5 Tips for Delivering Deeper Consumer Connections via Video

It’s nearly impossible to visit any social platform today and not be exposed to some sort of video content. Online media guru and LinkedIn superstar Gary Vaynerchuk posts his inspirational missives nearly exclusively via video. My Twitter feed is filled with images and videos. Every Facebook and Instagram ad I’m exposed to is powered by video, and no wonder: Cisco projects that global internet traffic from videos will make up 80 percent of all online traffic by 2019 and, according to Animoto, four times as many consumers would prefer to watch a video about a product than to read about it. For the first time, both brands and consumers have an equal voice on social platforms. Brands are able to deliver content tailored to consumer preferences, and consumers are eager to share their experiences and opinions with brands—positive or negative. This means that not only do brands need to think about consistently delivering video content through social media and their websites, but they also need to understand how their audience reacts to various forms of video content. And that’s where most brands run into trouble. Although brands have received the message that video ads generate higher engagement and more click-throughs than traditional static ads, getting feedback on those ads hasn’t changed much since the 1970s. Most marketing research in 2018 is still akin to the phone and mall intercept surveys my parents participated in when I was a child. Today’s market research is comprised primarily of long unwieldy surveys consisting of 10-point scale after 10-point scale. Did I mention that most aren’t mobile optimized? And no wonder, since the average survey length still hovers around 18 minutes. So, how best to use video to create deep consumer connections while also enabling a holistic customer feedback loop? Here are five tips for getting it right. Meet consumers on their turf: Social platforms present unparalleled opportunities for targeting and customizing messaging. Use demographic and psychographic profiling tools to ensure that your message really hits home on the appropriate channel, whether you’re focused on business-to-business or business-to-consumer marketing. Pay attention to production: Only 5 percent to 10 percent of current video budgets are spent on production, while 90 percent to 95 percent is spent on distribution, which presents a real problem because, if you’re not making a good video, who is going to watch it or share it? Consumers want interesting and engaging video content they can evangelize. Although distribution is important, don’t skimp on production quality. Listen: Too often, I see brands whitewashing customer feedback online or deleting it entirely. Social is inherently designed to be just that—social, which means a two-way street. When you nix the ability for consumers to interact with your brand and give feedback (positive or negative), you lose credibility and loyalty. Listen to your customers. Ensure that your feedback loop is in sync with your advertising: If you’re running a mobile video ad campaign, make sure your customer feedback survey is mobile-optimized and video-driven. Not too long ago, I received an email with a survey asking my opinion about an experience I’d had with mobile banking, only the survey couldn’t be taken on a mobile device. Additionally, there were a half-dozen open ended questions that could have been answered more easily, and in my own words (with emotion and expression), if I’d been able to respond via video versus text. Humanize your customer feedback: Research data has traditionally been delivered to the C-suite in PowerPoint decks. Yet today, three-quarters of executives use video for business-related decision-making and, according to HubSpot, video is processed by the brain 60,000 times faster than text. So, why are market researchers still relying on antiquated survey methods and data table after data table delivered in PowerPoint? Today’s next-generation video insight platforms allow you to see the stories behind the scores, delivering real-time customer feedback direct to the C-suite that is deep in meaning, rich in context and emotionally engaging. Video should power not only your social and digital advertising, but also your customer feedback loop. Without a doubt, the old guard is changing. Today, YouTube reaches more 18-plus-year-olds during primetime viewing hours than any cable TV network. Whether you’re a marketer or a market researcher, social video provides unparalleled opportunities to create deeper consumer connections. The key is to think holistically. What overall video-driven experience are you setting up for your customers’ journey from initial consideration, to active evaluation, to closure, to post-purchase experience through your social, advertising and customer feedback activities? In Vaynerchuk’s words, “If you’re not making some kind of video content right now, you’re losing. Period.” Dave Carruthers is co-founder and CEO of video insight platform Voxpopme.