HARNESS THE POWER OF VIDEO TRENDS

YouTube’s recent release of their new Trends Map is perhaps one of the greatest marketing tools that they’ve ever revealed. Showcasing video trends in various geographical locations of the country, YouTube’s Trends Map allows brands to discover videos or video topics that are gaining momentum. Similar to how the Harlem Shake took YouTube by storm earlier this year, brands that are able to discover video trends before they peak can join the action and take advantage of all that viral traffic!

DISCOVER WHAT’S TRENDING

To use YouTube’s Trends Map successfully, first determine whether you want to engage on a national or localized campaign. This will help you narrow down your research to discover what’s trending based on geographical location. Once you’ve figured out what’s trending, then see if there are common elements that bind those trending videos together.

For instance, as of this posting, the trending videos at the moment are either True Blood or The Walking Dead material. Since these are both storylines focused on the supernatural, keep this in mind as you work on a video strategy. Is your company in the place to release a spoof or creative video anytime soon? If so, then these clips provide you endless opportunities for creative filmmaking that audiences are craving for.

PERFORM ANALYSIS

One of the trending videos at the moment shows how an ad using lenticular design in Europe is being used to help abused children seek help.

Instead of simply finding out what videos are trending, ask the why they’re trending. Here, the storytelling elements of the video as well as its brevity are contributing factors to its success. Furthermore, the creative element of the ad itself is engaging, though the topic of child abuse is relatively well known.

BEYOND YOUTUBE

Just because YouTube’s Trends Map shows you videos that are trending, it doesn’t mean that the information you glean is only limited to the video site. If you discover an overarching trend through YouTube’s Trends Map, use that knowledge as you market on other social media platforms. This will give you an edge over competition that only uses more traditional tools to track trends and traffic.

IMPLEMENTING WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED

Once you’ve discovered a video trend, it’s important to act as quickly as possible. Remember, with mobile devices and short form content coupled together in today’s world, trends come and go faster than ever. If you take too long to take advantage of what you’ve learned from YouTube’s Trends Map, then the trend might have already passed!

To help expedite videos that are a response to trending topics, feel free to keep the video short. Because this type of video is focused on capitalizing a trend instead of creating a standalone masterpiece, it can be as short as 1-2 minutes. Of course, you can go longer if you want, but that will also take more time and planning, which can slow down your response to the trend. By acting as quickly as possible without compromising quality, you’ll vastly increase your chances of going viral!