Joining the likes of Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat, Pinterest is adding capability for video advertisements that may give other social media channels a run for their money.
After testing with advertisers for a year, Pinterest decided to follow in the footsteps of Facebook with the autoplay format. But Pinterest is also addressing known issues by allowing advertisers to use metrics from third-party sources such as Moat and Nielsen.
Mobile Marketer reports that this worked: Visa saw a 33 percent gain in its image as an innovator, and Cheetos experienced an increase in purchase intent of more than 50 percent as result of Pinterest’s adaptation.
Pinterest’s decision to jump into the video ad pool illustrates its commitment to an evolving marketing platform. Startups can learn a lot from this approach — not because video advertisements are the end-all, be-all of marketing, but because a strong and pragmatic early marketing plan is essential to company viability and growth.
Creating the hype
Marketing should begin even before a product launch. After leaders figure out the desired launch date, they can then work backward to create a schedule for the launch team that is as specific and detailed as possible, and initiates the pre-launch campaign.
This pre-launch period allows customers to anticipate the product, helps verify that everything is going smoothly and is critical to the product’s ultimate success. Resources such as Buffer, Sprout or Hootsuite are great tools to help leaders track social media interactions. If the company then finds that the target audience is skeptical or concerned about specific product details, it can take that feedback and apply it preemptively, ensuring that consumer expectations aren’t shattered, and staving off any negative reviews that could stifle the enthusiasm of the eanticipated customer base.
In the digital world, Mailbox had one of the most successful pre-launch campaigns for the Mailbox App. The company tapped trendsetters to endorse the quality of its app — a vital part of all app or digital launches now — and built initial hype through the “velvet rope,” where users could watch a demo video, then sign up to be part of the download queue. The Mailbox App campaign also prioritized the most important aspects of the product, such as the snooze feature to bolster novelty.
Spreading the word
Too many entrepreneurs approach marketing with a “one-size-fits-all” mentality or a heavy reliance on word-of-mouth advertising. Many also wind up chasing the latest trend. While a highway billboard may at first seem antiquated, a product that’s an app that helps people find the cleanest nearby restroom could be a perfect fit.
Ultimately, the…
