Secret Formula To Viral Videos?

When is the last time you saw a humorous video discussing the exciting world of payroll? Not recently, right? An innovative payroll advertisement can seem like a paradox, but Paycor has shown the small business world it can happen. The company’s fresh advertising approach certainly extends beyond the scope of traditional marketing. So how did the it happen? It’s really quite simple:

•  Insert comedy: Paycor hired professionals from the infamous comedy club The Second City, which helped launch the careers of funny men John Belushi and Steven Colbert. As a breeding ground for “Saturday Night Live” talent, Second City comedians can take a mundane subject and inject their own brand of humor.
• Make your point: Within the hilarious clips are relevant points that resonate with suffering business owners. Who likes to spend weekends working? Who can afford to neglect customers due to payroll? Who can — or wants to — sort through the difficult parts of doing payroll? Paycor’s ads offer comedy but also provide great solutions for busy businesspeople.
• Go viral: The beauty of the ads extends beyond their content. You can find the videos on sites like YouTube and Facebook and Paycor has integrated them on their website. Paycor has also welcomed customer responses, encouraging a deeper interaction with the very people they’re trying to reach. With regard to customer interaction and enjoyment, Paycor is going all in.

A customized solution

Even a well-maintained marketing plan means nothing without results. Luckily, Paycor thrives in this area. The company’s online payroll product is tough to beat. It offers options in the way of reporting, security and payment and can even be used as a hosted solution as well. Complementary training, real-time calculation, free updates and a beautiful interface allows this solution to cater to the needs of a business.

Paycor offers its customers plenty of options, which are useful for startups as well as established businesses. Tools like HR Performer and Time on Demand  take the guesswork out of administrative tasks for busy professionals whose attention could be spent elsewhere. Payroll, time and attendance records, human resources, benefits, 401K tracking and workers’ compensation are all streamlined within the Paycor system.

The product itself of Paycor is solid, the only issue is that not all small business owners know the option of HR solutions is available to them. So how do you get the word out there? Using viral videos is an excellent marketing tool, however if done poorly the strategy can seriously backfire. How did Paycor get it right?

Viral Marketing 

The vast majority of large businesses have all tried to break into the area of viral marketing, and the vast majority have failed for one reason; focusing on themselves instead of their audience. Companies are still operating on the old standards of push marketing and advertising, which essentially is where the consumer takes what is given to them through any media outlet. Only problem now is that with the internet consumers can take on the roles of buyer, seller, critic, and marketer themselves. They can research any product or service through blogs and various websites, read reviews, comment directly on anything for the world to see, get opinions from other individuals all before making any kind of decision relating to a purchase. Therefore, if your advertising tactic is at all flawed, too generic or just plain bad, it will completely tank before it gets the chance to get rolling.

So how do you combat digital failure, especially in the area of viral videos? Simply follow Paycor’s path and create videos that are more for the audience while still serving the purpose of the company. Instead of berating the viewer with payroll information and automated Human Resources data, Paycor spins the boring subject to be humorous, making fun of the lackluster position of an HR professional or small business owner struggling with payroll issues. It is something that all small business owners can relate to since the process of payroll is so complicated. As a result, the video is hilarious while still showing that Paycor is the right HR service provider for your business.

It comes down to being a you-tility for your audience. Simply repeating the phrase, “We are the product / service you want to use, buy us!” over and over again is not going to cut it. Of the average consumer today, 90% said they sought out products through a search engine, referencing 7 different media sources before ultimately making a purchase. In order to be successful then, a company needs to be active on social media, blogs, their own websites, have positive reviews, compelling videos, all of which identify the company as a quality service to it’s users.

Paycor’s videos show that not only can they connect with the digital audience of today, but can effectively meet a businesses HR needs, all through one piece of media. Compliment that with an active social media presence and positive user reviews, and that translates into conversions. Social is a powerful tool for any organization, but it cannot be done cavalierly. You must go all in on your business’ social strategy across all platforms to make an impact.