If you’re not already using video in your marketing efforts, you should be. In previous articles, we’ve discussed how video is a vital part of any business’s marketing mix and provides an opportunity to connect with audience members and shoppers who are at every stage of the buyer’s journey.
As technologies are developed and improved, video marketing strategies are easier to execute and put in front of an audience than ever. Every company, from the mom-‘n’-pop doughnut shop on the corner to the regional bank with branches all over the state, can have polished, high-quality video collateral to share on their social media platforms, website, and even on streaming services and over-the-air television.
If you’re considering adding video marketing to your mix or are already using video and trying to stay up-to-date on how marketers are utilizing video to promote businesses around the world, here are six trends in video marketing to keep your eye on this year.
Video Marketing Trend #1: Reels
Social reels have eclipsed long-form video as the way to engage an audience. These short, informal clips provide a valuable air of authenticity, are easy and cheap to produce, and do a remarkably good job humanizing your brand.
Whether it’s just a glimpse “behind the curtain,” a quick testimonial from a customer, a teaser for an upcoming product launch, or just something amusing to share a grin with your audience, reels and other short-form videos are a trend you’ll definitely want to explore in 2024.
Learn more about short-form video marketing in last week’s article: Is Short-Form Video the Future of Marketing?
Video Marketing Trend #2: Vertical Video
Normally, in marketing, “vertical” refers to a particular market segment or industry. In this case, however, we mean “the opposite of horizontal.” Ever since the beginning of cinema in the 19th century, most video content has been shot in horizontal aspect ratios to fit movie screens, televisions, and computer monitors.
But now, with well over half of all internet traffic happening on smartphones, the traditional horizontal format just won’t cut it. Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have always defaulted to a vertical orientation for their video content, and even “legacy” platforms like YouTube are migrating to the 9:16 vertical aspect.
Don’t make your audience perform phone gymnastics – shoot vertical in 2024!
Video Marketing Trend #3: “Shoppable” Video
Moving from “video viewer” to “converting customer” used to require intervening steps – you had to stop watching the video, visit a website or open an app, and complete your purchase there. No longer.
Nearly all platforms now support “shoppable video,” videos with embedded hotspots and links that allow a viewer to click directly from the video to a sales page. Some platforms even permit pop-over windows that allow the customer to complete a purchase without ever closing the video.
When your marketing videos focus on a particular product, adding shopability functions can increase conversions by more than 30%.
Video Marketing Trend #4: Smartphone Studios
You probably have a complete video production suite in your pocket or even in your hand right now. Some of the best ads, films, documentaries, and episodic content being made today are being shot, edited, and published from a smartphone.
With the unbelievable quality of smartphone video, videos produced on a smartphone are capable of production value almost as good as when using a dedicated camera, expensive lighting rig, and complicated editing system. In fact, using a phone to perform your video production tasks can lend a valuable air of authenticity and improve engagement, as it strips away the highly-produced, overly-slick look common to high-budget video.
There are thousands of influencers out there making millions with nothing more than their phone – your company can do the same!
Video Marketing Trend #5: Captioning Video
It’s probably happened to you. You’re lying in bed, getting ready to sleep, and flipping through your social media. Suddenly, an ad starts to autoplay and you jolt awake when someone’s voice starts blaring out of your phone.
It’s annoying, and it’s the reason that most people – and by “most,” we mean “more than 90%” – either leave their volume down or disable audio on their social platforms. So, your clever jokes and compelling value props will almost literally fall on deaf ears for 9 out of 10 members of your audience.
Captioning is no longer an option for video marketing, it’s an absolute requirement. Captioning:
- Ensures that your ad doesn’t lose value for silent browsers.
- Provides SEO benefit by providing a searchable, indexable transcript of your video content.
- Improves comprehension and retention of your messaging for those who have the volume up!
Video Marketing Trend #6: User-Generated Content
If there’s been one throughline in our series on video marketing, it’s been “authenticity,” and nothing’s more authentic than videos that your customers make of themselves using, enjoying, and (yes) even unboxing your products. By engaging with the audiences on your social media platforms and sharing good examples of UGC when they appear, you can encourage even more of your customers to share their experience with the world through a short-form video.
Added bonus: thanks to their non-corporate, everyday-person appeal, user-generated videos talking about your company and its value propositions are far more likely than your internally created videos to go viral and spread your message far and wide to a massive audience of content consumers!
Your Audience Wants to See You – Let M&R Help Them See You More Clearly With Video Marketing Strategies That Work! Call Today: 478-621-4491
Whether you’re looking to build an engaged audience through social media reels, want a 30-second commercial for TV and streaming services, or are trying to establish a multi-platform video strategy to help meet your overall goals for the year, our team can help with every step of the process:
- Video strategy development
- Individual video concepting, scripting, and storyboarding
- Videography
- Post-production, including editing, titles, effects, and more
- Posting to online platforms and broadcast/streaming placement
Other Articles in Our Ongoing Video Marketing Series: