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Part 3: The Core Variables

via Fox Financial on Facebook

Original post link

Copy: Would you get these finance questions right for $500?

 

The opening line here was “I’ve got 5 questions, get them all right, win the prize” with text that said “$500” over it, implying that was the prize. On Facebook, it hit 2,200 views for them, and on Instagram it hit 282 at the time of writing.

This can serve as inspiration for a “modern commercial”, or a broadly relatable, long form, higher production video based on this concept given its relative performance.

via True Classic Tees on YouTube

True Classic Tees ran a variety of high-production videos across platforms with a direct-response focus. Focused on comedy, these videos feature a variety of funny scenarios that their customer base (young men) would relate to. The above video on shows an exchange between a manager and an employee, while other videos feature a group of friends going out to eat or a couple of guys at the gym. This one ends with a CTA to click the link for a 20-percent-off incentive—a brand video with direct- response elements to grow sales.

via @stingraychevorlet on TikTok

Original post link

copy: Red flags to look for when buying a car! #KeepItRealMeals #fyp #stingraychevorlet

The video starts with a large title, “Car Dealership Red Flags, Part 1.” It starts off like an educational skit between a salesperson and a customer but quickly cuts short when the salesperson almost punches the customer (in a funny way) when she asks a question.

Now let’s extract some post-creative strategy insights.

Reading through the comments on the original post, it seems like the overall sentiment was generally positive, with various comments from users that signaled the video was funny.

But what led to the outsized success of this video? Here’s one potential reason: Some portion of the public has negative feelings toward dealerships, and these kinds of funny videos can help humanize them. Some people view dealerships as a place for hard negotiations and stressful conversations, and this video presents that environment as a fun, casual place to be. You can see that one of the commenters even names the staff member in the skit, as did the original poster’s account when they replied to the second comment.

Part 5: Breaking Down Content Examples

Straight-to-Camera Selfie Videos

via @ucanoutdoors on Instagram

Original post link.

Copy:

Self-Care Savage Wisdom!

If you can’t show me, I can’t hear you!

Know your worth!
.
.
.
.
.
#friendlyreminder #inspiration #motivation #wisdom #selfcare

In this case, the creator of the video pulled out his phone and shared his thoughts while taking a walk through the woods. He layered some audio over it from Instagram and added captions for easier consumption. Of course, there are little things here that could be im- proved; maybe adding a title to the top of the video would improve performance, maybe cutting out the pause at the be- ginning of the video would improve performance, or maybe longer copy around what the quote means to him would improve performance.

But the main thing I want to call out here is that posting is better than not posting. A lot of creators and businesses can easily execute on this content format. Just pick a common piece of advice you give your customers, clients, or some- thing you believe in, and literally make a piece of content with it right now.

via @keith_lee125 on TikTok

Original link

Copy: Life update 💕 A message to past me , You did everything you had to , to get us here and for that I’m forever thankful We got it from here 💕 God is amazing

Through straight-to-camera videos, you can connect with audiences in a deeper way, like the video above from food critic Keith Lee.

What he did in this video is what a lot more influencers and creators should do: break the fourth wall with their audience and share personal stories about their journey and genuine moments from their everyday lives.

This kind of authentic, “in the moment” content through straight-to-camera vid- eos helps build a closer connection with the audience and leads to building an actual engaged community.

Mascot Driven Content

via @empirestatebldg on TikTok

Original post link

Copy:They make me feel so old #nyc #empirestatebuilding #newyork

Using mascots is something I’ve mentioned in this book a few times because I really want you to consider experimenting with it. Whether you’re a small business or a large brand, there are many creative ways to incorporate mascots into your content—whether it’s a full-blown cartoon, or just starting small by using face filters on your product.

Above is an example from the Empire State Building’s TikTok account.

via @target on TikTok

Original post link

Copy: u can always trust the red ball with ur secrets 😏 #vegassphere

Target does three things right here:

1. Hopping on a timely trend is always a good idea. In the summer of 2023, there were some videos that spread across the internet showing the brand new Sphere entertainment venue in Las Vegas, Nevada. Quickly there were a lot of memes of individuals and brands putting themselves on the Sphere and riding that trend.

2. They humanized the “red ball” (the ones typically outside of Target stores) and placed it in the Sphere.

3. They successfully built on an “inside joke” with their customers through the text overlaid on top of the video, “me explaining what happens in target stays in target.” The copy builds on it too.