Social Media Marketing Tips To Boost Your Business

It goes without saying that social media has had a profound impact on the way we live our lives. From staying in touch with friends and family to conducting business, social media platforms have revolutionized the way we communicate. And for businesses, social media is an essential tool for marketing and promoting products and services. But with so many social media platforms available, how do you know which one is right for your business? And once you’ve chosen a platform, how do you make the most of it?

This article will provide some social media tips that will help boost your business online.

Why Is Social Media Important for Businesses?

Before we get on to the tips, we first have to cover the general importance of a social media presence for businesses, regardless of what industry we’re talking about.

The most obvious reason is that social media provides businesses with a way to reach out to more potential customers. No matter what your product or service is, there will be people on social media who are interested in it.

Another important reason is that social media can help build brand awareness and equity. In other words, it can make people more familiar with your business and what it does. This is especially important for small businesses that are just starting out and trying to get their name out there.

And finally, social media can be used as a way to improve customer relations. By responding to comments and questions quickly and efficiently, you can show your customers that you care about their experience with your business.

Now that we’ve gone over some of the general reasons why social media is important for businesses, let’s get on to the tips.

1. Define your goals

Before you start using social media for your business, it’s important to take some time to define your goals. What do you want to achieve with social media? Are you looking to increase brand awareness, generate leads, or drive sales? Once you know what your goals are, you can create a strategy that will help you achieve them.

A good way to define your goals is to create SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. For example, a specific goal could be to increase your Twitter following by 10% in the next month. A measurable goal would be to track how many new followers you gain over that period of time. An achievable goal would be to make sure you are tweeting regularly and engaging with your audience. A relevant goal would be to tweet about topics that are relevant to your business. And a time-bound goal would be to set a deadline for yourself.

2. Research your audience

Once you know who your target audience is, you need to research them. What social media platforms are they using? What kind of content do they respond to? What time of day are they most active? The more you know about your audience, the better you’ll be able to market to them.

Thankfully, there are easy ways that help you find out more about your audience. First, you can use social media listening tools like Hootsuite Insights or BuzzSumo to see what kind of content is popular with your audience. You can also look at your own social media analytics to see when your followers are most active.

Second, you can use demographic tools like Facebook Insights or Twitter Analytics to learn more about the people who follow you. These tools will give you information like age, gender, location, and interests.

Finally, you can use surveys or polls to directly ask your audience about their social media habits.

3. Create interesting and engaging content

If you want people to follow you on social media, you need to give them a reason to. That means creating content that is interesting and engaging.

One way to do this is to create content that is helpful or informative. If you can provide your audience with valuable information, they will be more likely to follow you.

Another way to create engaging content is to be creative and original. People are more likely to follow you if you stand out from the crowd.

And finally, you can create content that is fun or entertaining. If you can make people laugh or feel good, they will be more likely to follow you.

Whichever approach you choose, make sure that the content is always in line with your brand tone and voice.

4. Use social media ads

Social media ads are a great way to reach your target audience. With Facebook ads, for example, you can target people by location, age, gender, interests, and more. This ensures that your ad is seen by people who are most likely to be interested in your business.

Social media ads can be a great way to increase brand awareness or drive sales. However, it’s important to remember that they should be used as part of a broader social media strategy. They are not a magic bullet that will solve all your social media marketing problems.

The main benefit of using social media ads is that they are relatively cheap and easy to set up. You can also use them to test different messaging and creative to see what works best with your audience.

5. Use social media contests

Social media contests are a great way to increase engagement and grow your following. They are also a lot of fun, which is why people love to participate in them.

To run a contest, simply choose a prize that is relevant to your business and create rules for how people can enter. For example, you could ask people to follow you and share your contest post with their friends.

Make sure to promote your contest ahead of time and give people plenty of time to enter. You should also consider running multiple contests to keep things interesting.

6. Use social media to build relationships

One of the most important aspects of social media marketing is building relationships with your audience. If you can create strong relationships with your followers, they will be more likely to support your business.

There are a few ways to build relationships on social media. First, you can interact with people regularly. This means liking and commenting on their posts, as well as responding to their comments on your own posts.

Second, you can provide value to your audience. This could mean sharing helpful information or offering discounts and coupons.

And finally, you can be personal and authentic. People appreciate when businesses show their human side, so don’t be afraid to show your personality on social media.

7. Be consistent

If you want to be successful with social media marketing, you need to be consistent. That means posting regularly and maintaining a consistent voice and tone.

It can be difficult to be consistent, especially if you’re running a business by yourself. But there are a few things you can do to make it easier.

First, set up a social media calendar. This will help you plan and schedule your posts in advance.

Second, use tools and apps to help you automate some of the work. And finally, enlist the help of friends or employees to pitch in when needed.

8. Measure your results

If you’re not measuring your results, you won’t know if your social media marketing is working. Luckily, there are a number of different metrics you can track to see how you’re doing.

Some important metrics to track include engagement rate, reach, and clicks. You should also track any specific goals that you set for your social media marketing campaign.

For example, if you’re trying to increase brand awareness, you could track the number of people who see your posts. Or if you’re trying to drive sales, you could track the number of people who click on your links and purchase something from your website.

9. Focus on your personal and business LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn profile should be a reflection of your professional achievements as well as your personal brand. It’s a great way to connect with potential customers and clients, as well as business contacts.

When creating or updating your LinkedIn profile, make sure to include a professional headshot, an up-to-date resume, and information about your work experience and skills. You should also include a link to your website or blog, as well as your contact information.

When it comes to headshots, you can get high-quality corporate headshots in Melbourne as well as in any other big city in the world. The internet is full of good tips on how to build a good resume and how to present your work experience in the best way.

If you’re not sure how to get started, there are a number of LinkedIn profile examples that you can use for inspiration.

10. Get help from a social media expert

If you’re struggling to get results from your social media marketing, it might be time to get some help from a social media expert.

A social media expert can help you develop and execute a successful social media marketing strategy. They can also provide guidance and support when things get tough.

If you’re not sure where to find a social media expert, you can start by asking your friends and colleagues for recommendations. You can also search online or look for social media experts in your area.

Conclusion

Social media marketing can be a great way to boost your business. But it’s not always easy. These ten tips will help you get started on the right foot and improve your chances of success. Remember to be patient and start slow, and you’ll soon get the results you want! As well as that, don’t forget to track your progress and don’t be afraid to switch things up if you’re not getting the results you’re after.

11 Ways To Promote Your Brand On A Budget

It’s no surprise that marketing your company is difficult, especially if you’re a start-up owner on a tight budget. This challenge becomes even more daunting, considering that many of your competitors are likely to spend big bucks on their marketing efforts.

It’s easy to lose hope and believe that your business doesn’t stand a chance against its competitors. However, you’ll be happy to know that you can still promote your brand and have a chance of success despite being on a tight budget and eventually reaching out to your potential customers.

While this might sound somewhat like baiting you to read this article, this isn’t the case. Continue reading to overview some of the different ways you can promote your brand on a budget.

1. Promote Your Business On Social Media

Today, most people use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to connect with others.

As a business owner, these platforms present you with a chance to market your business to a sea of potential customers. Properly marketing your brand on social media increases the likelihood of your products or services going viral, which isn’t an opportunity you want to miss out on. When this happens, users will be the ones sharing your marketing campaign with other emails or accounts.

With this in mind, you should consider using social media platforms to promote your brand regardless of your industry. The best thing is that social media marketing doesn’t have to be expensive because you don’t need to use certain tools, which might somewhat be too pricey. Instead, you can create accounts on business pages for free on sites such as LinkedIn among others and start promoting your brand.

To gain traction on the different social media platforms, you need to consistently post exciting and informative content that’ll attract the interest of your target audience. This will allow you to increase the popularity of your brand without having to pay for social media tools.

2. Network In Person

While digital marketing has taken the lead, traditional marketing approaches remain effective. In fact, one essential strategy that you must employ to this day to guarantee the success of your business is networking to create connections with other like-minded individuals. Generally, networking refers to the process of developing contacts and opportunities to meet people and keep strong relationships with them.

Networking remains an effective method of promoting your brand without having to spend a lot of money. If you haven’t done networking before, it’s essential to know that this marketing strategy can be done in various ways. For example, you can attend major business networking events, where you can make strong connections with business owners and other professionals.

During such events, you also get the opportunity to do some subtle marketing for your brand by issuing freebies such as custom printed lanyards in Australia to potential clients. As you give these items away, you can talk to people about your business and the services it provides.

On the other hand, networking doesn’t only happen at business events. You can also utilize your social media connections to engage with new people online. Additionally, you can ask for the business cards of people who are open to establishing a business relationship with you.

Once you create these connections, be sure to nurture your relationship with them and build trust. By doing all these things, you can help advance your brand without putting a strain on your budget.

3. Create A Blog

Another effective method of promoting your brand to your target audience is blogging.

Writing detailed and informative articles offers you a free advertising platform where you can market your brand. As a result, blogging enables you to connect with prospects, build relationships with current customers, boost your online visibility, and generate new leads. This consequently drives more traffic to your website and further boosts your brand’s online image, thereby guaranteeing chances of your business succeeding.

Blogging helps boost your brand’s image because it allows you to share your expertise, particularly when you write in a conversational tone. This is why you must always write all your blogs in simple, easy-to-read sentences rather than complex sentences. Otherwise, you risk scaring away interested readers from your blog. You should also naturally include the targeted keywords that boost your visibility to your target audience. In addition, consider incorporating high-quality images.

When starting your blog, there are specific tactics you should follow to ensure you don’t spend a ton of money on it, including;

• Choose a blog platform that’s easy to use and set up, and many platforms exist today to choose from, including WordPress and Wix.
• Always make sure to post at least once a week. This will keep your audience engaged with your content rather than posting once and then disappearing. You should also backlinks to your content as this will further help you reach a greater pool of target audience and gain more traffic in the long run.
• Pay attention to how people interact with your content and make necessary changes if necessary.

When posting content to your blog, it’s best to use search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to reach a larger target audience. Doing this is advised because observing SEO practices helps your blog rank higher on search engines compared to your business competitors’ sites. As a result, your chances of connecting with your target audience improve.

You must make sure you only publish high-quality content on your blog. If you don’t have the expertise or have enough time to do this, consider hiring a skilled freelance writer.

4. Offer Coupons

When purchasing a product or service, it is human nature to want the best deal possible. One effective strategy you can employ to take advantage of this is to offer coupons to your clients. This is extremely effective when launching a new product or service as it’ll allow your customers to get a feel of what you have to offer without spending a dime. And if the quality of the product or service is exceptional, you’ve won yourself a customer for life. In addition, these clients might further promote your brand to their friends and family members.

5. Employ Interactive Email Marketing

Are you looking to reach new customers and expand your business? If yes, another great marketing strategy you should consider is email marketing, which is a simple and efficient way of reaching out to your potential clients. All you need to do is to add a signup form on your site, using which you’ll collect the email addresses and names of individuals interested in your goods or services. Subsequently, you can start emailing these interested parties as they have already shown interest in your brand.

Email marketing is a highly cost-effective approach you should consider when promoting your business because it targets people who express an interest in your brand.

Through this type of marketing, you can significantly increase your company’s sales and profits without any additional costs when done correctly.

6. Attend Trade Shows

You should consider attending trade shows, especially if you’re looking to market your products to retailers or a national audience. Trade shows provide you with an excellent opportunity to launch a new product, brand, or service line. And if you’ve been looking for an inexpensive way to start promoting your company, this is undoubtedly a viable option.

Attending trade shows provides you with the opportunity to capture the attention of prospective customers. In addition, attending trade shows also offers you an excellent chance to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in your industry. This is necessary because you must always strive to know what new trends are coming so that you can continue to improve and grow as a business owner.

7. Host Informative Webinars

If you don’t have the money to make a big splash in your market, you can still get your name to your potential clients by hosting webinars. Webinars are free and easy to produce and allow you to reach large audiences with valuable information. You can talk about what sets your company apart from the competition during your webinars. You’ll also have a chance to answer any questions your audience might have about your business and product or service.

The best thing about webinars is that they’re easy to set up and free. And to start hosting webinars, you can use any free online services such as Google Hangouts or Skype. This means you don’t need to shell out any cash for equipment or marketing materials. However, in order for your webinar to be a success, make sure to first promote it either through email newsletters or social media platforms to remind everyone who’s signed up about it to make sure they do attend.

8. Host Giveaways

Customers love feeling appreciated, and there’s no better way of doing this than conducting giveaways. Therefore, you should incorporate hosting giveaways into your marketing strategy, as this helps you better interact with your existing and potential clients. With the help of social media platforms, it’s easier than ever to host giveaways, and this is why many businesses have embraced this trend in the past few years. There are different approaches you can follow when hosting giveaways. For instance, you may encourage your clients to fill out a survey that will qualify them for a draw and stand a chance of winning a free giveaway. This strategy is ideal if you want to get feedback from your target audience.

Another strategy you can follow is to host a giveaway on Instagram, where you tell the participants to like, share certain posts, mention their friends in the comment section, follow you, or stand a chance of winning. Doing this exposes your brand to a greater pool of target audiences. Consequently, you should select a winner either by using a comment picker or a randomizer. These are just some ideas of approaches you can follow when conducting free giveaways, so take a moment to be as creative as you want.

However, before hosting free giveaways through a social media platform, it’s best to know the specific rules and guidelines.

9. Turn Your Staff Into Your Brand Ambassadors

With marketing budgets shrinking and less money available for advertising, it’s more important than ever to promote your brand in creative ways. One way to do that is to turn your staff into your brand ambassadors. This means using your employees as your main marketing tool, which makes perfect sense; after all, they are the face of your company.

For your staff to be your brand ambassadors, you want them to be confident, friendly, and knowledgeable about your product or services. By educating them on what you want them to say about your brand, you’re creating a strategy for promoting yourself through them. But this doesn’t happen by luck, and you need to hold brainstorming sessions with them. Consequently, they’ll promote your brand by attending local events, sharing on employee blog posts, and hosting fireside chats.

However, in order for employees to positively advocate your brand to your potential clients, you must first treat them well and be a good leader. This will ensure that they will naturally promote your business not because they’re required to but because they want to. And since they’re the ones with existing relationships with your customers, advocating for your business will help boost brand loyalty and build a deeper connection between your company and its customers.

10. Launch A Customer Referral Program

Word-of-mouth is usually one of the best forms of marketing, more so when it’s coming from your customers. One effective approach that can entice your customers to do this is launching a customer referral program. This usually comes in many forms and can either be a free month of service, a free product, or any other appropriate reward for referring a new customer.

By employing a customer referral program, you’ll be able to deal with the challenge of acquiring new clients, a challenge that many start-ups that are yet to establish their names in the industry face. But thanks to the customer referral program, you’ll be able to appease your existing clients by offering them a free token of appreciation while simultaneously winning over new customers. This marketing tactic is less forced and will likely get authentic and long-term customers.

11. Use Press Release

You can promote your brand on a tight budget by using press releases since there are sites that allow you to do so for free.  However, for this marketing tactic to be effective, the information included in the release must be informative, engaging, and newsworthy.

Issuing press releases will allow you to expand your company’s brand image to potential clients, and some of the information you can share include:

• Your company has won an award.
• Your business is partaking in a promotional event, for instance, supporting a charity event.
• The launch of a new product.

You can print or publish the press release online depending on what you feel can better reach your target audience.

Takeaway

You don’t need a big budget to market your business. In fact, you may be surprised how little money you need when you have the right strategy.  Firstly, you must understand your target market and where they hang out before you can effectively reach them.

If you’re not sure who your target market is, do some research and find out. Once you know this information, it will be easier for you to create content that resonates with them and reaches them in the places they already spend time online.

Finally, always remember to put your customer first. When all else fails, focus on creating valuable content and experiences that help solve their problems. This is what will set your brand apart from the rest and help it succeed no matter what size

How to Film Engaging Video Testimonials Remotely

Here is a video marketing technique that brands and customers equally like, a lot, for different reasons.

For brands and marketers, the testimonial video is the go-to strategy to convert leads into paying customers. The technique also presents an opportunity to make brand ambassadors of existing customers.

On the other end, potential customers trust testimonials because recommendations come from people who once faced a similar situation and are willing to share their stories.

Moreover, when customers share their experiences about a product or service the message appears more credible and trustworthy.

Why Use Remote Video Testimonials?

Testimonial videos as a marketing strategy have been so successful that brands, big or small, include them in their marketing plan.

The traditional method of producing testimonial videos is expensive which only brands with a sizable marketing budget can afford.

The era of digital marketing has changed all that. Filming in-person testimonials is old school, expensive, and tedious.

Now, brands can create video testimonials remotely. Whether you’re hiring a video service or planning to make remote video testimonials in-house you need a strategy to create compelling content.

Today, we shall discuss how to plan and film engaging video testimonials remotely.

Create a Concept and Strategy

If you intend to film testimonials remotely without a clear plan or strategy, then drop the idea at once. You won’t succeed.

A roadmap containing points such as who to approach, how to approach, what questions to ask, etc. is essential to avoid a disaster.

A product testimonial is content produced by a brand and presented to the audience.

The potential customers expect a well-made, well-crafted marketing message that’s also authentic. Brands must come up with a plan that meets the expectations of the audience.

The first step of the process is to identify the customers or speakers with a story that would capture the imagination of the target audience.

Only look for customers who are satisfied with the product and are willing the share the same with others through testimonial videos.

Avoid imposing and inserting your views into the script. The testimonial will work only if the speakers share their true stories and experience.

That said it’s wrong to harbor the thought that marketers have no role to play in customer testimonials.

The plain fact is the brand and marketer shoulder the bulk of the burden or workload of creating testimonials.

Customer testimonials should be highly professional. It’s the marketer who frames the questions, controls the flow of the story and message, ensures all important points are covered and the call-to-actions that encourage the audience to trust and take action are included.

Make sure you devise a plan that satisfies the following three points:

• As mentioned earlier, do not force the message but convey a strong story.
• The customer testimonial should convey the benefits and clear results of using the product/service.

The authenticity of the story and message is crucial for potential customers. Over 80% of all customers support a brand only if they are convinced about the authenticity of the message.

It’s your responsibility to present a structured story that’s organized and has a good flow.

The story should have an introduction (where the speaker talks about the pain points), the middle (the speaker describes what made them choose your product/service), and the conclusion (how the product solved the pain points and why they are satisfied with the product).

Choose and Prepare the Customer

The fate of the testimonial video depends on the one decision you take at this stage. Who would be your speaker/customer?

The obvious answer is the ones willing to give your product a positive vote.

That’s not enough, a mere one-word answer won’t do. Find customers who are willing to share their stories, emotions, and experience. Assure them you’ll take care of the hard part of structuring their story.

The first step in preparing the customer begins with crafting the questions. Get in touch with the customer to understand, instruct, and prepare.

Marketers need to understand the customers and their experiences with the product to frame the testimonial questions.

Why not let customers freely express their experiences before the camera? You need questions to direct the story in the direction that you want and create an impact on the prospects that you desire.

Plus, the interview questions will vary depending on the product niche and customer group.

When it’s time to film the video, the customers shouldn’t be surprised by the questions. To avoid last-minute glitches, send the questions for their perusal and respect their input.

If the situation so demands, plus if the customer agrees, you can conduct a couple of mock interviews with the customer before filming the video.

The remote mock interview sessions make sure the speaker and you are on the same page. At no point in time, the customer should feel he or she is commanded or ordered to say something they don’t want to say.

It would be hard for customers to express themselves freely with emotion if they are under pressure or feel under pressure.

Customers are not professional actors. Hence, a little bit of tutoring, shaping the story, and structuring their response is allowed and even recommended in video testimonials. But, the extent of your involvement and interference in their story should end there.

You can also show examples of video testimonials to the customers so they understand what’s expected of them. Any attempt to mimic or copy from other video testimonials will reduce the originality of your content and affect its impact and success.

Take Care of the Technical Details

The quality of the audio and video, the background, and the lighting, are some of the technical details that have a huge impact on the testimonial. When filming the video remotely, these technical details assume greater importance.

Marketers need to work with the speaker to ensure the background, the lightings, and other elements look good.

Again, don’t dictate the equipment to use, the background, props, etc. Customers resent demands and commands. Instead, let the speaker contribute and make the whole setting look as best as possible.

You can provide input on finding the best location for filming. Share useful points on the best camera settings, the angles to shoot from, and how long the footage should be. Always, request more footage than what you need.

Later, with the speaker’s permission, you can use the additional clips in other areas of video marketing. For example, you can use the clips in video ads, explainer videos (customers talking about the features they like in a product), social media content, etc.

In remote video testimonials, marketers have less control over elements that can distract the filming session.

The smartphone or camera can easily capture noise in the background and the speaker may not be aware of it. Consult with the customer to schedule the shoot at a time and place with minimal distractions.

The customers are new to this. It’s your responsibility to prepare a checklist of things they should do and shouldn’t. Advice the speaker on where to place the light source; normally it should be in front and not behind the speaker.

Add Text and Graphics

Again, we feel the need to mention that sometimes small things add up to create a huge impact.

The small additions you make to the video testimonial can have a similar impact. We are talking about the graphics and text that give the video a professional look.

Do testimonial videos need text and graphics? Not really, but if used properly they can add value to the testimonial video.

A mix of text and visuals can help marketers make the customer story more interesting and engaging. The text elements can also be used to introduce the speaker and let the speaker talk only about his or her experience.

In video testimonials, the text is used for the following:

• To highlight the key points of the speech to emphasize their importance.
• To share facts, statistics, and quotes to improve the credibility of the story.

Simple transitions could be added between scenes to boost engagement. Furthermore, some graphical elements can be used to display data and improve the flow of the story.

You can use a video editor such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, etc, for adding graphics and texts. Alternatively, a video editing service can be approached for such tasks.

Just because the customer has a good story to share, it doesn’t mean the video testimonial can go on forever.

It doesn’t matter whether these testimonials will be part of e-commerce marketing, used to promote a service or to improve the credibility of a brand, the video should be concise and friendly.

When the final cut is ready the testimonial shouldn’t be over 2-3 minutes long.

Edit, Optimize, and Publish the Testimonial

Once the footage arrives at your end, the final phase starts with editing. We already discussed a couple of points in the previous section. The addition of the graphics and text elements is part of the editing process.

The editor can’t work alone. He or she needs your input to put it all together. Provide an overview of the video, how the story needs to flow, and the key points that should find a place in the final clip.

Even if you have the permission of the customer/speaker to use the footage any way you want, it’s only fair to send the final product to the customer before making it public.

Now, you have in possession, powerful video testimonials filmed remotely. The content isn’t yet perfect. They need to first reach the prospects to convince them about your product or service.

For that, you need to optimize the videos to rank higher on Google search and social media timelines.

If you’re planning to send these videos to leads via email software then create effective subject lines and supporting content to boost open rate and click-through rates.

Bear in mind that these 90-180 second clips can boost brand credibility and build trust with potential buyers faster than other forms of content.

So, don’t leave any stone unturned, and you start by following our little guide on how to film video testimonials remotely.

Final Thoughts

All in all, filming testimonials remotely is not vastly different from in-person customer interviews. If planned and executed well, brands could save time and resources, at the same time, create powerful, efficient, and impactful videos.

You don’t need fancy equipment or even hire an agency that specializes in producing remote testimonials. You only need to follow the best practices given above. Marketers who need technical assistance can hire a video maker to add a professional touch to their testimonial videos.

Just like anything else, you need some practice to create perfect remote testimonials that connect and make the audience trust your brand. So, without delay, get going, and don’t forget to share your thoughts on this article and about the topic.

Author bio:

Cristian Stanciu is a freelance video editor, owner and post-production coordinator of Veedyou Media – a company offering video animation services to marketing agencies, video production studios or brands all over the globe. You can catch up with him on his blog 

10 Proven Viral Video Marketing Techniques to Grow Your Business

By now, everyone recognizes the importance of video marketing. 94% of marketers plan to add video to their marketing efforts in 2022. Producing, distributing, and promoting marketing videos is now required just to stay relevant.

One of the highest impact ways to get attention to your business is to have a branded video go viral. This can transform your brand from relative obscurity into a household name. Every company craves this type of video.

But, how can you make sure your videos will go viral?

Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for creating videos that go viral. However, there are common elements in videos that have gone viral that you can include in your own videos.

In this article, you will discover some of these techniques that can turn a standard video into one with viral potential.

Why are Viral Videos so Valuable?

Gone are the days where a commercial or billboard is enough to get your target audience’s attention.

With the average American being bombarded with over 5000 ads every day, you need to find a way to break through the noise and grab people’s attention.

This is where viral videos come in. A viral video is one that is shared rapidly and widely across social media platforms and the internet, often by people who have never heard of your brand before.

A successful viral video can do wonders for your brand awareness and reach. Not only will it get people talking about your company, but it will also attract new customers and leads.

Viral videos are also an excellent way to build relationships with your target audience and create a connection with them.

When people see a video that they like, they are more likely to watch it multiple times and share it with their friends.

This creates a sense of loyalty and connection with the viewer and can lead to conversions down the road.

Now that you understand why viral videos are so valuable, let’s take a look at some proven techniques you can use to make your videos go viral.

1. Know Your Audience

The first step to creating a viral video is understanding who your target audience is.

You need to know what kinds of videos they like to watch and what topics they are interested in.

If you don’t know your audience, you won’t be able to create content that appeals to them and has a chance of going viral.

Do some research on your target audience and create a buyer persona. This will help you understand their needs, wants, and desires. Once you know who your target audience is, you can start creating content that they will love.

2. Create Quality Videos

If you want people to share your videos, you need to make sure they are high quality. People are much more likely to share a video that looks professional and is well-made.

Invest in good equipment and editing software, and take the time to learn how to use them properly. Have a great story and make sure your videos are well-lit, have clear audio, and are free of any technical issues.

Hiring a professional video production company is also a good idea if you want to ensure your videos are of the highest quality. If your videos look amateurish, people will be less likely to share them.

3. Take Advantage of Trending Topics

If you want your videos to go viral, you need to take advantage of trending topics. If you can piggyback on a trending topic and create a unique and interesting video, you will have a much better chance of going viral.

When something is trending on social media, it means people are talking about it and are more likely to watch and share content related to that topic. You can use tools like Google Trends and Twitter trends to see what topics are currently trending.

Once you know what’s trending, you can create a video that covers that topic. However, be sure to add your own spin to it so that your video stands out from the rest.

4. Use Humor

Humor is a great way to connect with your audience and get people to share your content. If you can incorporate humor into your videos, you will have a much better chance of going viral.

You want to make sure you are still staying true to your brand and that your videos are appropriate for your target audience. However, be careful not to go too over-the-top or offensive with your humor.

5. Evoke Emotions

Videos that evoke strong emotions tend to do well on social media and go viral more easily. People are more likely to watch and share a video that makes them feel something.

Whether it’s happiness, sadness, anger, or even fear, strong emotions will make people want to watch and share your videos.

So, try to incorporate some emotional elements into your videos to increase the chances of them going viral.

6. Keep It Simple

You don’t need to create an overly complicated video to make it go viral. In fact, simpler videos tend to do better on social media.

People are more likely to watch and share a video that is easy to understand and focused on one core message.

How long should your video be to go viral? As long as it has to be to get your message or story across.

Some viral videos are very short. They show the memorable content and the branding, then they’re done. But longer videos can go viral too. Creating a unique story or concept can capture viewers’ attention for several minutes done right.

What’s most important is to hook the viewer in the first three to five seconds of the video. Any longer and they’ll bounce from the video.

7. Include a Call-to-Action

A call-to-action is a statement or question that encourages people to do something after watching your video. Make sure your call-to-action is clear and easy to understand.

You want people to know exactly what you want them to do after watching your video. For most social videos, you should include a call-to-action at the end of your video that asks viewers to like and share the video if they enjoyed it.

If you want your video to go viral, you could include a unique call-to-action. It could be to ask them to film themselves doing something and sharing it, or even asking to go offline and do something for their mental health!

8. Optimize Your Videos for SEO

If you want your videos to be easily found online, you need to optimize them for search engine optimization (SEO). This means including relevant keywords in your title and description.

You also want to make sure your videos are properly tagged so they show up in related searches. The more people who can find your videos, the more likely they are to watch and share them.

9. Collaborate with Other Brands or Influencers

If you want to reach a new audience, you can collaborate with other brands or influencers. This means creating a video with another company or person that has a similar target audience as you.

For example, if you sell fitness products, you could collaborate with a fitness influencer and create a workout video. This would help you reach their audience and get your brand in front of more people.

Is also a good idea to work with companies that sell complementary products. For example, if you sell fitness equipment, you could collaborate with a healthy food company.

This would help you reach a larger audience of people who are interested in living a healthy lifestyle.

10. Learn from the Best

Finally, one of the best ways to ensure your videos are successful is to learn from the best. Look at what other companies and brands are doing with their video marketing campaigns.

See what’s working for them and try to incorporate some of those elements into your own videos. With a little trial and error, you should be able to find what works best for your business.

Here are three examples of successful viral video marketing:

Expedia’s “#Throw Back Thursdays (TBT)” (Trend-hacking Video)

This video offers customers a chance to win a holiday by posting their old travel photos under the hashtag. The video took advantage of the “TBT” trend that was all the rage between 2015 to 2019 to go viral.

Old Spice’s “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” (Funny Video)

This video is blatant, fast-paced, and funny. Old Spice’s goal was to freshen up the way its brand is perceived and to connect with the younger generation. The video was a hit and it went viral immediately.

GoPro’s “Fireman Saves Kitten” (Emotional Video)

The beauty of this video is that it doesn’t focus on promoting GoPro and the GoPro just happens to be there to capture the moment. The video succeeds in evoking an emotional response in the viewer, while subtly highlighting the durability of GoPro.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a number of different techniques you can use to make your videos go viral. Try out a few of these ideas and see what works best for your business. With a little effort, you should be able to get your videos seen by more people and grow your business as a result.
Do you have any other tips for making videos go viral? Share them in the comments below!