Ever notice how the ads that people like best during the Superbowl are the funny ones? This shouldn’t be a surprise, because people love to be entertained (and if you don’t believe me, just take a look at how many movies you’ve watched on Netflix in the last month!).
At our Florida advertising agency, we know companies don’t have to be super serious to also be perceived as professional. Take, for example, Geico, which deals with heavy insurance matters on a daily basis, many of which involve injury or even death. The brand could have taken an approach that touted the seriousness of the business and its commitment to all things insurance, but can you deny that would have been slightly, well…boring? Instead, it opted to give in to the creative impulse, generating an Australian talking lizard that is now etched into the mind of every person in America (whether we want him to be or not).
My point is that your content doesn’t have to be stuffy, even if your industry isn’t all that laid back. As such, we’ve developed 4 fun content ideas that can help break your brand from the strongholds of thinking everything has to be all business, all the time. In looking at this list and generating your own creative content ideas, remember that people are most likely to share funny posts and uplifting content (hence, the success of sites like Buzzfeed and Upworthy). [quote]By generating your own content in this capacity, you’ll be giving your followers plenty to talk about.[/quote]
1. Stop-motion Vines: Who’d have thought a company like Lowes would have been a pioneer in the land of 6-second videos? Lowes’s series of Vines give you practical home tips with a DIY aura…all in six seconds! Check out this screwdriver/rubber band tip and tell me you’re not impressed.
2. Throwback Thursdays: What started out a few young people posting photos from their childhood on Instagram and Facebook is now a full-on trend. People love to see these photos from the times when you actually had to walk two miles in the snow uphill both ways to get to a place that would print out your photos. Even if your business isn’t necessarily trendy or cool, you can still tap into this trend by showing old photos of your founders or your first brick-and-mortar location, or even a photo of an old newspaper clipping about your business that you have hanging around. Just don’t forget to tag them “#tbt.”
3. One-Second-a-Day Videos: These types of videos can be extremely fun and inspiring, and take literally, one second a day to create (plus perhaps a little bit of time at the end to edit). Try showing one second a day from your work or your office to capture just a slice of your daily work. For a slightly different variation on this, make a one-minute video featuring exactly one second at 60 of your favorite local landmarks. And, the 1 Second Everyday app makes it super simple to record.
4. Awards and Recognition: People love to be recognized, and when you offer them some form of recognition, they’ll typically share that with their social circles. Recently, a friend of mine was recognized by a small women’s group. The company wrote a blog about her and invited her to speak at a free monthly panel discussion. The cost? Perhaps a couple of hours to write the blog and plan the event, and a few dollars to provide food and beverages at the panel. However, when the recipient shared her blog, the blog post generated thousands of page views, hundreds of likes, several shares on Facebook and tons of goodwill in the community. Recognizing a strong employee, young leader or a powerful member of your community is a great way to build visibility.
Ready to chat about a few more ideas to get your fans talkin’? Contact our team at BIGEYE today to take your brand from bo-ring to bazinga!
