What makes you stand up and say, “Wow”? You know, the types of things that make you react in out-of-the-ordinary ways.
Early last year I was able to see “U2 3D” in the IMAX Theater at Whitaker Center in Harrisburg. It was the first ever live-action 3D digital film. I’ve been a big U2 fan since day one, yet have never seen them live. This film took me up on stage with band and the technology was amazing.
At one point I thought Bono was going to fall off the stage into my lap. At another point I wanted to swat the person in front of me because I thought they were raising their hands in the air, obstructing my view. But it was actually an on-screen audience member who was raising their hands.
The experience was so realistic that there were moments I wanted to sing and clap along. But it felt weird, because after all, we were in a movie theater!
My friend Jersey Mike went to see the film, and despite being a moderate U2 fan, he was so blown away by the experience he had to blog about it. For him, it was a “wow” moment.
Yet another “wow” moment for me was walking down a deserted 5th Avenue in New York on 9/11 just hours after the twin towers collapsed, as I attempted to get to Grand Central and catch a train home. No cars. No people. In the middle of the day. Surreal.
As we use social media, how can we create those “wow” moments? Obviously not all of them are planned. Some just happen. But how do we create those videos or blog posts that get people excited, and cause them to react differently? Remember, while “wow” moments are great to get a surge of traffic and possibly some real attention, it’s what you do AFTER the “wow” moment to sustain the interest and keep the community engaged that is important.
The idea is to get people talking. And it doesn’t even have to resonate with everyone. Just your community. Or even just a few opinion leaders within your community. But we need to get in the mindset of wowing people. And we sure are a jaded bunch; it takes a lot more to make us say “wow” these days.
To get you thinking, here is Mashable’s post on the 10 Most Innovative Video Ads from 2009.
What’s your favorite social media “wow” moment? You know, the ones you go back to time and time again. The ones that make you think, “I wish I had thought of that!”
Have you tried creating or harnessing any “wow” moments? What successes or failures have you had?
