Introduction
It is imperative to note that videos published online have gained popularity as one of the primary marketing tools. An understanding of techniques and unique aspects of the market is crucial, and an analysis of available data should help to ensure that activities related to marketing are beneficial to the company and expenses are justified. A relatively small firm will be selected, and a promotional campaign will be developed to demonstrate the knowledge of crucial concepts.
Company
Magenta Skateboards is an independent business focused on the development of equipment and accessories for the fans of the sport. Maplewood boards are viewed as its primary products. The quality is one of the most important aspects that should be highlighted. A unique technique is utilized during the process of manufacturing, and it helps to ensure that the equipment may resist enormous pressure, and is long-lasting. Also, unique design and the image of the firm are critical factors that affect the behavior of customers in this market. These products are preferred by individuals that are tired of other trendy brands, and would like to try innovative products.
Content
The series will be focused on skateboarding tricks, and a professional in this area would explain how to perform them. The style is going to be rather serious to ensure that it fits the brand and overall theme. This approach is expected to be quite efficient because the videos will be aimed primarily at the target market, and should interest nearly all the visitors of the website. It would be reasonable to collaborate with famous professional skaters to increase the reach of the video. Such strategy is expected to be incredibly successful because users that are not aware of the existence of the firm will be able to find the series via a search engine. Moreover, individuals trying to learn how to skate will be exposed to the information about the brand, and are more likely to choose it among other options.
Social Media Communities
Currently, an enormous percentage of the company’s followers are members of skateboarding social media communities, and Magenta Skateboards should take advantage of the fact. Various platforms such as Facebook should be used for distribution, and it is paramount to post it in appropriate groups (Luo, Wang, & Han, 2013). It would be appropriate to encourage the customers to produce their personal videos that would have a similar theme.
Unique tricks will be appreciated the most, but it is necessary to warn the users about safety measures that should be taken. The use of the equipment manufactured by the firm is a requirement (Roberts & Zahay, 2012). The videos will be reviewed by professionals, and winners will be offered bonuses and discounts. Users that post videos will also have an opportunity to win prizes. Many individuals would share the content even without rewards, but it is an aspect that affects their motivation (Yang & Wang, 2015).
Metrics
It would be beneficial to pay the most attention to such indicators as sales, sharing, and consumptions. The numbers of views and likes are critical, and they can be analyzed to determine particular trends and the overall interest in subject matter.
The age of viewers is also crucial, and a company may reconsider its long-term strategy depending on received results. Engagement is a critical metric in this case because the firm is trying to ensure that customers participate in the production of videos, and appropriate measures should be taken to ensure that the information is delivered to the target market. The growth of the audience is another indicator that needs to be evaluated because it is possible to correlate it with marketing activities (Perez-Latrel & Tsourvakas, 2013).
Pros and Cons
One of the most significant benefits of this approach is that the team is quite experienced in the production of videos, and previous works have managed to gain a lot of views. Therefore, additional expenses on training are not necessary and external professionals are not needed. All of the products are designed by skateboarders, and the primary audience is expected to enjoy a series produced by the same professionals.
On the other hand, the approach has several weaknesses. For instance, it does not align with the current business strategy and may affect the image of the company. The firm has produced a series of videos over the years that have a rather similar style, and a dramatic change in direction may not be appreciated by loyal consumers. Moreover, their motivation to share the content may be affected (Ho & Dempsey, 2010). Nevertheless, such marketing strategy needs to be utilized because the company has tremendous potential that is not yet fully realized, and it is an outstanding opportunity to increase sales.
Conclusion
In summary, the video marketing campaign that was developed is expected to be incredibly efficient in the long-term, and a company may request more videos in the future if it is necessary. Overall, the most attention should be devoted to the reaction of loyal clients because their opinion is of utmost importance, and appropriate alterations to the strategy may be considered depending on the situation.
References
Ho, J., & Dempsey, M. (2010). Viral marketing: Motivations to forward online content. Journal of Business Research, 63(9), 1000-1006.
Luo, L., Wang, Y., & Han, L. (2013). Marketing via social media: a case study. Library Hi Tech, 31(3), 455-466.
Perez-Latrel, F. J., & Tsourvakas, G. (2013). Social media: Managerial and economic opportunities. In M. Friedrichsen & W. Muhl-Benninghaus (Eds.), Handbook of social media management: Value chain and business models in changing media markets (pp. 201-218). New York, NY: Springer Science & Business Media.
Roberts, N. F., & Zahay, K. E. (2012). Internet marketing: Integrating online and offline strategies. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.
Yang, H., & Wang, Y. (2015). Social sharing of online videos: Examining American consumers’ video sharing attitudes, intent, and behavior. Psychology & Marketing, 32(9), 907-919.