The revolution IS being televised.

06.05.2015 |

  • Posted by Nigel BarkerNigel Barker
  • flip-camera-display

    It seems that everyone has finally woken up to the fact that content comes in all forms, and video content these days is as vital a part of the communications mix as good PR, a great logo and a stonking social media strategy.

     

    It’s worth remembering, however, that whilst your business may be dipping their toes into this powerful world, Generation Z have been at this for years, and guess what, they have audiences that you would kill for.

     

    Zoe Sugg is a 24 year old from a sleepy village called Lacock in Wiltshire. In 2009 she started a blog called .  By the end of that year she had made the switch from ‘old school’ blogging to new school ‘Vlogging’ (Video Blogging) through YouTube.

     

    At the time of writing this, Zoella has over 8million subscribers to her main channel (she has two channels, the second is growing at the same rate as the first) and each individual video gets anywhere between a million and 11 million views.

     

    Stop and think about that.  When was the last time that your brand hit 11 million people in one go?  The chances are that unless you have invested in a TV campaign, which will have set you back mega bucks, you haven’t.  Yet this 24 year old can do that talking about hair and make up.

     

    So, you’re probably guessing that she has a huge team behind her, she shoots in a TV studio and it’s a highly professional production costing thousands of pounds?

     

    WRONG – she shoots most of these Vlogs in her bedroom, with very basic camera equipment and using very basic editing skills.  If you were to watch it now you would probably think ‘That’s a bit amateurish.’  I have even spoken to media professionals who have derided her and the thousands like her that use a simplistic self shot, self edited style  – but guess what?  They don’t have 8million subscribers to their YouTube channel and nor will they ever have unless they learn the lessons that are spelled out loud and clear.

     

    So what can we learn from Zoella and the myriad successful Vloggers out there?

     

    Well, Zoella is a mistress of communicating with her audience.  She knows exactly what her audience wants.  She delivers that but further more she engages with them on a very intimate and personal level.

     

    She encourages feedback, she responds to requests.  In short she is a very good broadcaster and a very good communicator.

     

    The key part to communication is listening and the Vlog generation understands this.  The viewers feel empowered, they can affect a change, they have a say in what is being broadcast, they are part of the crew.

     

    So should we all become Zoe Sugg?

     

    No, of course not, but businesses and media organisations alike – take note.  If you still adhere to the hypodermic approach to communications your impact will diminish.  To quote another young female rebel:  “The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems will slip through your fingers.”

     

    Understand the audience, talk to THEM as a person, engage with them and relish in the conversation, done properly it’s really quite stimulating.

     

    This revolution has come; the genie is out of the bottle.  You can either take the genie by the hand, talk to it, see how it can help you or you can try and stuff it back in there.  If you choose the latter you run the risk of burying yourself in the sand for thousands of years.

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