EMOTION IN VIDEO MARKETING

According to a new report from Arylessence that studies U.S. consumers, the public is still likely to make purchases based on emotions, perceptions, and preferences. Because the synergy of images, music, and content can strike powerful emotions within viewers, it’s crucial to understand how emotion in your video marketing can resonate with consumers today.

Remember KONY 2012? Aside from leveraging social media to help a philanthropic cause, one of the most startling components of this video marketing campaign is the fact that the video is nearly 30 minutes long, but boasts nearly 100 million views! In today’s short form content culture that embraces shortened attention spans, it’s startling that millions of viewers would voluntary watch all 30 minutes of a YouTube video simply because a friend shared it with them.

But why was KONY 2012 so popular? Because it engaged the emotions. From explaining the human rights situation that was occurring to inspiring viewers to take action to using a compelling soundtrack to drum up reaction, it’s the perfect example of tying emotion into a video marketing campaign.

Consider these ideas:

• Emotion separates brands from trends. When we think of computers, the first two names that pop into our collective minds are Apple and Microsoft. Despite these two major giants dominating the market, the truth is that there are dozens if not hundreds of computer brands trying to get a foothold in the U.S. marketplace. So what separates brands from trends? Emotion. People love their iPhones, iPods, and other Apple products. Who would have ever thought that consumers would have such a fierce relationship with a piece of technology?
• Emotions control social influence. What determines whether or not a user decides to like, share, or comment on your content? You guessed it: emotion. By engaging in emotion in your video marketing, you empower social influence that will increase the likelihood of viewers sharing your video with their own social network. After all, people like good entertainment, information, and awareness. In other words, regardless of the purpose of your video, as long as you engage emotions, you will strike a powerful chord with viewers.
• Emotion doesn’t have to mean emotional. Just because emotion is infused into your video marketing, it doesn’t mean that the video has to be sappy or make viewers cry. Remember, there are a variety of complex emotions to embrace. For instance, are your consumers frustrated with a problem that they’re facing? Why not cure that frustration with relief by showing how your brand can solve the problem?

Regardless of how you incorporate these ideas into your video marketing, remember that emotions including fear, guilt, trust, value, belonging, competition, gratification, leadership, and inspiration can all inspire viewers to learn more about your brand. Working with a professional editor and video team will give you the opportunity to harness the nuances of all these emotions to successfully enhance your video marketing campaign. From the background music used to the pacing of transitions, all of these details can be finely tuned with the experience and expertise of a video crew.