What is Social Video Marketing? Part 3

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post called “What is Social Video Marketing?” then followed it up with this one.

I did it mostly because I wanted to explore a definition of the term. Originally intended as a two part post, this third piece wraps up my thoughts on the concept.

3) Social Video Marketing Engages The Audience

There’s a wonderful campaign put on by London’s Viral Factory for the Samsung I8910 HD phone that captures how to really engage an audience. Adage and Matt Cutler from Visible Measures picked it up and discussed how the truly are creating a new form viral video.

By creating a video that tickled the mind, they invited the audience to participate in the next video. Simply asking “How did we do it?” they invoked responses and added those to the next video in which they revealed the “magic.”

This kind of storytelling involves the audience and asks them to respond, participate and share in the story.

@daveiam here in Austin also engaged the local community by creating Lights. Camera. Help. – a film festival for non-profit organizations. Videos about causes and non-profit organizations were shown to develop the new “film-for-a cause” genre. The entire community got together to create, promote and discuss the videos.

4) Social Video Marketing Is Technology Dependent

It’s a bit like saying that writing requires a pencil, but video marketing does require technology in order to do all of the wonderful things that it does.

That doesn’t mean that the technology is the prime component of a social video marketing strategy. It merely enables it.

The people and the innovation behind the story are the fundamental piece of the video puzzle.

Not long ago, I interviewed @poneal and @kyleflaherty about using video. Their key point? You’ve got to be a great story teller. They technology is there, it’s inexpensive and necessary, but you’ve got to be able to come up with content that your customers want to pay attention to.

Just because you have a pencil doesn’t make you Shakespeare, but you can’t get there without a writing utensil.

So, Social Video Marketing it important to the future of small business marketing. It makes you easy to find online, develops your personal brand, builds connections with your customers, and is measurable. Though it requires some knowledge of the technology, you can still jump in with both feet. Most videos are “good enough” and can be produced with a sub $1000 commitment.

Get a video out there. Strive to get better. Go tell your story.