You may not know directly who Denis Piszczek is, however, the chances that you have come across a Video Trends viral video on Facebook are very high.
Although Denis started with Video Trends a few years ago in Germany, today it has become totally global and international, crossing any country barrier. And here we have a clear example of how social media have made possible what our ancestors years ago might never have imagined.
“I believe very strongly that you shouldn’t think and plan things too complicated. Otherwise, you just do too little. And in the end, it’s all about doing things”.
Denis Piszczek
Denis is a 27 years old german web video producer and entrepreneur, known for being the founder and CEO of Faktglaublich and Video Trends, one of the most successful video portals in Germany, with over 80 million views per month, in where he is in charge of coordinating powerful, branded viral marketing campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
What is interesting and what differentiates Video Trends from other platforms is that it is a portal that connects a lot with its audience and invites them to participate, followers can submit their own videos through their official website.
Generally, the final audience (those who receive and consume the content) has no idea what the internal process of creating each video and content is like, which then ends up becoming viralized. And while there are many similar pages on social media, Denis shows us a disruptive mindset with clear objectives: to generate interaction, to convey a useful and positive message through the content.
“Our Video Trends team is committed and really pays attention to the feedback from the audience, it should always be taken very seriously and you should know how to deal with it” affirmed Denis.
Tell us about your entrepreneurial journey. How and when did you start in this all?
Denis Piszczek: In 2013, I create my first page on Facebook without business intentions, but which have evolved over time. I wanted to create content for a small group of friends. When I started playing around with viral marketing, brands came to me to place their content on my pages. For several years I have been using social media successfully to create a new platform for my content and to reach people and brands from all over the world. I believe very strongly that you shouldn’t think and plan things too complicated. Otherwise, you just do too little. And in the end, it’s all about doing things.
“Get enough sleep, surround yourself with inspiration and if necessary take some time off. Learn to deal with failure and find out what caused the failure”.
Denis Piszczek
Which tips would you recommend to entrepreneurs to help them to thrive and not “burn out”?
Denis Piszczek: Get enough sleep, surround yourself with inspiration and if necessary take some time off. Learn to deal with failure and find out what caused the failure, what went well and what went wrong. If you know why something didn’t work out as planned, you can better prepare and develop yourself next time.
How did you promote Video Trends in the early days?
Denis Piszczek: I started Video Trends on Facebook and showed it to a small group of friends and asked them to give honest feedback. I used the feedback from friends and the online community to improve the quality. I learned to understand virality and focused on viral marketing and created a checklist to maximize the chances to go viral and promote your company without spending thousands of dollars:
1. Is the content formulated positively? If not, can it be reformulated?
2. Does the content trigger emotions such as admiration, joy, fear or surprise to a great extent?
3. Does the content have a practical use?
I always try to go through this checklist and answer as many questions as possible with yes.
If the content neither triggers emotions nor brings practical benefits, in most cases I will not share the content with my audience.
“The secret of success was engaging, authentic, and transferable content requirements. The content needs to accepted, commented on and shared by others”.
Denis Piszczek
What were the biggest challenges you have faced and how did you overcome them?
Denis Piszczek: My biggest challenge was to build passionate communities and relationships with followers and then, possibly, customers. The secret of success was engaging, authentic, and transferable content requirements. The content needs to accepted, commented on and shared by others which we have achieved through analysis tools like CrowdTangle to analyze our content and filter out trends.
What piece of advice do you wish someone had given you at the start of your career?
Denis Piszczek: How to deal with failure and why networking is essential for a successful career. Two heads are better than one and you may find people with exceptional creative abilities that can help you to take your business to the next level. Or, you could become part of their business or starts a whole new business.
Where do you see yourself and your product in a couple of years? What’s your dream?
Denis Piszczek: I’d like to expand my horizons and learn as much as I can, as quickly as I can. My dream would be to actively participate in content creation for larger media houses or TV shows.
Who are your biggest influences and people you admire and why?
Denis Piszczek: My mother is my biggest influence and people I admire as she taught me about discipline and that hard work always pays off in the end.