Recorded in the Dog House Studio, Sweden.

Episode 205.

 

 

This week, I spoke with David Feinman, CEO and Co-Founder of Viral Ideas Marketing, about how businesses can use video as part of their social media marketing mix.

David started Viral Ideas back in 2015 along with Zach Medina. Since then, the pair have built an innovative small agency specialising in videos that tell a story. They have produced truly unique videos for a variety of clients to help them build both their customer bases and revenue. (When I say “unique,” that’s not just marketing speak: just check out their video for the Philadelphia Zombie Run!) If you’re struggling to market to those notoriously-impossible-to-market-to millennials, David’s insights will be music to your ears.

During our discussion, David stressed the strength of video and shared a number of tips about how to get the best leverage. In particular, David emphasized the importance of creating video for “mobile first.” As digital video consumption continues to grow, many brands have turned to online video ads. According to one report, 1.74 billion people use Facebook on mobile each month, and 56% of users only use the mobile platform. Furthermore, Digiday reports that a whopping 85% of Facebook video is watched without sound! Brands absolutely need to create mobile-friendly videos that their audience can enjoy with the sound off.

Success From Start to Finish

Businesses hiring video specialists operate with a lot of uncertainty about how a project should run. How does David ensure that his projects succeed from beginning to end? Communication, naturally, is key — but so is confidence. The client’s confidence, that is.

 

“Without communication, there’s a high risk of something living on your website that isn’t what you want. You need to feel confident in who you hire. Whoever you hire to produce a video for you should be able to give you an outline of their process. Whether that’s via email or over the phone, a simple bulleted list or a more in depth road map — it has to be something. Your video specialist should be able to hear your idea, the one you have but can’t translate from your head to the screen, and work with you to bring that into the world.”

Standing Apart From All the Clones

With so many videos using the same-old same-old approach, what’s a marketer to do? David suggests that the best way to stand out is with videos that tell a story, rather than pitch a sale. Ask yourself, what kind of story and narrative can you create for your business that doesn’t feel like a sales pitch, but feels like a movie?

 

You’ll create a lot more brand value if you shift the focus from selling to your audience, to entertaining them. If that feels risky to you, David has three simple words for you: “Take the risk.” After all, it’s a lack of risk taking that led to the sea of generic clone websites we face today.

Investing in Production Value

Even though everyone’s watching their pennies these days, David maintains that an investment in video production is an investment in your business’s success. Luckily, with all the advancement in technology over the last few years, small to medium businesses face a lower barrier to entry than ever before.

 

Many videos are made with smart phones. At Moondog, we always recommend customers put considerable resources into the audio quality of a video. Quality audio, on platforms like YouTube, Vimeo or the business’s website, is crucial.

Connect with David

If you enjoyed what David had to share today, go along to his Twitter and let him know. Be sure to also check out more of the work the Viral Ideas team has done on their YouTube page

 

Links

Viral Ideas Marketing http://www.viralideasmarketing.com/

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-feinman-7a069255/

David’s Twitter https://twitter.com/david_feinman?lang=en

 

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As always, if there’s a topic you’d like us to cover on a future podcast, or if you’d like to be a guest, drop me a line!