Video engagingI’ve been seriously researching (and experimenting with) video as an online marketing tool recently. There are perfect examples of successful viral marketing campaigns with videos. But this is not what I wanted to emphasize (and ask your opinion about) in this post.

What I wanted to focus on in this short post is: how engaging a video can be.

We’ve seen great examples of how a video can create buzz and get the word out, how it can be used to visualize the message and how it can work as a link magnet. But have we seen enough videos that are really engaging?

I can’t say I have come across a lot of good engaging videos – have you?

Below I am listing just a couple of examples I was able to find – are you aware of more? That would be a great help in my research!

1. Integrating Sign-up Process Right within the Video: Oxfam

Oxfam ACT FAST program, which teaches citizens about poverty and hunger, has been launched recently with the compelling message and smart promotion campaign. The program video player allows viewers to join Oxfam within the video itself, making it easy to get involved:

2. Engaging with Playful Experience: The PEN Story

Last year Able Reach discovered this video for me which is

…engaging and it’s got my mind going all perkity perk – it’s creative, interesting, playful, easy to understand, feels like there is more, and makes me want to keep looking.

If a web site made me feel like that *and* made it easy for me to get what I want, I could see myself telling other people about both the site and the products it sells.

The video lacks a clear-cut call to action but it is engaging nonetheless!

Any other good examples you can come up with? Please share them in the comments!

Post image by Rennett Stowe

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I am the owner of this blog as well as Brand and Community Manager at Internet Marketing Ninjas and Founder of MyBlogGuest, MyBlogU and ViralContentBee.com

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8 Comments

  1. I really liked example #1. I’m pretty sure conversion rate is very high since people can join within the video itself…

  2. These are the first two videos that I’ve really seen to be very engaging like just you said, so sad that there are not a lot of videos like this. But I think creating one would really be a challenge. If I ever stumble into one, will be posting it here.

  3. Ultimately online video is an engaging marketing tool, but whether they remaina ne ffective ‘call to action’ remains to be seen.

    I watched the Oxfam video and whilst I enjoyed it I must confess that I haven’t signed up. Although this probably reflects more on me as a bad person…

  4. Charlie Ballard says:

    Video as a marketing tool is always going to be tough unless it’s embedded in other content, as traditional TV advertising has always been.

    The problem is that no one wants to hit the click necessary to start the video, because no one believes the video is good yet. In fact, there’s often a resistance to watch something just BECAUSE people’s friends say it’s good.

    This problem is minimized if it’s for content that someone’s already engaged in (e.g., they’ve searched for “how to iron a blazer” and get to a page with a video titled the same), but to get someone to watch a video created purely to raise awareness of a product or concept someone’s not already familiar with is a challenge — what’s the value proposition for the viewer?

    Hulu does an excellent job targeting its ads, to the point where I actually look forward to seeing how relevant they are to me. And generally they’re for products I’m pretty interested in — with the occasional misfire of an ad promoting a Chevy minivan.

    The more we as marketers to increase the *relevancy* of marketing across the internet, the more people will start engaging with video, as they’re become more confident that the video will actually have some appeal.

  5. Good piece of writing on a newly-conceived idea.

  6. @ryanstryin says:

    Attention drops off after 90 seconds. And retention follows shortly after. Short format video of around 90 seconds is the sweet spot to shoot for. The goal of engagement is retention!

  7. I think a good online video balances authenticity and investment. The videos I watch and remember are similar to videos you shared in your post and to some extent the link Simon suggested in this regard. I’d be curious as to what videos would make the top two this year.

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