According to a 2021 DataReportal report, the average American spends a daily 7 hours and 11 minutes in front of a screen – with an average of 3 hours and 18 minutes of that total time on a mobile phone. Despite the personal feelings we might have about those insane statistics, as marketers, we can’t ignore a certain truth: we must meet our customers where they are.
With this high volume of virtual stimulation, it should be no surprise that while scrolling, customers do not want to feel sold to. The fix…prioritize entertainment. This approach can be funny, expressive, whimsical, thought-provoking, or heart-warming…anything that captures the audience. In content creation, entertain first, educate second, sell last.
Similar to how we use tangible spec samples and self-promotions in the promo selling process, savvy creators provide captivating digital “specs” of who they are and what they offer through intangible means…videos, photos, articles, social posts and digital experiences.
Shark Tank’s shark, Kevin O’Leary is known for consistently promoting engineering as the degree that provides the highest chance of success in a career. However, in a recent interview with Evan Carmichael, he expressed, “I’ve changed my mind in the last two years. Since the pandemic hit, the number one demand I have for my companies are people that can take the concept of the business and tell a story about it; produce a video, really rich photography, build out 59, 39, 29, 14-second videos to plaster all over social media to sell product direct to customer.”
So where do we begin? How do we start creating content in which entertainment is paramount?
Remember that you are the product. People want to buy from those they know, like and trust. That has been true for as long as sales has existed. Post sincere content that reflects your values and personality. Include your dog, children, spouse, friends or hobbies. They add dimension and help your audience get to know you better. Because you are the product to your audience, not every post needs to be about promo (or whatever you’re selling). Your followers want the whole version of you, so keep a mix of personal and professional content.
It’s OK to mess up. In fact, it will likely make your content perform at a higher level of engagement than if it were polished and perfect. Have fun and be authentic, relaxed and personable. Online, we’re often subjected to an overwhelming amount of curated, overly-edited and honestly… bullshit posts that don’t accurately reflect real life. Because of that, we consciously and unconsciously have our guard up as we scroll.
“I don’t have time.” can’t be an excuse. If you don’t have the time or resources to produce high volumes of video or photo, explore more on-the-fly options like quick go-lives and the stories feature on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
“I don’t know what to post” can’t be an excuse either. We sell products, marketing ideas, packaging, print collateral…the list goes on and on. Talk about your favorite branded coffee mug, a recent project you’re excited about, record an unboxing video, coverage of you visiting a customer, or post about your outfit if you’re wearing promotional gear (if you want to freak your kids out, this is what they call a “fit check”).
If you don’t know how to do something, Google it. It takes 10 seconds to type in your question and oftentimes the answer will be available in a short article or video clip. The rest of us are all just learning on the fly too. Don’t let confusion hold you back from exploring accessible tools and platforms that will only continue to be more relevant in our lives and our businesses.
Create hooks where you can. What is a hook? It’s anything that entices the viewer to watch, comment, like, etc. and can be included in the body of the post, a caption on the photo or video or if in video form, it could be what you do or say in the first 1-3 seconds.
If you catch yourself smiling or laughing at what you just made, post it. Don’t overthink it and chicken out. We are all our own worst critic. If you enjoyed it, someone else will too.
At the rate in which platforms and trends evolve, it can often feel overwhelming to keep up. All we can do is adapt and learn together as we go. So here’s my game plan: lead with an entertainment-first approach, invest in personal and brand storytelling, create short-form videos across all platforms, and strive for engaging, message-dense content.