Youtube influencer marketing is probably one of the most popular forms of sponsored content marketing out there due to its ability to provide clear-cut ROI and brand visibility. Products or services are shown in use and therefore, with a decent marketing budget and a couple of smart influencer picks, it's a pretty good way for brands to get publicity and ultimately, sales.
Over the past 8 years, there have been innumerable video formats that have trended. Some have stuck around (Monthly Favorites/Vlogs/A Week in Outfits) and some have thankfully just been a blip on the landscape and have faded into oblivion (100 layers of Nailpolish/foundation/lipstick challenge/Foundation Application With a Silicon Push-up Bra Cushion -pleasestop.).
The landscape has definitely evolved to the point where it's hard to see where brands have injected their advertising $$ - which is a job well done from the content creator's side. There are those Youtubers who do disclose that XYZ brand has sponsored them, especially if they're paying for the entire video, but there are also those videos that have those deets in the description box with nothing but a simple -Ad tag on the title. I personally enjoy these story-telling centric videos. I feel myself reaching for my wallet more for those formats that blatant Haul or Review videos. HeyClaire, CatCreature (Annabelle) and Rachel Nguyen absolutely slay with their video diary style of sponsorship videos.
So taking stock of the almost-decade of video formats, which video formats do brands profit from most?
1. Morning/Evening Routines/Get Ready with Me
The easiest product pushing format. Brands usually sponsor the entire video so that the YT'er can say that their entire day, start-to-finish, revolves around this brands' products. Take it with a pinch of salt, for sure, but brands that have a wide product line benefit from this as that just increases the number of places that the creator can input the product.
2. A Day in the life/Daily Vlogs
If done well, this can look like great advertorial content. Products in use during a day are always the best form of marketing, versus a product-centric video. When Proactiv tried their video testimonial format ad, with well-known faces, they saw a fall in revenue rather than a rise. This is probably due to the product-pushy approach versus a natural progression to introducing the product. Also, due to the diverse and often unpredictable path of content, all bets are off. So even a laundry softener company can get the spotlight, when we watch Youtubers do their dirties, cause lets face it, that is most of my weekend mornings (watching them do laundry, not doing it myself).
3. PR event vlogs
Brands pull out ALL stops to court influencers. Revolve with their Hamptons weekends, Dior with their brunches and Charlotte Tilbury with her Christmas-in-July parties. A simple vlog showing an 'exclusive' (let's be real, when 2389210 influencers post the same content for their followers, how exclusive is it really?) event almost guarantees a buzz and a few couple
4. Favorites videos
Probably one of the oldest video formats that have stuck around, but are the most impactful on sales. When your favorite influencer says she/he has been 'loving this product and have literally used nothing else all month' who are you to question? Just get out the plastic.
5. New Arrivals (usually after a PR Unboxing)
PR Unboxing videos often get me questioning what on earth I'm doing with my life paying for my own stuff. It involves a large sack of sh*t from brands that is opened on camera with newly launched or products that are gifted early to influencers for them to try out. Tati a.k.a Glamlifeguru is my go-to for those early-arrival videos. If a brand has sent an influencer products in the most extra way possible (Marc Jacobs with their damn video-boxes), it affects the way consumers think about the brands.
So there you have it. Branded videos are not always the reason that products sell out/or affect ROI - if an influencer puts the product in one of these 5 video formats, it pretty much guarantees a spike in product sales.
Post a Comment