 Active Generations and How to Market to Them

Updated on February 12, 2020.

As a marketer, chances are you know ways to segment your target audience according to age, gender, education, household income, and home ownership demographics. These demographics can tell you the “who” about your target audience, but they fall short in giving insight to “what, how, and why” audiences react the way they do. Exploring the world of marketing psychographics will open you up to a deeper level of market analysis.

To keep up with a constantly changing society full of competitive marketers, the field of psychographics offers more valuable insights about interests, opinions, and activities of defined segments of people. Let’s get started with one of the easiest ways to gain these insights: generational profiling. Right now, the majority of your target audience will fall into one of the five active generations: Silent, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials or Generation Z. We have mapped out a fast reference on how to market to each generation:

Silent Generation

This generation was born from 1925 to 1946. Their psychographics indicate that they are cautious, conservative, and highly aware of others. They were children during America’s worst economic conditions: the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. This upbringing taught them the value of hard work and diligent saving. The silent generation is not known to change the system, but to work within the system.

This generation had children younger than any other generation in American history. By the time the people of this generation finished their education, a booming economy was ready and waiting. The silent generation is small due to low birthrates during the war period. It is not recognized as a powerful, dominant generation, but one to go with the flow and follow the rules.

This generation is the only American generation to not occupy the White House. Some say the silent generation had it easy from the start: wars ended at a convenient time, bringing forth a high economy, making it easy to find a job and a good time to retire.

This generation is the healthiest, most educated and wealthiest generation of elders yet. The silents have become economic stabilizers for new generations, often having money saved in trust funds for their grandchildren or will typically fund family vacations.

What does this mean for marketers?

When marketing to the silent generation, you should work to earn their trust and to prove your value, which could take time. If you want to reach this generation, one way is through email and informative websites with more text than images. This generation may have social media, but that is a risky assumption. Most use a computer rather than a smartphone, according to PEW.

The silent generation is the most likely to consume print media. They also appreciate customer loyalty plans and coupons. They grew up on newspapers and are still likely to read them each week. When targeting to the silent generation through print media, it is important to be trustworthy, straightforward and use large, easy to read type.

The third option when targeting the silent generation is television. Statistics show that seniors are the most active TV watchers. This generation is most likely to see the commercials that younger generations skip over. There is a possibility that you can effectively reach this generation through the use of television ads.

Baby Boomers

Baby boomers, born between 1946-1960’s, make up a big portion of the North American population. As the largest generation that has an enormous impact on the economy, baby boomers are often highly targeted through ads and marketing campaigns.

The boomer era led families from large cities to the suburbs, purchasing more affordable homes in quieter areas. Psychographics tell us that the boomer generation is associated with the rejection or redefinition of traditional family values. Not only did this generation redefine city living, but also began to use new forms of currency to make transactions.

In Europe and North America boomers are widely associated with privilege, as many grew up in a time of widespread government subsidies in post-war housing. This generation is among the wealthiest, most active, and most physically fit. They are also the generation to receive high levels of income, allowing them to make use of the benefits of abundant levels of food, apparel and leisure activities. This generation was viewed excessive by previous generations.

Marketing to a Baby Boomer

Baby boomers have caught on quickly to new technology. They consume large amounts of television and are active internet users. If you want to successfully target the baby boomer generation, focus on optimizing television ads, social media, and email marketing. In fact, ¾ of boomers use social media, six out of 10 read articles and blog posts, and 7 out of 10 watch online videos, according to DMN3.

When marketing to baby boomers, you want your content to be interesting, relevant and timely. Being such a large generation of various age groups, segmentation is key. Everyone has different ways to gather information so be sure to cater to your audience as specifically as possible.

Generation X

This generation includes individuals born between the 1960’s-1980’s. There are around 50 million Gen Xers who are referred to as “baby busters” as they follow baby boomers. Generation X was born during the single lowest birthrate period in American history. In the early 1960s, the birth control pill became widely available and in 1973 abortion was legalized. These factors have contributed to the generation’s low numbers.

Most Gen Xers are currently within the ages 50-30 and are referred to as the “sandwich generation,” as they are simultaneously caring for their aging parents and raising adolescents. In regards to X’s generational characteristics, they are known to be the most cynical and easily swayed generation, as they have adapted to the introduction of video games and social media.

This generation is less likely to put their trust in a large corporation or institution, due to events that took place during their up-bringing including the Watergate scandal and the layoffs of the 80’s. During Gen X’s time of college graduation, many struggled to find jobs.

Despite these hardships, Generation Xers are known to be the most hardworking generation. As referred to the “middle generation,” they bring to the table leadership, and an understanding of the multi-generational society. Generation X members have founded major corporations, including Google and Amazon. Generation X is typically educated, ethnically diverse, and unique.

The Breakdown

There are two types of Generation Xers. There are the people who were born earlier and hold true to characteristics of the baby boomer generation, and there are the others who were born on the later end of the Gen X spectrum. The latter group tends to side more closely to the millennial generation.

This split in the marketing psychographics of Gen X means that marketers need to be fairly neutral in tone if they want to grab the interest of this entire generation. To market this generation, you need to be authentic. These people look for safety and security, so be honest and upfront.

Many Generation Xers still have a knack for traditional mail. It is likely that these people still send handwritten notes, and receive direct mail. A paper or digital mailing list is a great tactic to reach the Xers.

This generation is thought as the first to take full advantage of available technology. Gen Xers appreciate a quality video marketing tactic or video company overview. Whether they have social media to monitor their children or for their own personal use, most gen Xers are media active by now. If you want a sure shot, Facebook is the number one social media platform among Gen X. Getting your true, authentic content out there is the most important when it comes to Generation X. Do not be bossy, but be informative and true.

Oh Millennials…

Millennials have become a catch-all for all young professionals and students. If you were born in the 80’s to 90’s, you are indeed a millennial! This generation believes in self expression and uniqueness more than any previous generation. This brings many new ideas and various types of personalities to the workforce. Social media is a big part of that self expression, with millennials around the world trying to stand out or prove themselves.

Millennials make up the most diverse generation yet, making them accepting of others. According to their psychographics, they are impatient and will usually take the easier alternative. This generation is full of creatives and multi-taskers. Getting to know millennials and how to make your brand millennial-friendly is very important. They account for a large majority of purchases made, and when they have families of their own, they will have the control over what their young children want and get.

Marketing to a Millennial

This generation is constantly coming up with new ideas and making them happen. Millennials are used to taking in large amounts of information at a time, so make sure your content is important enough to stand out and be remembered!

If your website or brand is not up to sync with the latest social media trends and platforms, you are less likely to interest a millennial. Millennials tend to be the least patient generation. They want their information quick.

As a peer-oriented generation, Millennials constantly seek advice from those they admire. If their peers have something cool, they will probably end up wanting it as well. A lot of the time, those in their 30’s and 20’s will get other’s advice and opinions before making a purchase. This generation is full of go-getters that are not easily swayed.

Constantly bombarded with information, millennials are in a world with limitless options. They like a good sale, and will most likely compare prices in order to get the most bang for their buck. Millennials appreciate when someone is passionate or feels strongly about a topic. Whatever you are pushing, be confident, and be bold.

Generation Z

Generation Z is our most recent generation accounting for the people born from 1996 to the present day. Most Gen Zers are still children or adolescents, therefore their characteristics and habits are still forming. Some predict that they will be self-reliant, innovative and goal-oriented.

The main difference between Millennials and Generation Z is that Gen Z did not exist before smart phones and the mobile world existed. Generation Z is and will be highly educated due to abundant resources. As the world continues to change, each generation will bring a greater pool of diversity than the next. That makes Generation Z the most unique and diverse yet.

Marketing to Generation Z

Generation Z will be just as social media driven as most Millennials. However, the best way to reach Gen Z isn’t through Facebook. Studies show that middle aged Gen Zers are leaving Facebook because it is too “old school.” To reach Gen Z, try using Snapchat or Instagram instead.

Being so young, the best tactic is to target their older family members since parents still make financial decisions for Gen Z children and teens. Members of Gen Z are surrounded by social media and the digital world from birth, yet they seek the authenticity of trusted, personal interactions. They have little patience for things that do not grab their attention immediately. The best way to reach Generation Z is not only through the brand, but through a great product.

Market yourself in unique ways through multiple platforms. Generation Z is huge on multi-tasking, and seeing your information multiple times in various ways can’t hurt. “Behind the scenes” video clips or articles are a great, fun way to involve Generation Z as they enjoy forming relationships. If you have a website and it is not linked to a social media account, it is very likely Gen Z will never see your content.

Psychographic studies show that Gen Z is more likely than any previous generation to jump from brand to brand. This keeps marketers on their toes knowing they can have someone hooked, but can just as easily lose them to another brand in a short amount of time. The most important thing to know for marketing to Generation Z is to stay current on social media platforms and trends. You can never be too “social media” for generation Z!

Why All of This Matters

Generational marketing psychographics are very important in today’s world. We live in a world that is constantly innovating, growing and changing. People are slammed with countless ads and choices throughout the day. Knowing your brand or product is the most important thing when it comes to marketing to any generation. However, it is vital to be familiar with each generation and how they are changing not only the workforce, but the world. When you build this understanding, you can better market your brand to each generation through their preferred method of gathering information.

Madison Edwards, Marketing and Communication at Green Buzz Agency.

Emily Herman contributed to this post.

What Is An Instagram Video View?

Video on Instagram is more important now than ever. Instagram rolled out features like Stories, live video, and direct video messaging all within a few months. Instagram’s total base amasses over 1 billion users, as of January 2020. And, as of 2020, 500 million people use Instagram Stories every single day.

With all of this success, the company has continued to expand its video capabilities. So, how are people using Instagram video? And, more importantly, how can marketers weave Instagram video into their marketing plans?

Instagram And Video

Instagram video was first introduced in 2013. The original videos were capped at 15-seconds, but the videos have since been lengthened to 60-seconds. In 2016 especially, Instagram video innovation took off. Most of its newest innovations are similar to Snapchat’s content sharing features.

Instagram Stories were released in 2016. The Stories feature allows users to capture as many images and videos as they want to share with their followers. The photos or videos are then uploaded and stored in an icon at the top of the users’ feeds. Story content remains in the user’s Story for 24-hours until it is deleted. Sounds like Snapchat, doesn’t it?

Instagram Stories from Kelly Brogan MD on Vimeo.

The app is integrating its own — albeit similar — Story effects. Stickers and text can be applied to recorded or captured content that users can personalize. Instagram is further embracing the Snapchat model by integrating “Geostickers” into its Story sticker collection.

Measuring Instagram Video

Marketers are noticing the pull of audiences to Instagram video and are investing time — and money –– in paid video ads to reach them. Funneling this effort in isn’t cheap, so how can you determine the campaign’s payoff?

Video views are often the most reliable way of measuring online engagement. This form of measurement has been made much easier for marketers following the release of the video views feature. For a video to get a view, a user has to watch the video for at least three seconds. You can get multiple views from the same user as long as each time your video loops, they watch at least three seconds of it. In fact, watching your own Instagram video for longer than three seconds counts as a view, too.

In order to get video views, the video has to be watched on the Instagram app. Any views on posts outside of the app, such as videos embedded into blog posts or shared on other social media platforms, do not apply to your video view count.

“View counts have provided an ideal means for brand marketers for improvement.” (TG Daily)

Video view counts go beyond the number of watches, though. You can tap on the number of video views underneath a post, where the likes would normally be. After you tap, you can see who liked the post listed below. Though you’re given the number of times viewed and who liked the post, there still isn’t an exact science to determine how many times specific a user viewed the video, or who the viewers who didn’t like the post are.

This all changes with Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories allow you to see how many times your video was viewed and who watched it. Marketers can get a better idea of their interacting audience by having a more precise understanding of their viewers.

Executing A Successful Instagram Video Campaign

Using Instagram Stories is always a good method to consider in developing an execution strategy for your marketing plan. Where Instagram posts are often staged and edited with thorough attention, Instagram Stories have a more natural and authentic feel. The casual, off-the-cuff vibe Instagram Stories exude can make your brand more relatable to your audience. Younger generations are distrusting of advertising, so using the imperfect Story format can improve their trust levels with you. Use Instagram Stories to showcase your realness.

When creating an Instagram video — or Instagram post of any kind, for that matter — you need to think about hashtags. Hashtags can be extremely beneficial tools in crafting your video post. On average, hashtags increase chance of engagement by over 12 percent. Consider creating your own branded hashtags as well. In fact, 70 percent of the most popular Instagram hashtags are branded.

Hashtags, and tagging in general, can be a great way to check in with influencers and reach out to their followers. Using influencer marketing can often be a great way to get your brand out there. Influencers’ followers are extremely loyal and trusting of the influencer. If an influencer says they trust a product, the followers may perceive it as trustworthy as well.

“The visual-centric platform is known for its high engagement, and social videos are just as important here as they are on other platforms.” (Agorapulse)

There are also certain post logistics you should take into consideration. The best times to post on Instagram are Mondays and Thursdays, between 8-9am. Other best times include 5pm and any hour from 9pm to 8am. Around 7pm on Wednesdays can also be successful. But, generally posts that are published at 9pm get, on average, 34 percent more engagements. Sunday is usually a day of lowest engagement on Instagram, and posting any day between 3-4PM is not recommended. This isn’t always the case, though. Different brands mean different audiences. Each audience is unique, so what works for them may not work for you.

If you’re not getting the desired results, you can always consider paying for an Instagram ad. They may not be free, but that doesn’t mean they won’t pay off. Instagram ads can lead to getting more views more quickly than posting on your own page alone. Ads can open up to new audiences who may not already be following your page.

Summary

The most important thing in creating your Instagram video is remembering who you are. The key to creating a successful campaign and capturing an audience is in knowing your brand, regardless of your advertising outlet. Audiences can see right through hollow, pandering ads. Make sure your content reflects who you really are.

Updated on December 10, 2020

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

Video Marketing With Snapchat

It’s fun. It’s quirky. It disappears. And, the kids love it! Snapchat has been a popular app since its release in 2011. The app has evolved significantly over the years, adding features like video, filters, Stories, and Lenses. During Snapchat’s growing success, advertisers have taken it under their wings as a new marketing tool, an effort to reach the elusive Generation Z market.

But, does it really work? How can you successfully market within a limited 24-hour video window? Snapchat’s continually expanding features have made that possible.

Geofilters

Geofilters are one of the fundamental forms of marketing you can use on the app. The magic of marketing with Geofilters is that they are concentrated within a specific region — like a city, national park, or university campus — inside of a Geofence. This helps marketers, because it allows for more direct targeting among potential consumers based on location.

The price of your Geofilter is based on the size of your Geofence. Depending on how large your Geofence is, your Geofilter could cost as little as $5.00. Geofilters are a great tool for small businesses. They’re affordable, easy to make, and locally based. Geofilters can also help raise audience awareness of your location. If a Snapchat user is swiping through the filters and happens to see yours, they now know that your business is somewhere within their general area, and it must have some social significance.

“For events or companies that operate on a smaller scale (and budget) on-demand geofilters are an effective way to try and leverage some of Snapchat’s growth.” – Gabriel Shaoolian (Forbes)

There are two types of Geofilters: Community and On-Demand. Community Geofilters are cost-free, but logo-free. They’re used for general community spaces, like city landmarks and colleges. Community Geofilters make it almost impossible for branded advertisement, so On-Demand Geofilters are a much better option.

With On-Demand Geofilters, you can create your own filter to promote your business, specials, or events. Non-corporate users sometimes create On-Demand Geofilters for weddings, parties, or birthdays as a fun way for attendees to interact with social media. For businesses, it can be used creatively to display logos and graphics that promote your brand. The artistic element to creating a Geofilter is a great way to show off your brand’s personality and technical capabilities as well.

To review, a Washington, D.C. filter is a Community Geofilter, while a Smithsonian filter is an On-Demand Geofilter. Just remember, Community is unbranded, and On-Demand is branded.

You can make Geofilters using Snapchat templates. The Snapchat design webpage provides Photoshop and Illustrator formats to guide you in the design process. But, if Photoshop and Illustrator aren’t your style, there are other programs available to help you create your designs.

Pepper Filters has templates you can use as a foundation and then add graphics and text, but each design costs $4.99 to download. If you’re looking for a free program, Picmonkey is always a great graphic design tool. It’s easy to use and offers step-by-step guides on how to make your own Geofilter with their platform.

After creating and submitting your Geofilter, you then draw your Geofence. When drawing a Geofence, it’s important to remember who you want your ad to target. Draw your fence too wide, and you’re wasting money. Geofilters can be as wide as 5,000,000 square feet, but have to be at least 20,000 square feet.

Lenses

One of Snapchat’s hottest features is its Lenses. Snapchat Lenses have been available on the app since September 2015. Lenses are an augmented reality (AR) based program that uses facial recognition to apply animated filters to users’ faces. Lenses have become extremely popular, turning users into dogs or putting their faces on the Mona Lisa. The possibilities with Lenses are endless.

“Since [the launch of Lenses], we’ve become puppies, puked rainbows, face-swapped with our best friends — and begun to explore how Lenses can change the world around us.” (Snap, Inc.)

The success of Lenses has led to a rise in Sponsored Lenses. Companies from a variety of sectors have submitted their own animations to be used as a marketing tool. Companies like Starbucks, MAC Cosmetics, FOX, Taco Bell, and Michael Kors have sponsored Lenses on the app, turning users into tacos and giving them makeovers.

Sponsored Lenses are expensive, which is why most are bought by large-scale companies. The cost of Lenses can range from $300,000 to $750,000 a day, depending on which days of the week the Lens runs through, how long the Lens will run, and if the Lens is around any sort of holiday or big event.

Snapchat Lenses continue to grow, providing more opportunity for businesses to use it as a marketing platform. In April 2017, Snapchat announced the introduction of World Lenses. World Lenses are a form of AR technology. Where the original Lenses relied mostly on the front-facing camera and facial recognition, World Lenses are used with the rear-facing camera and animate the user’s environment without the need of facial recognition.

The introduction of World Lenses brings with it opportunities for expansions on Sponsored Lenses. World Lenses could become a new format for marketers — especially big name business marketers — to use, possibly within as soon as a few weeks or months. Just imagine, Sponsored Lenses for superhero movies with animated explosions. Sponsored Lenses for the Super Bowl with footballs being tossed across the screen. Only time will tell how advertisers integrate Sponsored World Lenses into their marketing plans.

Stories

Stories are ways for Snapchat users to communicate with each other without cluttering their followers’ direct messages. Stories are a collection of a user’s videos or pictures that are shared on a feed page. Marketers have been sharing content on their own Stories through either their own accounts, or through Discover Stories.

Discover Stories have their own feed on the Snapchat app. Most of the Discover Stories advertisers are a constant fixture on the page. Companies like Mashable, Cosmopolitan Magazine, CNN, and Daily Mail update their Discover Stories consistently and often. These types of Stories can be very successful for big company marketing strategies, too. Rather than showing a minute long spot, advertisers can break down the ad into six 10-second consecutive clips that viewers can click through to view the content. This type of messaging is referred to as sequential messaging. The ad may be split up, but the narrative remains fully intact.

“With Facebook mobile, you’re still scrolling up and down through a feed, whereas with Snapchat, yes, you are still scrolling, but it’s a little more real estate, and it’s a little more of a controlled experience.” – Lisa Cucinotta (Adweek)

There are different types of Discover Stories ads. Each option includes 10-second videos, but there are four interactive elements a marketer can choose from.

Article: These are mostly text heavy, but can also include images or image galleries.
App Install: This form is used to entice viewers to download an app, but does not leave the Snapchat platform.
Long-Form Video: The Long-Form Video includes longer video content played back all at once.
Web View: Web View redirects viewers to a “pre-selected, pre-loaded mobile webpage.”

One way of measuring the success of these videos is by measuring the number of times a user “swipes up” to view the sponsored content.

Snap Spectacles

Snap Spectacles are fairly new to the market. They look like sunglasses, but have cameras in the corners of the glasses frames. The cameras can record Snapchat videos in real time and instantly add them to the viewer’s Snapchat Story.

Spectacles can be a great tool for influencer marketing, even if they are relatively expensive for the average user. Since the glasses are worn and recorded from a first-person perspective, they can provide a Story watcher an immersive experience. Watchers can feel as though they are there, witnessing the recorded video in person.

The first-person perspective can also help marketers in creating an inside look at the company. Viewers can see for themselves what a company is really all about. It creates a sense of complete transparency, which can help build brand trust.

How To Use It

Snapchat is real, raw, and unscripted. That’s why it appeals to younger audiences. Younger demographics have a deep distrust of advertising. Through a casual app like Snapchat, you can position yourself as a relatable user. Snapchat even allows for influencer marketing. By working with a popular Snapchat user, you can increase your brand recognition amongst their followers.

But, how do we measure the campaign success of Snapchat marketing?

Snapchat has recently introduced a program called Snap to Store. Snap to Store is an app that marketers can access that measures the success of their campaigns in relation to location. The app is Geofilter driven, based solely on actual brick-and-mortar location visits. Snap to Store allows marketers to assess whether or not they are bringing consumers to their physical store, or driving them away.

The app works like this: a company purchases a Sponsored Filter or Lens. A Snapchat user applies the Sponsored Filter or Lens on-location and shares the Snap via direct message or through Stories. Snap to Store tracks the followers who viewed the Snap. Then, Snap to Store determines whether or not followers who viewed the Snap visited the location as well.

Because Snap to Store only measures visits to a physical location, the measurements aren’t perfect. It also doesn’t take much consideration into the breadth of the Geofilter. Someone who used the Sponsored Filter or Lens may not be at the store at all. They could be in a nearby location, where the range of the Geofilter reaches.

Summary

Overall, Snapchat is an innovative medium for video marketing that is constantly evolving. Sponsored features are sure to emerge as new user features do. Snapchat, along with other social media apps, is expected to continue experimenting with different types of virtual and augmented reality to strengthen the app’s brand as a tech-forward platform.

Updated on February 14, 2020.

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

The Evolution of Twitter

Updated on February 14, 2020.

Twitter has been a constant staple in social media and marketing for years now. In recent years, it has started to lose its edge. Twitter is far from obsolete — as seen in its involvement in the past election cycle — yet it is having difficulty keeping up with other social networking sites. To combat these losses, Twitter is taking measures to revamp.

Why Does Twitter Have To Evolve?

Twitter found its initial relevance in its ability to share information instantly. With breaking news, live tweeting, and easier access to the personal lives of celebrities, the social networking site has made news more accessible to the masses. Yet, despite Twitter’s benefits, users are experiencing some serious drawbacks as well.

Twitter has become a platform largely known for its hostility. “Twitter Wars” sweep through the network. It’s become a divisive platform, ripe with online harassment and cyberbullying. The social aspect of the network has been lost because of this. Tweets have turned into vicious attacks by people who are unwilling to listen to the other side.

Twitter is also having trouble in its lack of user growth. It is losing more followers than it gains. This is due in part to the growing importance of the influencer-follower relationship on social media. As more influencers — celebrities, verified accounts, and others — leave the network, their followers leave as well. Users are keeping up with their favorite celebrities on Snapchat and Instagram, rather than Twitter.

The biggest problem for this social media platform is its difficulty staying relevant in the competitive market. Apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat are constantly adding new features — Facebook’s stories, Instagram stories, Snapchat story explorer… The list goes on. The updates keep those platforms relevant, while Twitter has found itself stuck behind.

Twitter And Videos

One of Twitter’s most devastating setbacks was the fall of Vine. The Vine app exploded among video lovers and younger audiences. Before Vine, video was scarce on other social media platforms. YouTube was the main provider of video content, but Vine made all of that more accessible.

The success of Vine was found in the use of short — six seconds, that is — videos that played on an instant loop. The content was casual. Illustrious users, like celebrities, were more available to the public. The extremely short format was easy for users to consume. If Vine was so successful, how did it so suddenly fall off the map?

Well, once other social media platforms noticed why Vine was so successful, they integrated video into their own apps and “improved” upon it. Snapchat emerged and took over the video app market that Vine had previously dominated. Videos were now 10-seconds long instead of 6, and you could link them together with other videos to create a story. Snapchat created an urgent need for users to watch the videos sooner, with the 24-hour expiration date.

As Snapchat grew, Vine users abandoned the platform. Snapchat’s benefits outshined Vine’s and became more appealing to social media users. Four years after having the once successful app, Twitter shut down Vine completely.

Since the death of Vine, Twitter has had to learn how to stay more relevant among social media video watchers. It’s lengthened videos shared through tweets, from 30-seconds to 140-seconds. And, it is not a coincidence that the new video count matches the character count in tweets. It introduced features like live video, in March 2017.

The live video feature uses Periscope Producer technology, but takes it one step further. Recently, Twitter’s discovery page also highlights popular live streaming events, like political trials and entertainment award shows. By using live video, Twitter is making itself more competitive with apps like Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram.

How Is Twitter Evolving?

Twitter is making itself relevant again. In addition to the new video content improvements, it is also taking action against complaints about interaction within the app and the way the app functions in general.

In order to minimize online bullying, Twitter is flagging abusive tweets that may offend other users. Some fear this may infringe on some free speech issues. But, others believe the change will be beneficial to the network.

The platform is also taking seemingly smaller measures to appeal to its users’ general annoyances. Last year, Twitter announced it would be making changes to the 140-character count. Users can now retweet or quote-tweet themselves. Pictures, GIFs, and videos no longer affect the character count. Users can mention other users without the “@[username]” affecting the word count either. In fact, users can mention others and let their followers see the tweet on their feed without using “.@[username]” at all.

Twitter is even launching its own program that caters directly to users with slow networks and less data — Twitter Lite. Twitter Lite uses what’s called “data saver mode,” that uses less mobile data than the app does.

“[Data saver mode] can reduce your data usage by up to 70 percent, making it more affordable for you to use Twitter in areas where mobile data is expensive.” – Patrick Traughber (Twitter Blog)

Twitter Lite allows users to access the social medium on the mobile web rather than through the app. Users can still access everything app users can, including the timeline, direct messages, notifications, and more.

Twitter is taking major strides to retain the momentum it gained during election season. Its quick fixes to Twitter Lite follows Facebook Lite, released in early 2015. This competitive strategy reflects the effort Twitter is putting toward evolving in the current sphere.

It’s important for apps and social networks to grow, and it looks like Twitter is working towards making those changes. By listening to its users and learning from Vine, Twitter is on its way to becoming a more accommodating medium for the public. It looks like this social media platform won’t be going anywhere.

Katie Murray, Marketing and Communication at Green Buzz Agency.

Emily Herman contributed to this article.

How to Determine Your Video’s Success on Facebook

Updated on February 7, 2020

When videos go viral, it’s all about the views. That’s because it’s a very easy metric to conceptualize – it’s the number of times your video has been watched, right?

Well, it turns out, it’s not that simple.

Every single social media platform has a different definition of a view, and a particularly tricky one to understand is Facebook.

How is a Facebook Video View Defined?

A Facebook Video View is defined as any video that autoplays for more than 3 seconds. Even if the user doesn’t initiate the audio, this user still counts as a view.

That means you really have to take your view count with a grain of salt, especially when Facebook uses this method of view counting to mess with their other metrics, like average view duration.

You have to ask yourself, “If everyone only watched my video for only 3 seconds, are the views really a great measure of my video’s success?” What you really need to think about is the other metrics show that your view count is legitimate because they prove people are truly interested in your content.

Engagement Case Study: Fill My Basket

Take for example this video Green Buzz Agency produced with Upworthy and Cricket Wireless. In under two months, it already had more than 15 million views. That’s still an impressive number. But something that is even more impressive is the amount of engagement on the video. It had over 252k shares, 8.1k comments, and 255K reactions on Facebook. On top of that, some of those comments have over 2,000 likes and 75 replies.

Along with the metrics, there’s real proof this message caught on. Several groups have contacted Fill My Basket to let them know that they will be starting a similar group in their own community. If that’s not proof of the power of this branded video, I’m not sure what is.

This engagement rate shows that the video content is valuable and meaningful, and that lends legitimacy to its view count as well. When you have an engaged viewership, it means consumers are likely to have watched your video and will recall your brand and message.

Audience Retention and Other Metrics

Meanwhile, there are also other metrics you can track besides engagement. For instance, you can see if your viewers initiated audio on your video. That means they were truly invested in your content and not just dozing off in front of their newsfeed. Another great metric is “Video Views up to 95%” – this will show you how many viewers watched most of your video.

Additionally, you can assess every second of your video’s content through an audience retention report. It’s important to understand that video views are not linear. Viewers can skip past the intro, play until 15 seconds, then skip to the 30 second mark, and then replay the whole video from the start. This audience retention report shows you the percentage of viewers that watched a certain section of your video.

Now, what does audience retention mean to you? If there is a trend that people are skipping a part of your video, or re-watching a certain part of your video, that has to mean something. But it’s different for every video. For instance, if you have a how-to video, and your viewers are constantly re-watching a certain part, it probably means that your video is confusing. That’s just one example – you have to think hard about the context of your video.

Analytics are just not as straight-forward as “How many views does it have?” Sure, views are nice, but they’re just one component in a myriad of considerations to determine the success of your video content. If you’re driving engagement, that’s what will lead to your best ROI.

4 Key Takeaways

Facebook defines a view as a 3 second watch after autoplay.
Likes, comments, and shares are a great way to make sure your views are legitimate.
95% completion and User Initiated Audio metrics show you who isn’t scrolling past your video.
Audience Retention Reports lets you understand what parts of your videos are working.

Leah Eder, Marketing Coordinator and Blog Editor at Green Buzz Agency.

Emily Herman contributed to this article.

How to Humanize your Brand through Video and Social Media

Updated on February 10, 2020.

In brand marketing, consumers often complain about a sense of disconnect between a big company and real people. Many sales and customer service brands have been automated for years and others are rapidly moving in that direction. It makes sense, of course, that the cost of maintaining a working website is less than the cost of paying employees to do the same work. Many brands hide behind their size and their ability to deliver a product on time and for a good price. Over time, customers notice the lack of personality, and eventually, it can have a tremendous impact on a brand.

Intentional Social Media Strategy

One highly effective way to humanize a brand is through social media. Many companies seem to set up Facebook or Twitter accounts because it’s simply “what companies do” and people need to see the brand’s name everywhere. In 2014, “74.5 percent of SMBs [Small and Medium Sized Businesses] reported using social media to promote their businesses—more than any other category of media,” according to a study published by BIA Kelsey.

But social media shouldn’t just serve as a compulsory presence; it’s a powerful way to connect directly with consumers and fans of the brand. “Many people join social channels because they want to be entertained. They don’t want to listen to business-speak and industry jargon while browsing their Facebook news feed,” according to Ishita Ganguly of Social Media Examiner.

Business parlance should be saved for an informational website. Instead, use humor and actual conversations on social media to connect with people who use your products. A great example is the way Oreo connects on social media. There is a clear connection between the people in charge of the accounts and the people who follow them.

13,000 likes and 6,000 shares. Not too shabby for such a short video.

Clever marketing platforms on social media are effective but they aren’t fooling anyone. They can sell products, but over time, people will get tired of being constantly subjected to brand marketing if they just logged into Instagram to see their friend’s vacation in Italy.

Community Development

Businesses should be using social media as a way to build a community, growing a loyal follower base that enjoys consistent engagement. “People join social communities because they have a purpose, an intent and communities let them act on their intent,” according to Meghan M. Biro in The Huffington Post. “They are looking for a place to be (Facebook), a place to learn (Google+, Pinterest), a place to interact (Twitter).” Used effectively, social media means customers can trust that when they reach out, they’ll connect with a human being. In turn, the companies are showing that they can connect with a consumer base on their turf. That’s not a marketing gimmick. It’s a unique opportunity that companies didn’t have twenty years ago.

Branded Video Content

Producing brand videos are a great way to extend a company’s social media reach. These can be commercials, but they should connect viewers to the company on a human level, and shouldn’t just serve to explain how much you need a product. “Video provides an opportunity to show faces of your company, so if you feel that will work toward the goal of, for example, a customer having a good experience learning about your product, then you should absolutely use video there,” says Elise Ramsay of Wistia in an interview with Stream Creative.

A successful example of this strategy is Dollar Shave Club, whose CEO and co-creator of the company is constantly featured in viral video and TV spots. Their “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” video posted on YouTube in 2012 has over 20 million views to date, and their TV ads have reached a huge audience online as well.

In addition to their effective use of humor, the ads attach a face to the product. People who watch the videos will be able to picture the friendly, funny person behind the brand every time they hear it mentioned.

Video lends a tangibility to a company that a simple brochure does not. “If you want to accurately inform your customers of your company’s unique abilities, be ready to up your storytelling strategy. Through video marketing, you can add a realness to your brand,” says Viosik.com. A video could illustrate a brand’s humble history, like this Burt’s Bees video:

It doesn’t fit the traditional mold of an advertisement, though it does feature the actual product. It spends more time helping the viewer connect with the people who were there from the start. It’s a clever way of connecting to a consumer on several levels. Because the video is well-produced and driven by an engaging narrative, it allows the audience to forget that they are ultimately being sold a product. A customer won’t feel exploited if the experience of connecting to a company feels authentic.

A company’s video doesn’t have to be selling anything. Leave it to video hosting company Wistia to create an engaging video asking their users to fill out a survey.

Based solely on the comments below the video, it’s obvious that their users engaged exactly the way Wistia hoped. They were excited about the video and were more than happy to fill out the survey after having seen it. On top of that success, the video helped to show the actual employees of the company in a personable light. Like the Dollar Shave Club videos, this now gives a face, or faces, to the brand, which transforms it from a website to a sociable organization.

Humanizing your company should be somewhere towards the top of the to-do list if you want to maintain a regular customer base. All things being equal, a customer will probably buy the razor from a friendly CEO rather than one they’ve never seen, and then they’ll come back when they need another. Sometimes, even if the product is slightly worse, people will still gravitate towards the person they “like.” Advertising Age supports Dollar Shave Club’s claim that it has become the number two provider of razors by volume after existing for only three years, and attributes much of that success to their TV ads. The humor has helped them go viral, but the personal touch has helped make them a real competitor against companies that have been around for decades.