Marketing tip #63: Facebook should be a part of your video strategy

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Are you creating and sharing video as a part of your marketing strategy?  No doubt you are uploading your work to YouTube as you should.  YouTube and parent company Google top the charts, in terms of online video views.

No surprise there.  

But what might surprise you is that Facebook is #2. Over  58.6 million Facebook users viewed at least one video in August 2010.  That group of people racked up 243 million viewing sessions among them.  That's a lot of eyeball time!

So, if video is part of your mix — don't stop at YouTube.  Be sure you're sharing and spotlighting your videos on your Fan page or through your newsfeed updates on Facebook too.  

One of the added benefits of sharing video on Facebook is how easy it is for your friends/fans to take that video viral.  With a simple click, they can like, share or comment on the video — instantly putting it on their newsfeed too.  (Assuming their privacy settings aren't incredibly stringent.)  

In some ways — that instant shareability (I know it doesn't exist but it's a good word!) trumps the volume that YouTube can give you.  The Word of Mouth reference is golden and sure beats 3 strangers stumbling onto your video.

Don't get me wrong — YouTube is still king but in terms of creating buzz, borrowing credibility from your friends/fans and generating some word of mouth chatter — Facebook is tough to beat.

I'm curious — are you more likely to watch a video that a friend has commented on or shared…or one that you you see referenced in a news article, blog post or some other third party mention?

 


 

 

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9 comments on “Marketing tip #63: Facebook should be a part of your video strategy

  1. Great point. The context for the content seems often just as important as the content itself, in terms of encouraging sharing and engagement.

    I find a “like” on Facebook can be worth a lot more than a “favorite” on YouTube for this reason.

  2. Justin,

    Ahh, you raise a great point. All attention and sharing is not created equal. While YouTube is a fantastic tool, it wasn’t built to primarily be a connecting place, like Facebook is.

    So the currency is valued differently and I agree with you, a like on Facebook is going to have much wider reach than a YouTube favorite.

    Drew

  3. Tracy says:

    This post provided some interesting insight. I know that I often overlook Facebook as a marketing medium to get certain types of company content out there, i.e. videos, but I generally only use FB for more personal use. This might stem from the fact that I was in college when Facebook was exclusive to individuals in college, and its sole purpose was for friends to keep in touch with friends. Facebook can be a very useful outlet for companies and businesses to promote themselves, but it must be done with finesse, otherwise it is much more invasive than helpful.

  4. Mandy Messenger says:

    Facebook has created a network/ community that allows the average person to be on the cutting edge of technology. Through Facebook, millions of people all over the world are part of the technological innovations that are reshaping the meaning of sharing, being friends, and staying connected.

    For me personally the Facebook experience is bittersweet. I enjoy (some) old friends finding me, networking, and staying updated on my friends lives. I don’t enjoy that Facebook has replaced face- to- face conversations, provides an easy out for difficult dialogue, and blurs the line between sharing private and public information.

    In reference to video sharing I do not rely on Facebook friends recommendations to watch a video as much as I do on articles. I find videos referenced in articles to be a more reliable source to get well informed information. But if I am not specifically looking for a well informed source, videos friends have recommended are the way to go.

  5. Adam Henderson says:

    After reading your post I couldn’t help but have to say that I totally agree with your marketing insight. I myself am a university student and have seen hype and attention that Facebook causes. Young kids are spending a lot of time on Facebook and if you were to walk into a auditorium at a university and sit at the back and look at whats on the lap tops of most students I would have to say that about 75% of those students have a Facebook tab open. What I agree with is that firms need to jump on the Facebook bandwagon as it is a market that could expose a company to many more consumers.

  6. Tracy,

    I think many people do the exact same thing — believe that Facebook is their personal playground and not to be mixed with business. But the reality is — there is a ton of business being done on Facebook primarily for that reason — lots of people are there and they hang out there. It’s the perfect place to connect with them.

    Drew

  7. Mandy,

    That’s the trick — isn’t it? How do we use Facebook as a conversation starter but not a substitute for true human interaction?

    Blending your online and offline marketing efforts is a critical step in creating community, I believe. It can’t just stay on Facebook, a blog or a forum.

    Sooner or later, you need to actually do some face to face or at least voice to voice connecting.

    Drew

  8. Adam,

    It simply is where the college students are. And where the 30 somethings are. And the 50 somethings!

    Right now, it is the conversation hub. So to not be there seems shortsighted at best!

    Drew

  9. Katie Ricketts says:

    I’m Co-President for my college’s Campus Activities board. We have recently made a shift from the usual Facebook status updates and event invites to include videos to help promote our events. This has had a very positive impact on our attendance for our events so I would have to agree that ignoring Facebook as a tool for promotion is a mistake.

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