I know that some people in my JRC community are too young to remember a time when social media wasn’t even a thing. If you’re one of those young whipper-snappers, count yourself lucky. Some of us had to endure the hardships of those barbaric years. I remember those times when, if I wanted to make a phone call, I had to wait until I got home… HOME for Pete’s sake!
But hey. At least I was too young to have a business then and didn’t have to exist in the limited and costly world of pre-internet marketing. Entrepreneurs who needed to promote their business… well, they had TV commercials, billboards, radio ads, etc. Notice a pattern?
Right. They’re all really GD expensive.
Those with small businesses were priced out of these marketing options (unless they had a few hundred bucks to spend on a radio or local cable TV spot that would be shown at 3 a.m.).
Social media and digital technology changed all of that. Marketing is easier and more inexpensive than ever. With a small amount of money, a smart business owner can reach tens of thousands… heck, even millions of potential customers all over the world!
Copy is great, graphics kick butt, but nothing attracts the eyes in today’s world of social media marketing like video. Entrepreneurs are hot for video content that will go ‘viral’ – shared by those who view it. This has the potential to make the exposure for any business explode overnight.
So where does that leave someone like you? Someone who wants to promote their business, or get their name out there, with a viral video? You need some expensive video production company to create something for you, right?
Bull.
Video is so inexpensive and easy to produce today, there’s no reason an entrepreneur who has a good idea and wants to learn a few basic video principles can’t create something that could potentially be shared by thousands of Facebook members.
You simply need to be aware of what makes a shareable video. I’ve spent months (and when I say “months,” I mean a few hours on YouTube) looking at some viral videos, and I think I’ve identified the criteria that many of them have in common:
- They entertain
- They play on emotions
- They’re based in truth or authenticity
- They’re educational
Good examples? I got a few. Check em out below. Now… no one’s saying you need to be a big corporation like Puma or Coca-Cola. But as you’ll see by these videos, you don’t need a huge marketing budget to create something that connects with people and makes them want to share. You just need a good idea.
Want to hash out a concept or two? Or maybe you already have a great idea and just need to talk it out with someone with a creative mind. Let’s chat.
I’ll give you a FREE 20-minute brainstorm session. Just send me a note at jon@jonreedcreative.com and let’s see if we can’t come up with the creative acorn that will become a giant social media oak!
Later, peeps!
Jon
Examples of viral videos:
The bakery that gave him a second chance
Opera Company of Philadelphia “Flash Brindisi” at Reading Terminal Market
PUMA Commercial England Valentine’s Day By Football Hooligans
