The Real Psychology Behind Hyper-Personalized Marketing

Promoting a product and getting people to buy things from you will always be an awkward situation. No one wants their potential customers to feel like a number. Possibly even worse, for them to feel like you don’t understand their specific problems. Uniformity is the plague of sameness, it’s an old adage that remains true year after year. It seems like businesses understand it for a few years, and then inexplicably forget about its importance.

The internet seemed like a promising venture for a while. You could target your ads to a geographical location, change the copy to appeal to a city, you could track their purchases or visits to a site and tailor search results. Some people thought it was creepy, but a lot of people saw it as useful. If we’re gonna see ads, at the end of the day, we’d prefer them to be relevant, right? So why is video any different? Why do we still create them like they will fit everyone and anyone?

It’s an awesome experience to receive a video with your name and title in it. It feels like the company went a extra step, an extra mile. It’s that “Awww, you shouldn’t have” feeling. When everyone is doing the same thing, when your email inbox is flooded with emails with catchy subject lines, it’s the small things that make a difference. It’s a very simple concept, but it works because it hits us at a subconscious level.

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We want to belong

Think of the Coca-Cola cans with first names on them. Didn’t we all stand in front of a corner store fridge and go “Hey, that’s my name!”, and didn’t we all buy it, for the hell of it? Of course we did. That’s how humans react, it’s what they’re looking for at their very core. To be understood, to be called, to feel like they belong. Whether or not they truly belong doesn’t ultimately matter. If you can trigger that feeling, you’ve caught people’s attention.

Making people feel part of something in B2B is always harder, we get that. There’s always a barrier to cross. Sure you can explain to potential clients how you’ll make their job easier, and ultimately their lives easier. But then they always have someone else to convince. Maybe even several someones. If you can make them sound passionate about it rather than simply excited, you’ve already won part of the battle.

Just another company

We hate to tell you this, but you work for just another company, selling just another product. People have seen so much, and have purchased so much, their minds are exhausted. There’s this law in economics called the law of diminishing returns. If you’re walking in a desert, thirsty as hell, you’re very likely to buy a bottle of water, and pay a really high price for it. If you’re really parched you might buy a second one, but with every bottle you buy, the odds of buying the next one go down.

Whether you realize it or not, you’re currently trying to sell your customers their 79th bottle of water. If you still manage to close that deal, like wow, kudos to you. Your customers feel all full and bloated at this point. They don’t want to drink more. However, if you personally call them out, and explain to them how your water is actually flavored and different, they might realize that they are still thirsty, they just wanted water with lemon in it all along. That’s what you’re really trying to do, because the world and their dog already knows you’re selling something. You need to sell it better, and to bring back individuality to the game.

Just wanna feel loved

We really don’t mean to beat a dead horse here, but your potential customers heard you already. They’ve been through the process. Getting marketed to is like ordering food at a restaurant at this point: a very casual and common thing. Well, did you know that you’re a lot more likely to tip a waitress if she makes physical contact? That you tip more if she writes “Thank You! : )” on your bill? Don’t believe it? Would you believe it more if it came from a professor of consumer behavior at Cornell?

The science is simple, and really it’s common sense once you delve into it. Once an experience is common to us, we stop caring. If we’ve dealt with thousands of waitresses and waiters, we’re only inclined to tip more than 15% if the service was really good. However, service is not rocket science, there is only so much that can be different about it. Most of what defines good service is about caring. You want to feel like you’re a valued customer.

Okay, soo… ?

You’re smart, you already kinda know where we’re going with all this. A personalized video is a Coke can with your name on it, it can make a 79th bottle of water appealing, it’s a way to doodle on a check to get a better tip (or just close a deal). Actually, you don’t even really need to agree with the psychology of it, the stats already prove that it works. This is just another tool in your arsenal to make your potential clients loyal to you right away. There really is no better way to say “I appreciate you” than through a personal video. And at the end of the day, we don’t want to be sold to, we just want to be loved.

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No marketing tactic works well Forrester says, it’s all about strong content

Content marketing has cut itself a lion’s share in the marketing world. It’s pretty simple when you think about it, technically every part of your marketing mix should revolve around promoting content. It only makes sense then to see companies slowly ramping up their content spend. Forrester has been following marketers to ask them how those efforts were going, and the answer is… not so well.

“Only two of the 17 choices were rated as highly effective by even 47% of respondents. Most tactics received a thumbs up from 30% or fewer of those surveyed.”

In many ways, the job of a marketer these days is more about gathering a strong content library, and promoting it in an efficient way to build confidence in their product. This statistic seems to tell us that either something is very wrong in the world of marketing, or we’re still missing an essential distribution channel. Or maybe it’s something else:

“87% of B2B marketers say they struggle to develop compelling content, no amount of messing around with the mix will create a significant bump in results.”

A staggering majority of marketers seem to have figured out that strong content is important, but have no idea where to start to produce it. Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. This is just a normal signal when a trend gets out of infancy. When the bulk of marketers get into a new style, they are bound to struggle a little bit at first. Read on for solutions to the content funk such as:

– Putting content investment ahead of media and program choices.

– Adopting a centralized content asset and measurement system.

– Redefining your relationship with your agency to help out with content.

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Paper Covers Rock? How to Choose Between Animated Video or Live Action Video for Your Next Campaign

So, you’re creating another campaign for another product or service or report or guide or…okay so the point is, if you’re like most marketers, you’re making a lot of campaigns to engage with your audience and get your content out there.

And you’re likely doing it all under tight timelines, right? Because you’ve got to get to creating the next asset and the next, so awesome campaigns have to be delivered fast. Oh and don’t forget the budget – you’ve probably dreamed that you would get to work with Hollywood proportions, but sadly, that isn’t the case for people whose last name isn’t Spielberg. And what about the resources you need to make a video? And what style should it be in?

So many things to consider! One of the first questions people might ask when tackling a video for a campaign is, what style of video do we want to do? The choice often comes down to an animated video, perhaps a motion graphic, or a live action video. There isn’t a one-video-fits-all scenario, so here are a few things you need to consider when trying to decide which video is right for your next campaign.

Time

Does it feel like time plays one of the biggest factors in your creative campaign and video decisions? You may not be alone. You’re probably not working on just one campaign, so you need to get one out the door so you can start managing the next one, or you have to get a campaign launched in time for event season or before some nurtured leads go cold.

So someone on your team might say in a brainstorm meeting, “Hey, we don’t have time for a big fancy production, let’s just animate some of the most important text and content on screen.” Or, maybe you are thinking, “Is that really faster? Or could we just shoot something quickly?”

It turns out, typically motion graphic videos, even the simplest of ones, can take a fair fit of time. Remember when you were a kid and you’d draw a stick figure in a slightly different pose on each separate page of a book, and then flip through the pages really fast to see the animation? It probably felt like it took so much time and effort just to get that stick figure to wave her hand or take a few steps.

So, while live action videos take preparation, scripting, and storyboarding, in the end, you may get an end product that’s ready to launch sooner.

Resources

If you’re lucky enough to have a video team, you might think, “Perfect, let’s get this ball rolling” on whatever video you’ve chosen. Not so fast!

Doing a full motion graphic video means that you would likely have to rely on a graphic designer to create a lot, if not everything, that appears in the video. Then, a video editor would need to put the elements together into a video using Adobe After Effects or similar software. In contrast, live action may only require a few hours to shoot, and one person to edit the footage. But, live action requires actors, whether they are hired talent or coworkers. So keep in mind when you’re in the decision-making stage what resources you will be using, and what their availability is in your timeframe.

Budget

Guess what? Live action can be more expensive than motion graphic. And motion graphic can be more expensive than live action.

So helpful, right? Here’s what I mean. If you are thinking of using a video production agency to create your video, a motion graphic or animated video can cost more than a live action. Animation videos, as explained earlier, typically take more time to create, and can require fancy software and techniques to get the job done. Even if you only have text coming in and out of the screen and no animated characters waving at you and dancing across the screen, everything on the screen has to be created. Live action, on the other hand, though it requires prep and planning and script writing, can be a few-hour shoot, and overall, may cost you less.

Buuuut…if you’re creating videos in-house, the story might change. If you have a video team who can quickly create motion graphic videos, the cost boils down to your video team’s salary. But, if you want live-action, you may still need to pay actors, or buy or rent equipment, and even the cost of props can add up. So consider everything you may need on set of a live action, or how complicated you’d like your animated video to be before selecting the style you want to go with.

Content

The content of a video itself can help you determine which style would best tell your story and communicate your message.

An animated or motion graphic video can be perfect for explaining abstract ideas that, while not impossible, may be harder to depict using live action. As Mat King, our Video Specialist, says, “Motion graphic video enables you to visualize and create the ‘impossible.’” They can also be a refreshing way to intake a lot of information quickly, instead of watching a talking head spew facts and figures at you. Want to see an example? Here’s a motion graphic we created as part of a campaign for a report launch.

More entertaining and interesting to watch than if you were just hearing it from a spokesperson, right?

Don’t think that means live action videos are dry, though. Live-action videos can be perfect for creating a human interaction and relationship with your brand and employees. You can also create a metaphorical story or creative concept to share your message, like we did when we launched the Video Strategy Workbook.

Audience preference

If you’re still unsure what style of video to use, keep in mind this advice: your audience can tell you! You can use video analytics to determine if you get better engagement with live action or animated videos. Every audience has their own needs and preferences, and your own data is the perfect window into what will work best for you.

Now, I don’t want to hold you up any longer from getting your video made and getting that campaign out the door. Let us know which style ended up working well for you for any of your campaigns!

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Video Marketing How-To: Filming Outside the Studio

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Video Marketing How-To! You may notice a bit of a change of scenery in today’s episode and that’s exactly what we want to talk to you about. When shooting video, especially interviews, you don’t always have the luxury of using a soundproof studio, so today we want to share 3 tips for filming outside of your studio.

Tip one is picking your filming location. Since most of our out-of-the-office content is conferences, we’ll use those as an example. Try to pick an area that doesn’t have too much back-lighting, but is a bit on the quieter side. Avoid filming directly in front of windows, or in the middle of the trade-show floor unless you have some good audio equipment.

Which brings us to tip number two – if you’re going to be doing a lot of filming outside of the office, it may be wise to invest in a good lapel microphone. Here’s what this video would sound like using our camera’s internal microphone. And here’s back to me having a lapel microphone. You can pick one up for a few hundred dollars, and we guarantee they will make a huge impact on your video.

Finally, when lining up your shot, try to minimize the background distractions on your video, so that your subject stays the focal point. At conferences or events you may not always be able to do this, but having too much going on in the background can distract viewers away from what you want them to see.

We hope you enjoyed today’s episode of Video Marketing How-To, and as always, stay tuned for another episode in another few weeks!

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Video Marketing: What the Savviest Marketers Can Expect this Year [Slideshare]

As we prepare for the third and final lap of Q1, many marketers are triple-checking that they’ve properly planned to stay on the cusp of marketing trends. Trends that are not fads, but game-changers. Trends like interactive content and hyper-personalized experiences.

… or using video for bottom-of-funnel content or to get up close and personal. So what’s really in store for savvy marketers using video in the next 75% of 2016? Let’s take a look at the top 5 trends and what marketers in the industry have to say about them:

Share the Future!

1. Video will shift from top-of-funnel to bottom in 2016 with a focus on product demos and customer testimonials. (Click to tweet!)
2. Video will transform from a passive to interactive medium with embedded forms and questionnaires. (Click to tweet!)
3. Video will move from a generic, one-size-fits-all approach to personalized content synced with marketing automation. (Click to tweet!)
4. Video will expand from a marketing-focused medium to a sales tool to personalize the sales process. (Click to tweet!)
5. Video will switch from mainly outsourced to in-house and a more integrated part of 2016 content strategies. (Click to tweet!)

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Music and Video: 7 Things You’re Forgetting in Your Creative Brief

If you’re working in a creative field, it’s very likely that you already know what a creative brief is. Maybe you’re reading them…or maybe you’re writing them! In any case, the importance of a well-written and inspiring brief is paramount to communicating yours or the client’s wishes, goals, and path for a project.

The art of writing an excellent creative brief is a skill that takes some time to learn. I highly recommend the documentary ‘Briefly’ as an intro to what makes a great creative brief.

As a music supplier, we see creative briefs nearly everyday. We’ve seen the gamut of them, some very specific and others quite vague. Some good, others, not so good.

I would like to share with you what we consider is a well-written creative brief as it relates to music for your video project, because the process for finding captivating music is changing!

Consider the following when writing a creative music brief:

1. Know the role of music

Be prepared to explain the role of the music as it pertains to your project. Foreground or background? For example, if your video is educational, subtle background music can help set the mood but also ensure the viewer’s utmost attention is towards the technical information being presented.

Describe the character and mood of the music you want to hear. Common terms used are:

• Dark
• Light
• Fun
• Upbeat
• Happy
• Positive
• Badass
• Gritty
• Playful
• Uplifting
• Empowering

2. What is the project about?

This is hugely important! We would even say it’s the most important part. Give as much information as possible as to what the message of the video is conveying. What will the audience be taking away?

If possible, send a rough cut of your video. Nothing beats seeing and hearing music selections within the actual video. We understand that sometimes this isn’t possible, as the video is being cut during the music searching process. In this case, a detailed synopsis of the video will aid in kicking off the music search!

3. Details about the project

This is the easiest part of a brief, albeit not very creative. Include all the information the music supervisor will need to know to understand the scope of the project. This will include things like:

• Client: Who is this for?
• Media: What medium will this be seen on?
• Term: How long will it be aired for?
• Territory: Where in the world will the video be airing?
• Airdate: When will it air?

4. Audience

Who is your target audience? It will be useful to the music supervisor to understand the demographic when doing their search. This can be a crucial turning point in a brief! The music selections for a youthful audience will most likely be alienating to a mature audience.

5. References

“Talking about music is like dancing about architecture”

—Steve Martin

Say what you mean with musical examples. This is an extremely useful practice! It’s important to describe what you’re looking for in words, but music is subjective. Text can be misconstrued. Adding 2-3 references will make sure we’re all on the same musical page. YouTube URLS, mp3s, etc. are all welcome.

6. Budget

How much do you have to spend on music? The price for library music varies widely depending on sections 1 and 3. For instance, foreground music and music with vocals/lyrics are sold at a premium.

Take a little bit of time to get familiar with different libraries and their rates for the type of music license you require. Base your budget around the average rate.

7. Schedule

Last but certainly not least: the all important deadline! How long will the music supervisor have to look for music for your video?

I hope you’ve found useful bits of advice to make your next creative brief an excellent one! With a well-written brief, everyone wins!

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Video is The New King of Influencer Marketing

Most of us now know that one of the most effective ways to build an audience and create credibility is to collaborate with relevant industry influencers. These influencers are considered thought leaders and experts in their fields that can drive engagement and results with credibility.

But how did they become digital influencers? And what are the ways that your brand could become an influencer too?

If you have a genuine following and a consistent stream of helpful content and insights, one of the key ways you can accelerate your influencer status is by investing in video. The rapid growth of YouTube, Facebook, and social video platforms (Meerkat, Periscope, Snapchat, Instagram and so on) has fueled the popularity of using video to market a brand or oneself as an expert in a specific industry. Video offers endless new ways to connect with audiences on social media and engage them in a quick, captivating way.

So what else draws audiences to an influencer? More often than not, it is also his or her ability to provide high­ quality, actionable content — and video can help your brand do just that. Video content not only gets others to pay attention but also results in action. Here are a few ways you can go from just another brand in the crowd to a leader and influential voice in your field all with the power of video.

1. Interview Other Influencers

In a recent article by Forbes, it was noted that influencer marketing can function exactly as word of mouth (WOM) marketing with adjoining social media amplification. In fact, WOM­-inspired marketing can produce 37% greater customer retention and twice the amount of sales when compared to paid advertising.

One way to grow your influence is by partnering with other influencers who already have an established audience in your industry, or an industry closely related to yours. Think about the type of information your audience could benefit from, then pinpoint other experts in your field who are excellent at relaying this information. Invite one to do a video interview with you; whether it’s a live­stream or a YouTube video, there are many channels to choose from to distribute your influencer interview. Not only will your interview be potentially more viral, but you can also transcribe your interview and create additional content, such as a blog post and social media quotes, to spread the word.

If you can land an interview with an established leader in your industry, you will automatically gain WOM interest from his or her audience who faithfully follow and listen to what he or she has to say about topics closely related to your brand.

2. Focus on Your Niche

Being an influencer doesn’t have to mean being an expert in everything related to your industry — this would be incredibly time­-consuming and require an extraordinary amount of knowledge. Instead, decide on one topic in which you have the most experience and can offer the most expertise, and focus on building your influencer status in that niche. Not only will it help your brand stand out in the noise, but it will also help you increase genuine engagement with your content and build valuable connections.

Schlesinger Associates conducted marketing research in May 2015 that discovered a whopping 84% of marketing and communications professionals had plans to launch at least one influencer marketing campaign in the next twelve months. Furthermore, 81% of marketers who had previously executed an influencer marketing campaign agreed that engaging with influencers is effective. If you can produce highly-­targeted video content on an ongoing basis, there’s a good chance other brands in your niche will notice and will want to work with you.

3. Stay On Top of Hot Topics

To be an influential voice, you need to lead the conversation. Whenever there is viral or breaking news in your industry, you can use these moments to strike up a conversation with your audience and offer your unique voice and commentary on the topic.

Use Google Trends, sign up for Google alerts, or try other tools that will help you stay on top of industry trends, and create branded video content related to trending topics as they happen. Social networks have become a leading source for discovering breaking news, and when you consider how much time we spend engaging with social media, it should be easy to see the importance of staying on top of hot topics. Each day, the average American spends the following amount of time on each social media platform:

• Facebook: 40 minutes
• Tumblr: 34 minutes
• Instagram: 21 minutes
• Pinterest: 20.8 minutes
• Twitter: 17 minutes
• Snapchat: 17 minutes

Despite the numerous other social networks that have emerged, we still spend an incredible amount of time on Facebook. The social network is rivaling YouTube for video views, so make sure your brand is up­-to-­date on what’s trending and appealing to your Facebook audience.

4. Upload Frequently

When you know which video channels resonate most with your audience, you’ll need to upload fresh content frequently. The average American now spends 5.6 hours each day on the Internet, so the more time you can dedicate to frequent video content, the more likely they are to gain substantial levels of engagement.

A recent white paper from Grapevine, a YouTube influencer marketing marketplace, explored how much work it takes to reach influencer status on YouTube. The results showed that if one produces consistent content, after five years the creator has a one-­in-­five chance of becoming a trendsetter or celebrity. So maybe you have no interest in reaching celebrity status, but this statistic shows us just how important consistency is when trying to become an influencer.

While there are many actionable steps your brand can take to become an industry influencer, it’s not easy and will require you to put in the hours. Thankfully, video can give you a competitive edge and make your rise to influencer fame a much faster process.

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