Social Media Opinion South Africa

Five tips brands can learn from Suzelle DIY

Suzelle DIY's YouTube Channel is a local sensation. For those who have not yet discovered this local gem, the channel is a bitesize do-it-yourself web series following the (fictional) life of Somerset West local Suzelle and her best friend Marianne. Despite its comedic appeal, it's also makes a great case study of how to make an engaging and highly watchable YouTube series.

Here's what brands can learn from Suzelle.

Suzelle at her best...
Suzelle at her best...

1. Unique content is engaging content. Suzelle DIY stands out from other DIY channels due to her humorous tone than runs throughout the videos. Her character serves as a theme while each week’s topic is a different message. Brands need to learn to create unique content that fits the style and tone of the brand. Spend time working out the objectives for starting a YouTube channel for your brand and how to achieve those objectives by using unique content.

2. Keep it short and sweet. Suzelle DIY’s videos average between 2-4 minutes. This is short enough to keep the average data conscious person glued, yet long enough to tell a story. Brands need to learn from Suzelle’s style of short videos. Keep video’s engaging enough to keep the viewer wanting to watch it all the way to the end (and then watch it again and click the share button).

3. Subtle product placement. It is very clear that Suzelle DIY’s channel works with various brands, however, what makes her channel so effective is the subtle brand exposure. The videos are never flooded with product placement, except the product becomes a small part of the overall storytelling. Brands need to learn from this. Include your brand in videos but don’t make the entire video about selling your product.

4. Consistency is key. New Suzelle DIY videos are posted monthly. Brands need to post regularly and the quality of the content must be consistent. Don’t leave your subscribers waiting for a video to go up, inform them of video releases by sharing the link on your social platforms.

5. A videographer is your friend. Suzelle DIY videos are shot and produced by Sketchbook Studios. What sets this apart is that it is seamlessly put together and very high quality. Brands need to learn that phone-taken videos are great for Instagram and Snapchat, but if you want to start a YouTube channel, invest in a good team that can produce the quality result you want.

As video becomes more and more popular, brands should take note of what content creators like Suzelle are doing to keep their audiences glued to their mobile or computer screens – month after month. Pushing product too heavily won’t a popular YouTube channel make; instead storylines need to be engaging, relevant and memorable. A little humour also goes a long way.

About Meagan Elston

Obsessed with all things social, Meagan is Rogerwilco's social media strategist. This means she develops and implements the social strategy for clients...
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