One thing is clear. Millennial consumers’ media usage pattern leans heavily on social proof, user-reviews, and non-traditional marketing techniques when forming purchase opinions. Millennials don’t need some advertising executive to tell them what they like; which is why digital marketing firms such as our Orlando-based agency have had to find new ways to balance the media mix and create compelling content that harnesses authentic, user-generated material to build trust rather than relying on hard-sell techniques.
Investing in user group communities, review sites, social sharing, and blog posts from your industry’s tastemakers are all great places to begin filling your media mix with user-focused content. These platforms are an opportunity to engage with your best customers, seek feedback from those that need support, and generate referrals. Another tool we love is the power of influencer endorsement videos.
YouTube is the second most visited site aside from Google, and video is one of the fastest growing and most engaging channels available in the digital marketing world. When combined with the powerful support of a super user or popular v-logger, you can’t go wrong. The trick is crafting the perfect endorsement video. Trust us, they are not all created equal.
Figure out where your influencer video fits in your audience’s media usage pattern:
Assuming you are creating an influencer endorsement video to generate more sales, it’s important to choose where you will showcase this video strategically. Understanding your audience’s media usage pattern will help you do this. Keep things simple by partnering with your Orlando marketing agency to determine the best placement and channel exposure for an endorsement based on your audience’s media consumption habits. Our agency can determine exactly where your audience is surfing, which devices they are using, and how to effectively expose your endorsement in a way that fits into their natural media usage pattern. If you attach a spend to your video, an agency will also help you negotiate the best rates and ensure your distribution is on point.
If you choose to place your own video, start by determining what platform you want to use. The most common and popular video platform is YouTube; but Vimeo, Vine, Meerkat, and SnapChat (to name just a few) all offer a variety of options for quick social endorsements. We recommend having a feature length influencer endorsement that lives on YouTube accompanied by supporting social material across other platforms. The next question you want to ask is whether you will feature this video on their platforms or yours. The best answer is to go with whichever has greater influence or a bigger audience. You may even choose to expose the video on both if you and your endorser are happy with this arrangement.
Choosing the right topic for the millennial media usage pattern:
Another reason why it is important to understand your millennial audience’s media usage pattern is to guide the type of topic you want your endorser to cover. A good influencer endorsement will likely fall into one of the following categories:
How-to videos and walk-throughs:
How-to videos and walk-throughs often show the features or functionality of an app or platform, help prospective customers understand how to use a new product that has little or no competition, or educates customers about how to use a difficult tool. The value of these types of endorsements often show that seemingly difficult products are actually simple, or incredibly effective, when used properly. Your influencer should be able to clearly boil down your product’s use case in a language that the average consumer will understand.
Unboxing and product showcases:
Although it may seem somewhat strange, there is a huge market for videos that showcase the experience of unwrapping – or “unboxing” – an item and previewing that product’s look and feel. This type of endorsement adds a level of authenticity to claims of quality. For example, toy companies and electronics brands rely on this type of endorsement to help generate excitement about new product releases or to illustrate the unique value and quality of their products in highly competitive markets.
Extreme usage or testing:
A great example of extreme use endorsements would be an influencer using a high-powered blender to dissolve a cell phone. Although no average consumer would purchase a blender with the express intention of destroying their cell phone, this endorsement shows that the blender goes above and beyond user expectations. After all, if it can blend a cell phone, it can probably handle those kale smoothies with ease. Having an influencer generate this content adds an extra layer of trust to confirm that the use case isn’t a simulation or exaggeration.
Storytelling:
Storytelling is best used for service endorsements rather than consumer goods. An influencer endorsement of a service provider often blends personal experiences that capture their audience on an emotional or human level to show why an intangible product or experience is important.
Choose a topic that naturally aligns to your target audience’s organic media usage pattern. For example, millennials are more likely to choose a brand that contributes to the community in some way or that is connected with charitable efforts. Knowing this, you can choose an influencer whose endorsement tells a story about why your product or service is changing their local community.
Find the right influencer and tone:
Similarly, make sure you choose the right endorser for your product. There are plenty of people who will be eager to enjoy their fifteen minutes of fame, but not all influencers will resonate with your target audience. Ask for referrals or invite super users to tell their story, but don’t promise any exposure until you are certain they are a good fit for your brand. If in doubt, lean on your local agency to help find the right influencers for your product or conduct some scrappy user testing to determine whether that influencer will be well received. If you are having trouble finding an influencer to volunteer, you can also research top industry tastemakers or bloggers and exchange products for endorsements; but be careful that all compensation is disclosed and follows appropriate legal guidelines. Your local Orlando marketing agency can guide you there. Finding the right influencer helps you strike the right tone for your product and ensures you will get the most exposure you can within a given market segment.
Don’t shy away from the bad:
Although we wouldn’t necessarily recommend leading with any influencer endorsements that show your brand in a negative light, sometimes taking ownership of mishaps, making apologies, or acknowledging faults alongside a powerful influencer can serve as a balm to quell a negative reputation or solve public relations snafus. Strong influencer endorsements that discuss your brand’s evolution can also be effective when repositioning your product. For example, Buick’s recent campaigns featuring alternative bloggers and indie rockers has helped shake the brand’s stereotype of being a car for old people. The trick in this type of influencer endorsement is attracting your new audience or solving a reputation problem without alienating your old customers.
For ideas on how influencer endorsements can revolutionize your brand, click here. We have years of experience using video to add credibility to a wide variety of industries and products and are ready to help you do the same.
