4 Marketing Lessons Entrepreneurs Can Learn From April the Giraffe

Almost 100,000 people are tuning in on YouTube at any given minute to see if April has birthed her calf yet. And Animal Adventure Park isn't even open yet.

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By Stephanie Melish

Animal Adventure Park

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The internet has recently been taken over by a very tall and overly pregnant lady.

You may have heard of her. Her name is April. April the Giraffe. This chick has taken over the internet, with pregnant human women going viral for impersonating her.

April is a powerful woman, as I assume most pregnant women are.

Almost 100,000 people are tuning in on YouTube at any given minute to see if she's birthed her fourth calf yet. When someone or something can garner the accumulative attention of millions, it's worth taking note.

And while April is undeniably powerful, she is not nearly as powerful as the creative team behind her at Animal Adventure Park. Here are four lessons you can borrow from Animal Adventure Park to spark your own sensation.

1. Your ordinary is someone else's extraordinary.

You frequently forget there are things you find common and ordinary that others simply find extraordinary. This is the main basis for why Animal Adventure Park's livestream has captivated so many, hitting headlines daily for over a week. Giraffes give birth on a regular basis. Or, at least I assume so.

Since April has been livestreaming, two other baby giraffes have been born stateside. For zookeepers, a giraffe having a calf is ordinary. Yet, for the general population, a giraffe having a calf is extraordinary. What is your ordinary that others would find extraordinary?

2. Utilize the tools you have at your fingertips.

I imagine it went something like this: April's caretakers were talking about the upcoming birth, and someone nonchalantly mentioned, "Perhaps we could livestream it for people to see."

The tools were already there to livestream. They just decided to use them unlike any other zoo had. Well played, Animal Adventure Park. What tools are you not taking full advantage of?

3. Start before you're "ready."

What I don't think many people understand is that Animal Adventure Park isn't even open yet. It's bloody brilliant! There is so much press and news coverage about this business, and it hasn't even opened its doors for day one.

That's solid proof there is business genius in starting before you feel ready. With a well-thought out plan, anything is possible. It's not about waiting until it's perfect. It's about knowing how to execute effectively. Where can you begin executing while still perfecting?

4. Don't forget a call to action.

An imperative part of doing business is making it extremely easy for people to buy or support you. I was so impressed to find in the description on Animal Adventure Park's live stream video that they did not forget a call to action.

Even better, they gave two! Take your pick to support the organization: Download GiraffeMoji for $1.99 from the App Store, or simply donate to the organization's GoFundMe page. (As of this writing, it's just shy of the $50,000 goal.)

What a failure it would have been to have that many people at your fingertips without an easy way for people to engage with the business. Yet, it's a common business mistake.

Animal Adventure Park, well, they hit it out of the park with April. I doubt they thought it would blow up quite like it has or that there would be April the Giraffe memes, pregnant women imitating April, or people actually angry because her labor is taking "too" long. Cut the poor lady a break!

Here's what they do know. First, pregnancy is magical, and it can captivate any mammal. Second, from the seed of an idea through execution, do what you do well. You never know just how many people will be watching.

Stephanie Melish

Inspirational Speaker and Certified Business Coach

Stephanie Melish is a professional speaker and business coach focused on delivering proven methods to boost productivity, and success. She is also the author of Bank Your Mistakes: How to convert 10 common business practices into bigger profits instantly.

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