It may seem like the digital marketing world doesn’t have a lot of new tricks to offer today. But for Dollar Shave Club, content marketing was their best option for long-term success. Here are eight content marketing tips that helped them build an engaged audience and go viral on YouTube. Dollar Shave Club was able to succeed thanks to eight content marketing strategies. Make a viral video. Ask every North American guy between the ages of 17 and 30 whether he’s heard of Dollar Shave Club (DSC). “Yeah,” he’ll most likely say. And it isn’t only males who are aware of DSC. Many women are aware of it as well, having purchased memberships for the males in their life. Dollar Shave Club is a great example of a successful company that exploded in popularity. So what was one of their earliest indications of success? There is a video. A video that has gone viral. You should watch it if you haven’t already: The company’s first video, dubbed “Our Blades Are F**king Great,” instantly became a viral hit. Within the first 90 days, the film gathered roughly 5 million views, with punchlines and jokes to satisfy a wide range of preferences. Michael Dubin, the company’s creator, had a few tricks in his sleeve to assist make a professionally trimmed film.
The CEO studied performing arts at New York’s Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), where he learned how to utilize humor to captivate an audience’s attention. He also used his UCB connections to hire a director and connect with a production company, which helped keep expenses down. The price of the original DSC launch video was $4,500. Most marketers would expect to spend closer to $60k on a carefully planned film like DSC created. However, the video’s success was not entirely due to chance. The entire affair was well planned. But, let’s face it, most businesses aren’t Dollar Shave Club. You definitely don’t have a theatrical experience to help you be as humorous as DSC’s CEO, and it’s unlikely that you’ll produce anything with over 7 million views. But don’t get too hung up on the number of views. If you break down what DSC did in their search for a great launch, you may still be successful without chasing the same figures.
Tips from their viral campaigns to improve content strategy:
1. Video’s Influence
Said, video is the most effective medium for conveying information. Video allows you to engage with a customer and develop a profound emotional connection with your audience more than any other content medium. You may elaborate on that one idea that connects with an audience and present it with a voice and personality that captivates them on a one-on-one level. The utilization of video by DSC was a wise decision, particularly in video use statistics. HubSpot provides several convincing statistics that demonstrate why including video in your content marketing strategy is a wise move:
- 92 percent of people who watch videos on their phones share them.
- Watching videos accounts for more than a third of all internet activity.
- More than a third of customers believe in video advertisements.
- In the recent 30 days, 80% of users can remember a video ad they saw.
- Purchase intent is increased by 97 percent, and brand association is increased by 139 percent when people like video advertising.
2. Excellent tale-telling
Great narrative, in my opinion, is critical to a brand’s viral success. This took place at DSC. Adam Weber, the CMO of Dollar Shave Club, tells the tale (about the story). “Since our premiere video, we’ve been concentrating on determining which new tales to tell, to which customers, and then determining the best distribution channels to tell them on.” We go to the obvious locations with our video storytelling. We put a lot of money into television because it’s a terrific area to convey a story with video.” Here are some more of his reasoning: I believe that, in the long run, as you get more immersed in digital spaces, social outlets such as YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter will be excellent forums for conveying tales via video. They’ve become an increasingly important aspect of our strategy. They have several distinct features that television doesn’t have. While the narrative does not need to be a component of every marketing plan, it should be a part of any marketing strategy, as DSC’s success demonstrates. It’s effective for three reasons.
- For starters, tales catch the audience’s interest. People will want to fulfill their curiosity if you have an outstanding and fascinating narrative—especially if the tale is relevant.
- Second, a compelling story aids in the development of audience trust. When you open up and share personal tales with others, they are more likely to trust you. When companies tell their stories, it works similarly, and it keeps the audience coming back for more.
- Third, tales capture most people’s attention better than raw stuff such as figures or facts. Not that facts and statistics aren’t fascinating, but if you can weave a narrative around them, you’ll be sure to pique people’s attention.
3. They were aware of their target audience.
Another thing that sets Dollar Shave Club apart is its understanding of its target market. DSC speaks to guys in a very relatable tone, offering something that has never been seen before in the world of men’s grooming goods. Before Dollar Shave Club, most of the razor content and branding either took a highbrow “gentlemanly” tone or depicted men as hairy Neanderthals who required blades with the edge of a katana to be smooth. But how long can you keep selling goods that promote a “closer shave” approach? Dollar Shave Club demonstrates how to communicate with your audience when you take the time to discover what they want. You may develop material that speaks to them in a language they understand and with concepts that make sense.
Every content marketing plan should start with thorough buyer research to determine what they want, how they want it, where to find them, and how to reach them.
4. The value proposition is the main focus.
No matter how funny the video is, if you can’t link the product to the customer somehow, all those views won’t transfer into sales and income. Knowing your audience, as well as storytelling, is a wonderful place to start. Dollar Shave Club nailed it by keeping its language and material laser-focused on the value proposition from landing pages to videos.
When you watch the videos, you’ll see how convenient it is never to have to shop for new blades, as well as how affordable it is. Like many other guys, I am frustrated by the continual rise in the cost of blade replacements. Dollar Shave Club lacked a distinguishing feature. Razors may be found all over the place. Despite this, they created a distinct value proposition for their goods and maintained it at the forefront of their content marketing efforts.
5. It’s simple to share
Dollar Shave Club’s marketing approach includes conventional media placement, such as television. However, the shareability of their digital material may be credited with the launch’s success and quick expansion. They made it simple for potential customers and consumers to share that material with their friends and family by developing a range of video content and stop-motion cartoons marketed via social media.
It was and continues to be the ideal recipe for spreading material. Generate material that makes you feel good. Material with awe-inspiring content, comedy and compelling tales is engaging and sharing.
6. Each word has a certain function.
Dubin had a lengthy draft that spanned four pages early in the production process. Trimming something down was a necessary part of the creative process. It’s a strategy you must use with material, regardless of medium. If material isn’t necessary for conveying the message, it should be removed. A video’s every phrase, time, and frame must have a purpose or make a point. The team set to work producing comedic material to keep the film light-hearted yet sharp-witted and entertaining once the content was reduced to its essential bones, focusing solely on the brand message. People are aware of brand message, and when you disrupt it, they are aware of the risk you have taken. Lucia Aniello, who directed Dollar Shave Club’s premiere video and collaborated with Dubin on the writing, says Learn to put your faith in the amusing. If you take a chance, you could be rewarded. The company’s unofficial motto, which serves as the title for the first video, is a great example. “Our blades are f**king terrific,” Aniello said while attempting to construct a firm line that would strike the viewer hard at the start of the video.
When I initially spoke the sentence, Mike’s face lit up. , Aniello recalls. There was a half-second of hesitation, and then whatever angel—or devil—sat on his shoulder said, “Go for it.”
7. Strategic content distribution
Many marketers would tell you that Dollar Shave Club just got fortunate with its content. Some would argue that the Old Spice advertisements, which combined randomness with wit and fun, were similar. While luck plays a part in every material becoming viral, time is also crucial. Dollar Shave Club was well aware of this, so they devised a plan for distributing their material. In reality, the team showed the film around to recruit investors and evaluate responses before it became a viral smash; thus, it was technically live online before it became a viral hit. When it came time to premiere the video, Dubin chose a financing announcement that he knew would get a lot of attention. This attracted a lot of attention to the video and assured that it didn’t get lost among the many hours of a video published to YouTube every minute of every day. To give your content a fighting chance, you must plan strategically. Don’t attempt to put stuff out into the void.
8. The material was amusing.
People don’t merely share material for the sake of it. For example, consider the most recent material you’ve shared. There’s a good chance you did so for one or more of the following reasons:
- A common notion or belief in the article connected with you personally.
- It was motivational and made an emotional connection with you.
- It was either amusing or instructive—or both.
- It was useful to you, and you thought your contacts might like it as well.
The video for Dollar Shave Club and most of their content marketing is full of hilarious, clever, self-deprecating comedy. In a Jackass/Knoxville type of way, it’s engrossing (minus the violent shots to the groin.)
You don’t need natural comic skills or professional instruction to build a deep connection with your audience. Indeed, if you try too hard, your message may come off as phony. It worked for DSC because they identified their target group and, more significantly, the brand’s personality. The brand message and the material itself were both consistent. DSC wasn’t amusing for the sake of amusement.
Conclusion
The content success of Dollar Shave Club can be repeated, but it shouldn’t be. You may create content that will fascinate your audience with the appropriate method. All you have to do now is figure out what they want and communicate with them. With this knowledge, you can vary your material and offer information that will appeal to the individuals you’re attempting to reach. You don’t have to be amusing. All you have to do is be genuine, real, consistent, and open to listening.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did the Dollar Shave Club go viral?
A: The Dollar Shave Club is a start-up company that provides razors for only $1 per month. They used many social media platforms to share their message and offer discounts on their products. They were able to make an explosive impact using this marketing method because they had engaged followers worldwide who would spread the word about them virally, with no advertising necessary for it to happen.
How does Dollar Shave Club promote its products?
A: Dollar Shave Club has done several ads revolving around the companys Dollar name, as well as their mascot, The $1
Shaver. These include an ad in which they have to shave with a regular razor and nick themselves on the chin; another where two gentlemen are seen shaving each other faces with razors that also say $1; and one from 2010 in which they advertise being able to get three blades for $6
Why was Dollar Shave Club so successful?
A: Dollar Shave Club is a monthly subscription service that sends replacement razors to your door every month. The company has received much success because they can provide subscribers with high-quality products, which help make their customer experience more enjoyable and efficient.
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