Technology for Marketing and Advertising (TFMA) is fast becoming the go to UK show for the latest innovations and thinking in digital marketing. In its eighth year, I attended my third show on Wednesday and was taken aback by the level of interest, the breadth of suppliers and the quality of the seminar programme on offer to delegates.
Viral videos and games need the oxygen of promotion to spread
In the first of two posts, I’m looking at key learnings in the area of interactive video and viral marketing.
Interactive (clickable) video
In my first session, Steffan Aquarone, a seasoned digital entrepreneur from Venio discussed the latest developments in interactive video. An established tool in consumer marketing, this is becoming more important in business marketing given the rise of video search and watching video online.
Video, he argued, is a powerful way to bring a brand to life and create engagement through tangible experience. This is represented in video search now accounting for 50% of search.
Interactive video takes the development of the medium one step further by allowing the insertion of links that hand over control of the story flow to the viewer. This breaks up the linear progression of a video into bite-size chapters which can be engaged with more intuitively. And naturally, this works best when the video contains a genuine first or a gimmick to generate interest and drive traffic.
Objectives and approaches might therefore include:
- Developing engagement by offering multiple story flows or jump to chapter options within a video
- Increasing sales conversion by embedding ‘click to buy’ devices
- Improving delivery of information with ‘find out more’ options
- Providing entertainment by incorporating games and incentives
- Driving website traffic by ensuring there is a high gimmick factor which facilitates lead generation
Here is an example from Nike and a great how-to video from ChadMattRob which shows you how to create video with chapters on YouTube.
Key learnings
- Match objectives to audience and tools
- Be different, be daring
- Promote through social media
To five million on your next viral campaign
Tamba Internet, an internet game creator, delivered a seminar discussing their approach to creating and distributing a viral campaign that would reach millions of users. Tamba make simple online games for brands which often have a competition or challenge element and can consequently be shared.
Key learnings:
- Make it relevant to your target audience
- Keep branding subtle or it will be seen as promotional
- Use simple loading graphics and a design that is easy on the eye
- Use devices that encourage people to share – humour, competition, leaderboards, Easter eggs (secret levels, prizes)
- Take an integrated approach to promotion – often best to use Facebook, Twitter, blog outreach, pay per click advertising.
It was clear from both sessions that creating a video or game in itself is not enough. Promotion is required to give it the air to breathe and grow. Which, if you’re turning to social media, means you really need to know if your customers are online in the first place.
My second TFMA post will look at content strategy, conversion and managing online reputation.
