As experiential marketers we live at the intersection of “live” experience and social content. And that means we need to understand exactly what types of content engage viewers.
In November we set out to explore this topic – what type of social video content will most engage viewers – with an online survey of consumers who habitually watch social video every day.
The results are in with our recently completed insights report: Social Video & The Power of Real
Although I wasn’t surprised by the central finding itself, I was surprised with the certainty of the finding: Every single question we asked of consumers pointed in the exact same direction. As a marketing strategist, rarely do I see such clear insight.
The Power of Real
While there are many types of engaging content, the single most powerful form of engagement is what we call the power of real: Real people, telling real stories about their real life experiences.
When compared with the power of real, nothing else holds up in terms of its ability to engage viewers. Superstar celebrities don’t come close. Neither do humor, tug-at-your-heartstring emotions, or even brand-purpose.
Of course you can use real people to tell their most humorous or emotion-laden stories. As long as they are true stories, told frankly by real people, using their own voice and language, warts, hiccups and all.
What Doesn’t Matter
Equally interesting were the things that don’t matter when it comes to earning engagement with social video. It turns out that a lot of the things brands stress the most about really couldn’t matter less.
Picture perfect scenery, beautiful actors, pithy scripts. Great lighting and sunny weather. Professional camera crews and equipment. None of that matters when compared to the importance of real people, telling their real stories.
Want to Learn More?
We would love to walk you and your team through the entire report, providing a more detailed understanding of the Power of Real and that data that underlies the insight.
We promise it will provide smart, insightful clarity to any of the content you need to produce.
Contact Us to learn more.
