In many ways, the viral video represents the “Holy Grail” of online marketing – something that a lot of businesses are looking for, but few seem to find.
It’s not hard to imagine why. When a video truly goes viral, it can be spread dozens, or even hundreds, of times by people you’ve never even met or had contact with. That’s potentially millions of people spreading your marketing message around. Who knows what kinds of profits could be generated from something like that…
A Couple Of Problems With Viral Marketing Videos
Of course, for all of the great things that should supposedly come from a viral marketing video, there are a couple of problems, too. The first is that generating a viral marketing video for your business is harder than it looks. For every one that racks up millions of views on YouTube, there are hundreds of others that fail miserably, and make the companies that produce them look foolish.
And secondly, going “viral” isn’t much of a business goal, anyway. Who is to say that a percentage of those viewers – even a small one – are going to turn into buyers? Most viral videos get spread around because of their entertainment value, not their commercial content, meaning that the best ones typically don’t work well as promotions for a business or company.
The Cure For Video Marketing Woes
Luckily, there is a simple cure for both of these problems: Instead of going viral to millions of people, strive to shoot an online marketing video that’s well done, meaningful to the customers you care about most, and is likely to be shared within small circles.
The key difference in that formula is that you’re aiming for a much smaller group, and one that’s easier to reach and influence. By trying to market your video to every business accountant in Seattle, for example, you make your task a lot easier. And at the same time, you make it a lot more likely that you’re going to shoot something that will interest them enough to contact you for help.
Too much time, effort, and money is wasted on looking for viral online marketing videos, which can be the equivalent of a winning lottery ticket that may or may not have any value. For real online marketing impact, stop trying to appeal to everyone, and focus on the small group of buyers who can make the biggest impact in your business.