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Making Effective TikTok & YouTube Content With Amplify 11 ’ s Tracy Hoeft
By Manus Hopkins
Video content is more important than ever as a marketing tool for music retailers , artists , and other industry professionals — and that isn ’ t going to change any time soon . While YouTube is still a valuable platform , social media forums like Facebook and Instagram are scrambling to keep up with TikTok , according to Tracy Hoeft , the founder of marketing company Amplify 11 ( Amplify11 . com ).
“ Recently , TikTok surpassed Facebook and Instagram for the amount of time people spend on it , and it ’ s closing in on YouTube very quickly ,” Hoeft explains to Canadian Music Trade . “ So , that ’ s where our customers that we want to reach and impact are .”
Video content doesn ’ t have to be complex or advanced — but there are a few hallmarks that separate an effective marketing video from and ineffective one on TikTok and YouTube , and ways to ensure the video will engage an audience rather than be scrolled past and buried , as Hoeft outlines .
OFFER SOMETHING TO THE VIEWER Firstly , the content of a marketing video has to offer something beneficial to the consumer . According to Hoeft , too many businesses use social and video marketing only to push their products , and in an industry of entertainment and inspiration like the music business , that just doesn ’ t work .
“ It has to start with making it for the customer ,” Hoeft explains . “ It ’ s for that viewer ’ s benefit , not for your own .”
A good way to offer something valuable to a potential customer , Hoeft says , is to teach them something . A guitar string company might be able to advertise its strings with a quick video offering a trick for changing or tuning strings . Educational content isn ’ t the only effective type of video advertisement , of course , but Hoeft believes it ’ s one that works well in the music field , as many musicians are often looking for new ways to do everything from improving their pedalboards to recording music out of their bedrooms .
“ If you ’ re talking about the guitar side of things , there ’ s all kinds of educational pieces there that could be entertaining ,” says Hoeft . “ Even things like unboxing videos where someone gets to see this awesome new product that you just got in — this is a really good method for retailers to have something that would be intriguing .”
As for artists who are trying to grow their audiences and further their music careers , Hoeft says peeks into the process of making their craft can be a good way to go . He suggests behind-the-scenes-style videos of processes like songwriting , recording , and gigs .
“ Things of that nature can be much more interesting than just posting a song when it ’ s done , and not really getting to engage with that audience or letting them behind the scenes on what you ’ re doing ,” he says .
Putting oneself in the customer ’ s position and thinking about what the public might want to see that they don ’ t usually get to see is a good way to come up with ideas for behind-the-scenes content . Remember that the public who aren ’ t living day-to-day in the music industry might find those sorts of things interesting in a way that retailers and artists wouldn ’ t .
“ There ’ s always stuff that ’ s more interesting to people who don ’ t get to see it than we think , because we live it ,” Hoeft explains . “ A music store ’ s behind-the-scenes stuff , it ’ s there , they just don ’ t appreciate it because they see every piece of gear that comes in themselves , and it ’ s no longer interesting to them . And they see every good player that walks in and sits down and plays , they see every smiling customer , and there ’ s all these different interesting stories that actually happen , but we ’ re somewhat too ‘ in ’ it to appreciate it .”
The bottom line , Hoeft says , is if you are making a video for yourself , to
TRACY HOEFT move inventory or push your product , song , or anything else , without offering them something they ’ ll get out if it , whether educational or enjoyable , your video won ’ t be effective .
GET TO THE HOOK It ’ s easy to sit on TikTok scrolling through video after video , barely giving each one a second of attention . That ’ s why , as Hoeft stresses , it ’ s important to have a marketing video ’ s hook within the first three to five seconds , especially on TikTok .
“ Someone gives you two or three seconds when they look at the beginning of your video to decide if they want to watch the full thing ,” Hoeft explains . “ The first thing is we have to win viewers is the first three seconds . Without that , we lose — we ’ re done .”
Hoeft says he sees too many videos that start with a store ’ s logo or a long-winded intro , which are likely to lose viewers ’ attention , especially when the next video on someone ’ s feed is available with only a quick swipe of the thumb . For a viewer to stay , that person must know what they ’ re about to watch , as most people won ’ t just stick around to find out .
“ If you ’ re a guitar player , and you saw a box and there was clearly a guitar coming out of it , are you likely to stay for a few more seconds and watch it ?” says Hoeft . “ You probably are .”
Getting the viewer invested immediately means you have their attention , but you still
30 CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE