The Harlem Shake sounds like an interesting cocktail, well it is in terms of social media. YouTube has been taken over this month with over 40,000 uploads of people doing their version of the Harlem Shake. There aren’t specific rules but going from the original upload – one person dances alone to the electronic music of Baauer until the beat drops and then everyone else dances in a crazy way, usually in strange outfits. The popularity has been enormous and propelled Baauer to No 1 in the US.
The fun value is obvious and with many videos, the unexpected change of events in the video keeps the viewer hooked and entertained. When major companies start to get involved, it becomes competitive and the funnier the better is what they all strive towards. The same effect happened with Gangnam Style. The popular dance was copied and shared virally.
Here is a top ten compilation of the Harlem Shake:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3R8HGsbI4QY]
You may be a business owner who stumbled across this video or who was sent it via a friend and you may have watched the first 20 seconds before cracking a smile before moving on with your life. However (if you put your marketing thinking cap on) what you should be realising is that this is an online trend that you need to act on fast.
Perhaps you could rally a few of your team together to do your own version of the Harlem Shake and add it to your YouTube channel, share it via Facebook and Twitter to encourage customer feedback. In some cases, this may be seen as completely unprofessional and you need to take that into consideration but consider the power of one of these popular videos emerging from somewhere completely unexpected. Going viral means your video could be shared with thousands over a short period of time.
If you don’t fancy showing off your moves in a frantic dash for customers, consider sharing the best videos or turning it into a competition for your audience. For example, asking customers to upload their Harlem Shake video to your YouTube channel or even better holding your products as they do it.
A popular trend like the Harlem Shake could do wonders for your SEO and literally spike traffic to your website. Viewers will see you have uploaded it and follow the link to your website to find out more about what you do. Many businesses find that they don’t have the time to act on trends but using the services of a Digital Marketing Consultant can help with this. The secret is to strike while the trend is still hot or you could be too late, as social media trends don’t tend to last long.
This video highlights that last point:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rhmC-HGFaX8]
Jon Exton
Twitter: @thesocialant