Active listening*

Chief Listener. Listening Czar. Insight Manager. These roles are becoming increasingly common as corporations realize that information has to flow both ways. While brands want to get their messages out, in the age of social media, mining data related to what customers are saying plays a pivotal role in shaping products and strategic directions.

To harness customer input, more brand campaigns include active social media components. A recent example is the Buick Regal Moment of Truth page. Along with Buick’s promotional information about the new model, visitors can access customer comments via live Twitter and Facebook feeds, as well as articles and reviews by industry experts.

While there are debates about how much and how actively brands should listen, no one questions the need to let consumers have their say.

Heidi Cohen, president of interactive marketing consultancy, Riverside Marketing Strategies, says that social media is about conversation not promotion. When participating on social media platforms, she recommends that brands stick to “a 12:1 ratio of conversational messages versus promotional ones.”

With the advent of dynamic video advertising, brands can now integrate conversational tools into messages that have traditionally been promotional. While the main goal of video ads is unquestionably to promote, here are four effective listening techniques that brands can use to complement their social media initiatives:

Forms

Including customizable forms in video ads has typically been about lead capture. Get a viewer to respond to an offer and you’ve added a name and email address to your list. But advertisers can also use forms to solicit consumer comments and suggestions. For example:

• In a product-related video ad, a retailer might ask for suggestions about how the product could be improved.
• A packaged goods business might invite viewers to send service or product complaints or compliments.

Surveys

One of the most effective ways to gather data on consumer preferences is to give consumers the opportunity to actively weigh in. By incorporating surveys into video ads, advertisers can gather useful product- and service-related data, while winning points for their openness to consumer input. For example:

• A politician might poll voters about the issues that concern them the most.
• An auto dealer might poll consumers about what features matter most when purchasing a new car.

Decision tree video viewing

Presenting consumers with options and tracking their choices provides advertisers with invaluable information about what’s working in the marketplace. In high level dynamic video ads, advertisers can include video decision trees that enable viewers to access more information without leaving the original player. For example:

• In a general video ad about its brand, a retailer might present viewers with a choice of three product videos. The video most consumers watch can provide the retailer with valuable feedback about future product development.
• A politician might give voters the option of learning more about the candidate’s position on four hot button issues. The issue that draws the most views can help the candidate shape future campaign platforms and strategies.

Real-time feeds

To provide customer input along with promotional messages, an advertiser can include live Twitter feeds in video ads. For example:

• Buick might include a live Twitter feed in a companion video ad to its Moment of Truth page to incorporate consumer feedback.
• To keep voters informed about a candidate’s actions and activities, a political campaign might include live Twitter feeds from the candidate in its video ads.

When it comes to conversations, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be enormously powerful tools to gauge marketplace sentiments. But as dynamic video ads continue to evolve, they offer savvy advertisers a number of effective and complimentary ways to invite consumer participation.

More information

New to dynamic video advertising? Learn more.

*Photo from the collection of fauxto_dkp on Flickr.