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Finding Authenticity In Discomfort
Uncomfortable Situations Can Humanize Your Message
Have you ever found yourself losing interest in a video interview you thought was right up your alley? We’ve been there too. Luckily, YouTube creators never fail to dream up new and unexpected ways of entertaining their audiences while still providing useful or informative content.
A new trend on YouTube has seen increasing popularity – uncomfortable interviews. They all have one thing in common- put the person you are interviewing into uncomfortable or extreme situations as you ask them questions. Why you ask? Well, for starters, it’s just plain entertaining to watch. YouTube creator Sean Evens hosts a series called “Hot Ones” in which he interviews celebs among other famous people while feeding them increasingly spicy hot wings. When I watched one of his videos with Guy Fieri, I found myself immersed in the hilarious reactions of Guy and watched the entire video through without thinking twice about it, gaining new information about him and cooking as I did. Another example of this video style is one the US Navy did. They teamed up with a creator for an egg dropping contest while he asked them interview questions about their jobs.
So aside from the comedic side of these videos, what makes these interviews engage their audiences at a higher rate than the average Q&A? The answer lies in the foundation of what makes YouTube so successful to begin with. YouTube thrives off genuine content that everyday people can easily connect with. These people are just like you & me- real human beings, not actors playing the part. The beauty of the uncomfortable interview is that it puts people into situations that force them out of their shells and into showing their authentic selves. This instantly humanizes this person for the audience watching and engages them further. And it’s not just for big name celebrity interviews either, when choosing what to watch, whether a video relates to a viewer’s interests is 3x more important to people than whether it has a famous actor.
When choosing what to watch, whether a video relates to a viewer’s interests is 3x more important to people than whether it has a famous actor.
Source: Hootsuite
Now that we understand the reasons behind why this uncomfortable knowledge sharing has grown so much in popularity, what can this mean for your brand? Often, companies stick to their brand messaging and tend not to deviate far from those guidelines. However, when it comes to YouTube, your marketing playbook can potentially hold you back. After all, YouTube is such a unique platform so brands should consider switching up how they deliver their message through video and try new, unexpected ways of engaging audiences. If you choose to try an uncomfortable interview, think of ways you could interview an employee in a not so everyday situation while still delivering helpful and relevant information about your products/services. The great part about this style of video is it does not need to be overly formal or expensive to produce. So try out something new, humanize your brand message, and most importantly- have some fun with it!
If you need help with producing YouTube videos for your company, reach out to our team and we can help you get started.
