If You Build It, Will They Come?
A nostalgic phrase from the 1989 film “Field of Dreams”. The story follows a farmer named Ray Kinsella (played by Kevin Costner), who hears a mysterious voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield. As he follows the voice's instructions, he encounters the ghosts of legendary baseball players, including Shoeless Joe Jackson (played by Ray Liotta), who help him rediscover his love for the game and heal his troubled relationship with his father. The famous line “If you build it, they will come” was actually “If you build it, He will come”. The “it” refers to the baseball field and the “He” refers to Joe Jackson. So why has this phrase become so popular? Even more importantly, is it really true?
What Are We Building?
Look, sometimes owning a business and living the entrepreneurial dream is a bit romanticized. Ok, quite a lot. While it’s true if you never take the chance to build it, they can’t come but simply building it and expecting customers to show up ready to buy is just a fallacy. You need to ask yourself, who did you build it for? Do those people know that your business exists? This is where marketing finds its place.
The Power of an Audience
When we started our business, Stories With Purpose, one key thing we realized was that we needed to take our own medicine to grow and be seen. That’s why we launched our own commercials, the Spelling Bee campaign, to not only show what we can do but build a new audience for what we are trying to grow. It’s like the old saying goes, “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”. We can get so focused on building the idea that we forget about building an audience who ultimately is the reason your business should exist.
Video is the Most Powerful Way to Build an Audience
Video is a necessary element to building an audience for your business. It's one of the most engaging and effective ways to connect with your target audience. Here are some reasons why video is essential for audience building:
1. Increased engagement: Video is more engaging than text or images alone. It allows you to tell your brand's story in a compelling way that captures your audience's attention and keeps them interested.
2. Better retention: Studies have shown that people remember information better when it's presented in a video format. This means that video is a great way to communicate complex ideas and ensure that your message is retained by your audience.
3. Increased reach: Video content is highly shareable and can reach a wider audience than other forms of content. When your video is shared on social media or other platforms, it has the potential to go viral, reaching millions of people and increasing your brand's exposure.
4. Increased conversions: Video is an effective way to drive conversions because it allows you to showcase your product or service in action. Seeing your product or service in action can help to build trust and credibility with your audience, leading to more sales.
5. Better SEO: Videos are more likely to appear on the first page of search engine results than other types of content. This means that creating video content can improve your search engine rankings and make it easier for people to find your brand.
If You Market it with Video, They Will Come.
If you are trying to create interest and conversation with your business to bring in new business, video is an essential tool for building an audience. It's engaging, memorable, shareable, and can help to drive conversions and improve your search engine rankings. By incorporating video into your marketing strategy, you can attract and retain a loyal audience and grow your business. If you don’t know where to start, book a discovery call and we can help.
