Online media content has forced traditional marketing’s hand. There’s no shortage of content competing for your audience’s attention: It is way too easy for viewers to simply click and move on.
To cut through the clutter and connect with viewers, brands must step back and put what they want to say through the filter of what their audience will want to hear.
How to start? Then, adhere to the Following Three Commandments for Online Content.
Commandment Number One:
Clearly define thy marketing objectives in advance Never, ever skip this step—no matter what five-alarm deadline you face. Clearly defined objectives, finalized before content is created, are the cornerstone of successful strategies.
For example, what are the objectives of the video Austin Visuals can make for you? To have fun? Teach your customers how to use something? Improve someone’s life? Save someone’s life? Be as specific as possible so you have a goal that is measurable—and obtain input from all stakeholders.
Doing so paves the way for a smoother development process. An added benefit of collecting and considering input: the “How come we spent money on this?” conversation is headed off down the road. Everyone is clear, before they get to that point.
Commandment Number Two:
Know thy target audiences
A huge benefit of online content is the ability to tailor it to very specific audiences. However, you can’t do that if you don’t know whom you want to reach. So the content needs to appeal to your specific audience if you hope to engage with them. You may find you have multiple audiences that require multiple content approaches. In developing online video content for Kmart, the common focus was fashion.
The variants were the age groups of the different customers. Think Selena Gomez vs. Sofia Vergara. What was compelling to one did not automatically translate to the other. Different points in their lives, different looks, same interest in fashion. Adjust as necessary. One size does not necessarily fit all.
Commandment Number 3:
Stop, assess that “killer idea,” and revisit the first two commandments: Will it help you achieve your defined objective? Will it appeal to your target audience? If the idea doesn’t pass both tests, it’s not a killer idea. It’s an idea that needs to be killed. Just like the original Ten Commandments, write them down. Capture your decisions about marketing objectives and target audiences in an official document (Stone Tablet optional).
As you move into the fun part of the process—crafting actual content—it will prove an invaluable guide. And, if you have it in writing, you can accomplish two things:
- Measure your success. Did the video content accomplish what you had hoped? Was the content the correct fit? How do the results shape future development concepts? 2. Avoid revisionist history. Nothing stops second guessing in its tracks like a recap document that everyone agreed to in the beginning.
So as you navigate those frantic, cluttered waters of social video, give the Golden Rule and Three Commandments a try. If you take the time to follow the steps outlined in this article, you might find the whole process a bit easier—or, at the very least, calmer.
And let us help. We’re experts in navigation as well as storytelling!
Austin Visuals is a full-service 3D, 2D, Motion Graphics, Live Video, E-learning, Digital Publication studio. We’ve been creating digital magic nationwide for a decade. We work with companies of all sizes from startup to stand out. Call us for a free consultation. 512-591-8024 [email protected]
