What are the benefits of YouTube vs. Instagram in creating your message?
Both are great platforms for us, but with YouTube you can create longer videos. Since folks use YouTube for search (e.g. how do I ….), it makes it easier for people to discover content that was posted previously – even many months ago. Having said that, video is our most engaging type of content on Instagram. If you can show someone how to do something in 15 seconds, it makes them feel like they can be successful doing it.
Do you see a demographic difference between the YouTube vs. Instagram audience?
Instagram skews younger for us, but both audiences are younger when compared to Facebook and Pinterest.
How do your videos serve each audience on the different channels?
We are very much focused on providing content that people will find interesting. With Instagram, you have 15 seconds so it’s really about inspiring someone to try something – showing them how easy it is. With YouTube, you can spend more time on demonstrating the step-by-step instructions and getting into more detail. Also, as I mentioned before, YouTube content has a very long tail in terms of viewership. People go to YouTube to get instruction – ‘how to…’.
When making a short form video, how do you choose what to focus on?
We focus on how to tell the story in a very short period of time with an emphasis on communicating the “punch line” (what you will get by watching) in the first few seconds so that they are compelled to continue watching. When constructing our content plan, we try to think about what folks will be interested at the time we are publishing the video– e.g. cooking making at Christmas.
What would be your one key piece of advice for making a video go viral?
Actually, we don’t think about making a video viral because that can set unrealistic expectations. All videos don’t need to get millions of views for it to be considered a success. We always first think about what we can do to instruct or inspire the viewer – how we can provide something they will find valuable. If we do that, we have a much better chance of a making something ‘shareworthy’ that a lot of people will watch.
How did you transition from a career in finance to digital marketing, and what attracted you to the space?
When working on my MBA, I took a class in marketing and I loved it – especially the challenge of creating something that was going to connect, to persuade. I was drawn to Digital Marketing because of the ability to see how things perform (real time feedback) and the fact that it’s always changing – it never gets boring. With all of the data we Digital Marketers get, I still get my numbers fix.
What are a few of your favorite social media publications?
Even though it’s not a social media publication, per se, I love Fast Company. It’s a must read for anyone that wants to be on the forefront of new business thinking. Also, Media Post has a number of great newsletters. One of my favorite apps is Flipboard and so I get content from a ton of sources there.
What is one of your favorite digital marketing / social media campaign (other than something you’ve worked on at Wilton?)
Always #Like a Girl. Maybe because I have a daughter, but I loved the empowerment/self-confidence message. It created a lot of great conversations around the subject.
