With over one billion users and 300 hours of video being uploaded on YouTube every minute, brands and content creators continuously struggle to stand out in the social media platform. Competition is tough, and you’ll need more than a pretty face or a witty joke to get noticed.
Despite this, a little girl from Nigeria has managed to garner over a million subscribers, amass more than 250 million views, and become Africa’s youngest YouTube award winner.
Her name is Emanuella Samuel, and she has won the hearts of people all over the world through her hilarious comedy skits. Interestingly, she has caught the attention and resonated with the Filipino audience as well. What insights on content creation for the local audiences can brands learn from this successful YouTuber? Here are four storytelling lessons from her funny videos:
A GOOD STORY CUTS ACROSS CULTURES
If you have a good story to tell, it doesn’t matter where you’re from or who you’re trying to appeal to. Emanuella has nothing in common culturally yet Filipinos watch and share her videos because they are funny and universally relatable. She has interesting stories to tell and lovely experiences to share and users thousands of miles away find them entertaining and worth their time. Her “After School Lesson” video employs a simple yet universal concept—a dog—to connect with all cultures.
VIDEO IS AN EFFECTIVE MEDIUM
Video is a prominent medium in the Philippines, with YouTube being the second most popular social media platform after Facebook. It’s a trending force that is expected to change the Philippine landscape in terms of content marketing. Internationally, one billion hours of video on YouTube and 100 million hours on Facebook is watched every day. There are endless ways brands can promote, place, or present their products: comedic skits, animated infographics, or a series, just to name a few.
FILIPINOS LOVE A CLEVER CHARACTER
Filipinos have shown a liking to characters who are deemed as clever or pilosopo, a characteristic Emanuella exhibits in her skits. This can be seen in “Why”, where Emanuella flips a woman’s sermon against her with a brilliant line. This kind of humor is consistent in Philippine culture, from the classic Filipino folktale Ang Pagong At Ang Matsing to famous roles in the past century like Enteng Kabisote and Kevin Cosme. One of the most popular personalities in the country today, Vice Ganda, is well-known for his snide punchlines and witty brand of comedy.
FILIPINOS LOVE TO LAUGH
Laughing is an important part of being Filipino, and they’ll happily share funny videos like “I’ll Beat You” to friends and family on social media. Pinoys turn to humor despite hardship, always finding ways to brighten up their situation. Laughter is second nature to them and brands should keep this in mind when creating content for the local audience.
When crafting content for your social media channels, remember Emanuella’s hilarious skits. Quality is one thing but brands should also aim to make it appeal and resonate with their viewers!
Need help in making funny and witty videos to help connect your brand communicate to your audiences? Let our team of content experts and videographers help you! Contact M2Social team for a brainstorming session today.
