Something I've been asked a few times recently is, ‘What is video first?’ With so many businesses...
Nobody likes being marketed to, but by taking the funny approach, your message won't just get received by your target audience - it may actually be welcomed. How to use humour in your online video marketing. It comes in all shapes and sizes, and works wonders in levelling the online marketing playfield.
With a little sense of humour, you can easily skip on huge production costs; and the best part is that it will be infectious – enough to go viral. Using humour in your video keeps things light hearted and makes it interesting for the audiences to watch.
Studies have time and again proved it's benefit in placing a video and also in earning repeat views. As a small or medium business, when you are still looking to get yourself noticed, humour is the right way to make some noise; as unlike large corporations you can be more flexible with your marketing choices.
Here is a quick video we created:
So turn on your swagger wagon, crank up that radio and take a ride down humour lane. From funny cat videos to busting someone's balls, the internet is full of clips that attract views in numbers far greater than what any production house can dream of. Here's what you can do to make yours a hoot-
1. Add a little wit to your content
A New York Times report mentions that young men rate comedy more essential than music, sports or personal style. Even though humour may be subject to cultural limitations, it still remains a preference for a majority of people.
Dan Schneider, a known name to almost anyone who has watched Nickelodeon, mentions that people in their 20s or 30s grew up watching humour in shows and they still love it. Humour leaves a lasting impact on audiences, they can relate better with what you have to say and you get to stand out from the boring competition.
2. Sync it with what's hot and in demand
Parodies may not seem to be the best of ideas, but still if you can tap into the hip and happening, you will get noticed. Take for example this Volkswagen commercial from Dubai that taps into the popularity of Harlem Shake videos. How much do you think went into the production costs?
3. Find a humorous way to present your product
Not every product can attract the customer's attention on its own. That's why it is up to you to find a way to make it look interesting. Remember how Comparethemarket.com used Meerkats to promote its website?
Another good way is to go offbeat. Often, a little quirkiness can be extremely catchy! Be different and take risks to stand out from the crowd.
4. Experiment with animations and cartoons
Come on, who doesn't feel weak in the knees for cartoons? Animations and cartoons have a distinct advantage in that they can be used to target all types of viewers irrespective of their age or preferences. Remember MTV's Sex is no accident campaign?
5. Keep everything consistently funny
Just producing humorous content is not the end of it. You would need to consistently maintain the same tone of voice throughout all your communication, whether it is the videos you make or the posts on social media pages.
People who follow your content do it because they like what you do and expect you to be consistent. You could also highlight the importance of your fans and followers by inviting them to join in the humour and create their own content. This is an excellent way to keep the conversation growing.
Whilst you think of a way to include more humour in your online marketing strategy, we would leave you with probably the best viral video of 2012. Dollar Shave Club - Our Blades Are F***ing Great
Enjoy!
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