How do you make content that customers want to share? Part of the reason online video is so popular is because videos are easy to share. If you can achieve that magic recipe of information, innovation, and inspiration that makes people want to hit the share button, you’re on your way to gaining visibility for your company or cause. The problem is, no one truly knows what will make a video take off, though there are some considerations you can make.
Do you even need or want to make a video that goes viral? Depending on your situation, it may not be worthwhile to enact the careful chemistry that makes content compulsively share-worthy. If you make products for a niche market, there’s no reason to get millions of people to watch your video when only a small subset of them will really count. On the other hand, if you’re a nonprofit trying to raise awareness for a cause, the more clicks, the better.
Here are the 3 tips for making your video shareable:
Know Your Audience
First of all, what it comes down to is really understanding your audience. According to video analytics platform Vidyard, people tend to share content that reflects their identity. This means before you can make a video your audience will want to share, you have to really understand what makes them tick. For instance, social media-savvy types who have a personal brand to uphold won’t share something that’s out of line with this brand. Nonprofit audiences are likely socially conscious types who want to share something inspirational. For others, it could be something hip and funny that will make followers laugh. A blog from Constant Contact suggests you find a real customer who fits this mold and pick their brain over dinner.
Be Impressive
Content doesn’t just have to reflect your audience’s mentality. Creating something really cool is another way to get likes, shares, and engagement. Whether it’s awesome animation or a concept that makes people do a double take, being innovative is a surefire way to get noticed. Try out a new animation style or come up with interesting characters. Whatever it is, make it uniquely yours. Think of Old Spice’s ‘The Man Your Man Could Smell Like’ or Geico’s ‘Hump Day Camel’.
Think About Content Layout
Part of a successful video isn’t the video itself, but the material surrounding it. How do you get people to actually click on the video? If you take a look at the content that Upworthy shares, you can see there’s a very specific strategy they use to get people to watch and it seems to work. According to Convince and Convert, the best headlines both inform your audience of what they’re in for and hook them. A good tactic is to ask a question, but make sure that your video actually answers it. If you have a statistic that would affect a large number of people, throw it in the headline. People will want to know more.
