Obama Connects and Inspires With Social Video

What you can learn from the most powerful man in the world about using video on Social Media.

By Gemma Abela

This year, America’s president, Barack Obama, used non-traditional media methods when making a huge announcement, and it had some incredible results that every business owner can learn from.

Instead of calling a press conference and assembling journalists in a small room with their notepads and pens, Obama decided to utilise his online network to provide a prelude to an upcoming announcement.

The video is set in an office, with Obama sitting on the corner of his desk in a business shirt and tie without his suit jacket. Obama addresses the topic, talking directly to you, as if you were in the room having a one-on-one conversation with the president.

It’s not a formal address, and he uses his hands to punctuate his points. He doesn’t use the words “government” or “White House,” opting instead for inclusive language like ‘we can accomplish together’, ‘everybody agrees’, ‘we understand’, and ‘everybody has the opportunity’.

In those 90 seconds, Obama has captured an audience from all different demographics and generations.

In less than one hour, the White House reported the video had reached more than 1.2 million people on Facebook. He had connected with and influenced the country.

The American president is no stranger to using Social Media effectively. Many believe that Obama’s use of Social Media during his 2008 campaign was the reason he won the election. Obama was able to influence a nation, who has no obligation to vote, to listen to his political stance through Social Media.

If he was able to create a voting revolution in 2008 and inspire 1.2 million people to watch a video in less than an hour in 2015, then we need to take his lessons and implement them.

3 Techniques To Apply To Your Own Business When Using Video On Social Media

Consider your language.

Obama opts for inclusive language, using words like “we”, “us”, and “everybody”. Just like Obama avoids using the words ‘government’ and ‘White House,’ avoid using the name of your business. Instead, talk about your customers’ problems, fears, and frustrations, and your solution to them.

Talk with your audience, not at them.

Obama talks to the camera is if it were a single person so the viewer feels they are having a 1-1 conversation with the President. He uses a warm and informal approach that feels more like you are having a conversation rather than him making a speech to you.

Share engaging content your customers will value.

You must know your target market well to understand how to effectively connect with them, meaning that they will watch your video. On Social Media, you also want engagement, meaning you get feedback and interaction from them, such as liking, sharing, or commenting on your video. If your posts aren’t engaging, they will easily be dismissed when your customers are swiping through their newsfeeds.