A blog entry by PR consultant Adam Vincenzini, head of Digital at Paratus Communications. Adam is scheduled to give a talk on YouTube at Mynewsdesk’s event Mynewsday.
The popularity and power of YouTube marketing is well documented.But just in case you weren’t aware, here are a few reasons why it is held in such high regard:
- Audience – YouTube is easily the world’s most popular video sharing community which means the potential audience for your content is increased
- SEO impact – Forrester Research suggests that web video is 53 times more likely that traditional web pages to receive an organic first page ranking
- Participation – Good video content will encourage a meaningful response, whether that is a comment, a vote or a social share
However, there is a downside – creating content that stands out from the crowd isn’t easy.
One of the more popular ways to get cut through the noise is to include elements of interactivity into the content, giving some of the storytelling power to the viewer. Here are five clever examples of interactivity in action and some of the lessons you can take away from them.
1. The Desperados Experience on YouTube
Beer brand Desperados puts the viewer in control of his / her own ‘party destiny’ in this clever video. The viewer is given a number of options, including which sex they’d like to party with and then is provided with a personalized memento from the party via some slick integration with Facebook. This will keep you feeling good and glued to your screen until the very end!
2. The Escape by Intel on YouTube
To highlight the power of the 2nd generation Intel Core processor family, Intel created a James Bond style mission which requires you to make several decisions to escape from a couple of bad guys. Your mission includes a rendezvous with a special agent, retrieving an envelope and then returning to base. This is one of the better interactive videos produced in the last few years.
3. The Imagination Room from Wonka on YouTube
Have you ever dreamed of being let loose in the Wonka chocolate factory? This interactive video brings this experience to life by giving you the power to make decisions about which rooms you’d like to see and how to get the most from each one.
4. Hugo, Just Different on YouTube
To promote the ‘reinvented’ Hugo Boss fragrance Hugo Boss TV created the first ever video which let you control the story by tilting your head. It works by taking a series of shots of you via your webcam and then your head does the rest. Extremely innovative…if not a little creepy!
5. Nexus Contraptions on YouTube
To highlight the endless customization capabilities of the Nexus S mobile phone, Google created a mini-game which allows you to build your own Nexus S from scratch. The gaming element of this video makes it particularly addictive.
The lessons
Apart from being good fun, these videos have each recognised one of the points made at the top of this post – the importance of participation. While this might seem like common sense, the majority of branded video content posted to YouTube doesn’t adopt this mindset.
Interactivity is not the magic ingredient to YouTube success, but it is one tactic to consider if you really want to get a response from your existing and potential customers.
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