How to Use Video Like Chris Pratt on Social Media

When most of us think of social media, we see it as another way to be social and interact with people – especially with those we can’t interact with in real life. It also allows us to interact with companies that create products or provide services we use as well as our favorite celebrities – such as actors, musicians and athletes. With the popularity of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, connecting with our favorite celebrities is easier than ever.

Along with the rising popularity of social media comes marketing. For celebrities, entrepreneurs and businesses alike, this is an easy, affordable and effective way to market yourself, your brand and your company. While some of the old-school methods of advertising are still in use, such as radio and print ads, they are not nearly as efficient as social media. While general online marketing is still effective, social media marketing takes it to another level with the ability to target certain markets and demographics. 

Who is Chris Pratt? 

One of the hottest celebrities in Hollywood right now is Chris Pratt. You may know him from the television series, “Parks and Recreation” where he got his big break, or from the hit Marvel films, “Guardians of the Galaxy” and its recently released sequel “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” where he plays Peter Quill a.k.a. Star-Lord.

Regardless of how you were introduced to Chris Pratt, if you follow him on social media, one thing you know to be true is that he is hilarious, goofy and genuine. Recently, Chris’ social media posts have become so popular that they have garnered various media attention, causing him to go viral and become an Instagram sensation. Not all of us are celebrities who are able to obtain millions of followers from being in the public eye. However, there are ways you follow Chris’ lead to start building a following. Learn more about getting more Instagram followers in How to Get More Followers on Instagram: A Guide to Earning Your First 1,000 Followers and keep reading for specific insight from Chris Pratt’s Instagram account.

The Birth of #WhatsMySnack

Celebrities typically post about anything and everything on social media with no specific theme in mind. While Chris’ posts include behind the scenes moments of films he’s working on as well as home life, he recently started a video series he calls, “#WhatsMySnack.” The series began in his trailer while filming the sequel to “Jurassic World.” In between shooting scenes, he decided to film his snack breaks and make it a super funny, and oftentimes delirious, series of videos about him eating healthy, calorie-specific snacks, but in true Chris Pratt form.

One of my personal favorites in the “#WhatsMySnack” series is when he raps about a carrot cake muffin here! I was almost in tears from laughing so hard. Another gem in the #WhatsMySnack series is Chris attempting to pronounce the ingredients in this health shake, which include cacao, baobab, banana and chia. This is also the first “official” video in the series that got the ball rolling.

How He Went Viral

1. He used humor. The main reason #WhatsMySnack went viral is because it’s funny. One of the most successful types of shared content on social media is humorous content. As Sarah Snow describes it in Be Funny: The Amazing Power of Humor in Social Media Marketing, “Jokes trigger positive emotional and psychological responses.” They provide an instant connection! Humor has also been proven to relieve stress and anxiety. It’s also one of the main selling points of Chris’ brand, so it’s no surprise why his funniest video content generated the most views that eventually caused him to go viral. The #WhatsMySnack videos reached 2 million views just days after they were first posted in Instagram!
2. He mixed it up. Overall, Pratt’s posts are a mix of various content; he doesn’t continuously post about the same topic and use one specific media type. Using a mix of content makes you more relatable and likable to your audience and creates a balance between professional and personal content; having too much of one or the other can drive a small percentage of followers away and potentially cause them to unfollow you or your brand. He also avoids being overly promotional about his films and projects, which followers can find intrusive or annoying.
   

   See how you can improve your social media strategy with video in this blog post! [weedezign] © 123RF.com

3. He used video content. In addition to providing a mix of content, a good portion of his content are videos. As Sophia Bernazzani explains in Why You Need to Focus on Video Marketing in 2017:

• Video is expected to be responsible for nearly 74% of all online traffic.
• Out of all online users, 55% of them watch at least one video per day.
• In one month, there is more online video content added than TV created in 30 years.

These stats show that social media is trending towards video content for 2017 and the foreseeable future as visual content is more engaging and interactive than photos. Additionally, photo and video content far exceed text-only posts in terms of engagement rates.

How Pratt Built His Brand

Chris Pratt became successful on social media, because his Instagram account is a true representation of who he is: funny, kind, genuine, loves children, and generous to various organizations and charities for children’s causes. His video posts are especially effective, exciting and engaging, because they represent his brand (himself) well. As Caitlin Burgess from Top Rank: Marketing explains, being honest and authentic helps expand your brand and will generate more followers.

Along with his infectious sense of humor, another important part of Chris’ brand is that he’s very kind and genuine. When he’s not posting hilarious videos, behind the scenes tidbits and shamelessly plugging a new film, he also shares stories from his personal life, which adds a relatable element to his brand. He posts photos of his wife, Anna Faris by gushing over her and saying the sweetest things about her. He also loves sharing photos of his son, Jack who is four years old.

Chris’ love for children also expands beyond his son. On a recent trip to Lake Stevens, Washington (where he grew up), he shared his experience getting to participate in the grand opening of the Lake Stevens Boys and Girls Club, which he helped raise funds for. He’s also currently involved in a fundraiser to benefit the Seattle Children’s Hospital, where he occasionally donates his time visiting the children when he’s in the area, too.

Why Instagram?

So far, we’ve learned that Chris is funny, genuine, relatable, charitable and he posts a variety of content, which keeps his social media presence fresh and exciting. With his various social media accounts, why was Instagram the medium that made him go viral?

Take a look at some of these stats in 33 Mind-Boggling Instagram Stats & Facts for 2017:

• A majority of Instagram users are between 18-29 years old
• Instagram has 600 million+ users
• Over half of Instagram’s total users access it at least once a day
• Most Instagram users are outside the U.S.

Although Facebook’s total number of users far exceeds Instagram’s, their demographics are much more diverse. When you consider that most of Instagram’s 600 million+ users are between 18 and 29, this means that Chris’ posts are automatically targeted to his primary audience, which is mostly young adults. He also posts consistently, which increases the chances that many of the 600 million+ users could see his posts.

In fact, the more you post on Instagram the better results your business will see. Research shows the most successful brands update their Instagram accounts at least 4-5 times per week, however if you’re able to share new content on the platform as often as 2-3 times per day you’re likely to see even better engagement and results.

The Key to Social Media Success

Whether you are a celebrity, entrepreneur or business owner, you can take these marketing lessons from Chris Pratt and apply them to not only your social media strategy, but your overall marketing plan. Just stay true to your brand and make sure it’s authentic and honest. If you do, you will likely gain and keep many followers.

To read more about social media marketing, check out these additional blog posts:

• Keeping Up with Social Media: How to be Number One Like a Kardashian/Jenner
• Social Media Trends for Every Day of the Week
• How Not to Engage on Social Media: What Not to Share

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