If you’re among the last people on the planet who don’t already regard The Office as one of the best shows of all time, then STOP reading this, sign into your Netflix account (or we’ll give you our login) and watch all nine seasons. Then, come back and finish reading.
If you’ve already watched the show and don’t regard it as one of the best shows of all time, stop reading this, go watch it again, and come back with the right opinion!
Well, the writing and acting are superb, for one thing. Even the cinematography, which arguably made the “run and gun” style of mockumentary shows popular, was carefully thought out and every shot was perfectly planned and executed.
But what made it so good was that it was relatable. We saw ourselves in those characters. It was a “normal” setting of an unappealing paper company office, not high profile criminal cases, or daring efforts of heroes facing insurmountable obstacles.
It was real life — or at least it closely resembled real life.
Now that we all have access to a high quality video camera in our pockets, we all have to ability to show the world what goes on in our “office.”
While that may seem scary, it can actually be a really effective way to connect with your communities and encourage support from a dedicated customer or client base.
HERE ARE A FEW REASONS WHY:
1. To show people your WHY.
There’s no better way to tell people your mission statement than to SHOW them. By creating behind-the-scenes content for your social media channels, you tell your origin story (which can make people get behind you in support).
When people see your passion, day in and day out, they know your heart is in the right place and they know you will also fight to deliver the best product or service to your customer or client.
2. Human connection
Connection is all about empathy — understanding where another person is coming from. When people see that you are human too, and you suffer from similar situations they might face in their lives, they relate to you more. If you tell the stories of the obstacles you face in your quest to achieve your mission, people will want to root for you more (and buy your product or donate to your cause) because they too have obstacles and if YOU can win, then maybe that means THEY can win. It’s all about hope and human stories.
3. Everyone wants to feel special
Remember how when your favorite movie came out on DVD and you couldn’t wait to buy it even though you saw it five times in the theaters because the DVD would have bonus features?! That was the best. You’d listen to the commentary, watch the deleted scenes, and even the auditions of the actors. That’s because you were a true fan, not like the others. True fans are special, and so they get special treatment. If you have true fans, they will follow you and support whatever you put out. So give them something that no one else will: a peek behind the scenes to see how the sausage is made. (By the way, Samsung just decided they will make no more DVD/Blu-ray players — feeling old yet?)
Social Media Examiner does an amazing job of this in their weekly show, The Journey. It shows their audience the good, bad, and ugly as they forge through the “social media jungle” trying to become the best guides they can be for their tribe. Whether they are frantically planning for their annual conference, Social Media Marketing World, or figuring out what to do when Facebook abruptly stops promoting long form video, they bring us along for the ride.
Another powerful example of a show about the making of a business is Wistia’s collaboration with Sandwich Video in One, Ten, One Hundred. This time, the objective is to not only to entertain their audience, but also to educate them — along with cleverly promoting their new software. One, Ten, One Hundred shows al that goes into producing video content as they make three versions of the “same” video for Wistia’s new Soapbox software — one for $1000, one for $10,000, and one for $100,000.
It the most creative answer to the age-old question we video creators get from clients:
If you don’t have the team, budget, or equipment that these two teams have (because we KNOW that’s what you’re saying right now) please remember that Social Media Examiner produces The Journey with ONE person who does it all. And if you can’t find time to do anything else, make sure you watch the $1000 episode of One, Ten, One Hundred.
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