NowThis Election finds the keys to engagement

Earlier this week, online publisher NowThis Election shared a video highlighting Will Smith’s recent comments speaking out against Donald Trump. They’ve clearly done something right, because this Wochit-made news video has racked up almost 2 million views and nearly 14 thousand shares alongside more than 21 thousand “likes” and over one thousand comments. Talk about engagement!

Let’s take a look at this social video hit, then we’ll break down just what makes it such a naturally successful piece:

People turn to social media for the latest on current events and to keep up on the hot trending topics. Creating a video centered on what’s being discussed right now is a great way to assure success, and with this piece NowThis found content that brought multiple conversations together.

Donald Trump is constantly trending this year, and in recent weeks Will Smith has been a big presence in media, due in part to his starring role in Suicide Squad. One of the biggest stars in the world sounding off on the highly charged presidential election is sure to draw viewers in.

But there’s more to this video’s success than its smart choice of subject. It opens with an excerpt of Smith’s remarks to prompt interest in the rest of the video, before shifting to a very quick moment of contextualization. The rapid back-and-forth makes the first few seconds engaging and intriguing.

The video is set to a crunchy soundtrack that matches Smith’s sincere but playful tone. But the creators also opt, intelligently, to caption the video, so anyone watching on mute doesn’t miss out on the primary content.

The quick cuts between the Smith talking and footage of him on the street with explanatory overlay keeps the video moving at a quick pace. While clocking in at only 46 seconds, the crafty editing makes it feel like it’s over in an instant.

From the moment it opens, this clip does everything right to prompt engagement on social. Not only is it tapping into a trending topic that people feel passionately about, it’s doing so with a playful tone and a celebrity connection. The quick pace keeps viewers interested while the subject makes it something they’re likely to share. It’s a perfect combination for success on social, and you can see from the engagement numbers that the effort really paid off.

Check back next week for another hit video made using Wochit!

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