In modern business, marketers have the difficult job of trying to connect with, engage with and ultimately form sustainable relationships with consumers whom they’ve never met before. However, this is not as difficult as some may expect, as consumers are always eager to connect with brands, and you simply have to provide the right platform for them to do so.
So let’s take a look at how you, as a marketer, can take advantage of the recent trend in video streaming entertainment.
People Love to Get Involved
The primary reason why game shows, reality shows and audience participation shows like Idols thrive amidst declining ratings is because consumers enjoy getting in on the action.
On game shows, players are often picked out of the audience or general public to participate and possibly win money or prizes. What makes this so exciting is that anybody, including you, your friend or neighbor could appear on the show. This not only makes it more personal, since the players are simply average citizens, but also enhances the excitement since viewers can imagine themselves participating and winning.
Reality shows take this a step further, and invite an array of guests, showcase their unique personalities and allow viewers to get involved with hidden cameras and candid footage. Similarly to game shows, any individual could potentially participate. However, reality shows place more emphasis on each participant’s identity, background and unique personality.
With shows like Idols, viewers can actively vote for who they think is best in order to affect the ultimate outcome. This is arguably even more engaging than game shows and reality shows, since every audience member can actively participate.
These are great examples of how consumers love to get involved, and can offer you great insight into how you can connect with consumers via video streaming service providers like Blue Jeans.
Consumers are Interested in what Brands and Influencers have to say
Despite the fact that many people dislike him, PewDiePie, a Swedish gamer and content producer, has certainly made it big through his opinions and commentary on computer games. And while many business-minded individuals would pass it off as unimportant or childish, a few of the top brands are taking down notes.
According to the Fusion news site, his unique and often whacky personality, coupled with genuine video game reviews and first-hand opinions “has garnered him over 37 million YouTube subscribers,” which they go on to say is “more than the population of Canada.”
These unbelievable statistics are proof that consumers want to hear the opinions, reviews and thoughts of influencers, and are eager to keep coming back for more as content is produced. This opens up excellent opportunities for brands to penetrate into the hearts and homes of prospective consumers by either partnering with influencers and thought leaders, or creating their own content that interests, entertains and informs their audience.
Nothing is as effective as Connecting with another Human Face
While many brands can boast record-breaking statistics of responses from advertising and various call-to-actions, none can quite reach the sheer viral nature of genuine people being recognized by their peers as thought leaders. Such examples are:
- PewDiePie, who plays computer games and streams himself commenting in funny and weird ways
- Zoella, who records hair and makeup tutorials and won “Britain’s Top Blogger” award
- TomSka, who posts funny edited videos and offers unique points of view on modern life
These three popular online personalities all have two things in common. Firstly, they offer a genuine personality and never try to be who they aren’t. Secondly, they care about their audience; taking insights from viewing analytics, reading through hours of comments and adapting their content to suit what their audience enjoys most.
In a great article by Social Talent, popular YouTube stars, NikiNSammy, shared wise insight on how they maintain their growing fan base: “If we’re ourselves, they trust us a lot more. We respect them and they respect us. It’s a two way thing. Because we treat them like humans with an opinion, they feel valued.”
This is why one-directional advertising will always have a limit on how effective it can be. Consumers need to be able to relate to the communications they receive, and when those communications are coming from a faceless brand, they are often received with less trust.
As more people utilize video streaming services to share their lives, entertain their viewers and grow their communities, the medium continues to grow ever more effective. So bring your brand into the modern world of online marketing and start connecting with, engaging with and starting dialogues within your target market today. With every new opportunity to connect with consumers comes opportunity for growth, and capitalizing on such opportunities will ensure that your brand succeeds in our modern, competitive marketing world.