Utilizing the Boomerang App for Social Media Advertising Campaigns
The traditional boomerang is a curved throwing stick that was made 25,000 to 50,000 years ago. A popular version you may have heard of is the "returning boomerang". This stick is curved, flattened, and constructed to return to the thrower.
The Boomerang app, on the other hand, creates fun mini-videos that you can share online.
What are the similarities?
We'll get back to that in a moment, but since this is the Neil Patel blog, it's no surprise what boomerang this post will be focusing on!
Many brands use Boomerang to connect, get involved, and increase brand awareness.
How can you get started with this tool? More importantly, how do you create content that gives you an edge over your competitors? Before we answer these questions, let's first look at the Boomerang app.
What is the Boomerang App?
Boomerang is Instagram's standalone app created in 2015.
You can use it to create a loop of video that will play back and forth over and over. That way, the video will continually return to the start (just like a traditional boomerang will return to the thrower).
How long is the video loop?
Straight. One. Second.
Some marketers may easily close the app or be reluctant to use it. How can you get your message across in a second? Here's how easy it can be to create content that is only a second long but makes a lasting impression.
Before we get there, it's important to mention that Boomerang content is meant to be fun! This is not a platform for communicating complicated or deep messages. Remember, you only have a second.
When it comes to creating videos with the Boomerang app, think of easy, fun, and exciting content that your audience will love to see and share.
How does the Boomerang app work?
According to the Apple App Store, "the app takes ten photos and puts them together, speeds up the video, smooths out bumps, and then grinds it back and forth."
To keep the app exciting, the developers have introduced a few additional features, including SlowMo, Echo, Duo and Trimming:
- SlowMo: This option plays videos two seconds forward and two seconds backward. As the name suggests, it will slow down your video clip to capture every detail.
- Echo: This function creates a double vision effect for your boomerang video clips.
- Duo: This option quickly rewinds (by speeding up and slowing down) to the beginning of the video clip, which gives an uncomfortable feel and a textured effect.
- Trim: This feature allows you to edit the length of the video clip and decide when to start and end.
How to get the standalone boomerang app
Since this is an Instagram separate app, you don't have to worry about a personal or business Instagram account to download it. You can simply download the app and install it directly on your iOS or Android device.
How to create a boomerang with the app
After you've downloaded the app to your phone, just tap the white button in the lower center of the screen.
This allows the app to take a number of photos and create a boomerang video clip for you.
To make some technical adjustments, you can tap the screen four times with four fingers. This allows you to change the resolution of the video, the frame rate, the number of frames, and how the video plays.
When you're happy with your new Boomerang clip, you can hit the "Save" button in the top right corner.
As shown in the image below, you have the option to share your clip on Instagram, Facebook or other platforms.
Why use boomerang?
What makes the Boomerang app so special and why should you use it over other platforms?
1. Divisibility
In this age of social media, creating shareable content is imperative. This will help strengthen your brand and promote your content to the right people.
The Boomerang app is great because short videos are inherently easier to share.
It's also easier to get someone to watch a 1-second clip than a longer, more detailed video.
2. Video content is king
Regardless of how you feel about videos, you can't deny how effective they are.
Studies show that 92% of marketers who use video marketing say it is an essential part of their marketing strategy, and 83% of marketers say video marketing helped them generate more leads.
In addition, 74% of consumers who viewed an explanatory video for a product bought it.
These numbers all indicate one fact: visual content works.
Boomerang lets you keep making videos and giving your market the visual content they enjoy.
3. Simplicity
As a busy marketer, you don't have the time to come up with another complicated new app.
You want something easy to use. You want to worry about creating the right content, not the technical aspects of the app.
Boomerang selects this box because it is easy to use and easy to use.
In just a few seconds, you can create a viral video that your market loves.
If you haven't created boomerangs for your social media marketing campaigns, it's never too late to get started. This can be a fun and effective way to increase brand awareness and help you achieve your overall marketing goals.
Used boomerang marketing
We've already highlighted how easy it is to use the Boomerang app. Now comes the fun part.
The following ideas can give you some inspiration on how to start creating fun boomerang content that is relevant to your audience.
Present yourself as you do your job
All you have to do to create a boomerang is tap a button, but pressing the record button is only a small piece of the puzzle.
The real job is to find something interesting that can immediately grab your audience's attention, something new.
Where do you start
Constantly being creative with a product or service can be challenging, especially if you've been working on it for a while.
First, put yourself in the shoes of your consumers and ask yourself, "What would I be interested in about this product or service?"
Completing an interesting element of your work can do the trick. Here are some examples:
- Marketing for a Restaurant? How about if you hold onto the chef adding seasoning to dishes?
- When marketing for a fashion designer, you can show the models walking across the runway or capture the designer sketches.
- Marketing for an Artist? Take the final brushstroke over a painting.
There's no right or wrong here, but it's important to understand that simplicity can help get your message across.
A good example of this is how Benefit Cosmetics used the Boomerang app for Instagram.
First, they clearly received the "keep it simple" memo.
They decided to include a mascara application model and focus on the results of their product as it is important to their consumers.
When putting together content ideas, think about your consumers and what would make them buy, or at least get excited about your product.
Show your work culture
When thinking about content ideas, don't limit yourself to just your product or service. Sometimes your audience wants to know more about what is going on behind the scenes.
The Boomerang app is a great way to showcase your brand's workplace culture. Do your employees have fun in the office? Does your brand have a light and fun energy that you want to share with your audience?
Capture these moments because they can help you make real connections with your market.
An example of a great behind the scenes moment is this fun and charming boomerang from Cosmopolitan.
There's no magazine in sight and Cosmopolitan isn't selling chewing gum (last time we checked), but this clip still has thousands of likes. What's the attraction?
First, it's about movement. We can't help but focus on the bubble, which is about to burst and then shrink again. It instantly catches everyone's attention.
More importantly, this playful and entertaining moment inspires the brand and connects it with its audience.
Demonstrate your company's altruism
It's easy to assume that it would take a lot of money to make a difference, but that's not always the case. Even if you own a small business with significantly less revenue than your competitors, you can still make an impact.
Do you have a keen interest in making a difference in your community? Does your team sometimes do volunteer work on the weekends? Is there a specific reason you've been passionate about for a while?
Either way, you can boomerang and show your company's compassion.
Consider the following ideas:
- Your team arrives outside of your local charity
- Giving food or clothing to those in need
- Any other special moment that shows your commitment to making a difference
Show users how to perform a task
If you've recently added new features to your product, or if you have a complicated software system, show your users how to use it.
You will appreciate it, and it could be your final push to encourage people on the fence to buy.
A good example of this is the boomerang below.
Verge chose Boomerang to showcase Microsoft's Surface Book laptop.
In just a brief second, consumers can see what the product looks like and how the screen and keyboard are assembled.
If you bought the product and are struggling with it, this is good for you.
If you're a fan of the brand or looking to buy a new laptop, you may also be wondering about the interesting new features in the product. This video shows that you can find a boomerang moment in any situation.
Show the beauty of your product
When it came to showcasing their product, jewelry brand Diamond Mansion kept things simple.
They knew that placing their padded double halo ring under the right lighting would attract the attention of their followers.
Check out the boomerang below.
This clip works because the brand understands their market and what they want to see: a beautiful, sparkling diamond ring.
You don't need to complicate things by trying to deliver too many messages at once. Boomerang clips are too short for that. Just stick with a simple idea that is relevant to your market.
Conclusion
As you already know, social media marketing invests a lot in creating the right content on each platform.
Aside from content planning and creation, there is also the element of engaging, building trust and retaining your audience, not to mention competing with thousands of other brands who want your market's attention.
It is therefore important to use trends to diversify your content.
Making mini one-second videos can be a fun and exciting addition to your feed. It can also give your audience something to remember.
When creating boomerang video clips, always keep an idea or message in mind that you want to convey.
Keep things simple, be creative, and have fun creating new content that your audience can consume.
How did you use the Boomerang app for your marketing?