The infomercial is a decades old form of media that is often thought of as traditional. With all the trends toward social media you may think they are not as relevant. Well, it turns out that is not the case! The “infomercial” and social media are in fact complimentary.
The generation that had once ignored commercials and fast forwarded television ads are surprisingly attracted to infomercials on social media.
Millennials and the Infomercial
Millennials are very careful and suspicious of much in the world, and don’t easily fall prey to advertisements. They don’t like being given instructions or told who they are. They do, however, trust photo apps and social media platforms, and whatever is shown there. Authenticity is critical for millennials, and this makes infomercials a great fit for them. The truth is, most infomercials show products in use, and there’s no faking it if your product doesn’t work.
Are Social Media Influencers the New “Pitchmen”?
Infomercials traditionally have a celebrity endorsement or pitchman in their ads, adding credibility and a face behind a brand. Today’s digital landscape makes it even easier for celebrities to endorse or share a product through their social media platforms with many followers.
Benefits brands and businesses
Promoting brands on social media platforms to advertise today is as common place today as video was years ago. Consumers have accepted this and actually enjoy sitting at home watching live streaming videos on their laptop, tablet, or similar device and many end up buying the product.
Urgency and the Infomercial
One benefit of the infomercial was always the ability to create urgency. The limited offers or immediate discounts advertised like ‘call now for free shipping’ or ‘while supplies last’ were attractive to consumers and encouraged action. The speed at which offers can appear and disappear on social media make it a perfect platform to continue this sales strategy. Loss aversion, or the fear of losing something, can be a powerful motivator.
Targeting
Another benefit of social media is the ability to target based on consumer tastes and preferences. Social media is a great source of data with the ability to target on a granular level. For example, your infomercial for pets can be seen directly by pet lovers instead of the entire market.
The aim of social media is to build a loyal patronage that will keep referring, if not buying, products from their preferred brand, visit the website, and in the process, generate revenue and awareness. Social media is today’s most relevant platform, and it is here to stay.