After over 32 years in the business I have always managed to keep up with industry changes, both with technology advances in equipment and software. Trends in how video content is delivered is another thing completely. Staying current and at the forefront of everybody’s minds is an insurmountable task at times. With the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing it can be difficult to keep up with what is trending and what isn’t. So we thought we would offer some professional insight and give a brief overview of current trends in video marketing for 2021.

We are all aware that video content is the key driver behind any successful digital marketing plan. This will cover over 80% of internet traffic into 2022 and does not show any signs of slowing down. It has been proven that the best way a business can increase new customers is to implement video in their regular marketing campaigns. Over half of business in all sectors are using video to generate awareness, new leads and sales. 

One thing you can’t do is sit on your current content. It might be working for you but it doesn’t do any harm to be aware of current trends and be ready to change things up if needed. Here are some things for you to consider.

Online Shopping

If you sell products online then you must make sure that your content is ‘shoppable’. By this we mean that a user can click on an item and make a purchase directly from your Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest pages. The ability to do this using stoppable text links has been around for some time but now the technology is emerging to allow you to include video content. Customers can find out more about a product by clicking on the video or even discover items being used in a video. The possibilities are endless and this trend will soon be taking off.

Video Advertising

Something we see every day is online advertising during a video. You can be happily watching a video on YouTube when an ad appears and you would have to wait for the ‘skip ad’ button to appear before you could return to your video. Video ads can be really short, even between 5 to 7 seconds in length. This wouldn’t be as annoying as the viewer would be more inclined to watch the short ad that is accompanied by a countdown timer of 5-7 seconds. This type of ad is ideal for generating an awareness of a product or even brand recognition. They won’t be skipped and if you keep the message short and memorable they can be very successful.

You will have noticed the abundance of advertising across all social media channels. Between Facebook and Instagram there are over 3 billion active users each day. That is an audience waiting to to be captivated by your next video ad.

Go Live!

Live video is here to stay. People like to interact in the moment and have real-time connections with a brand. If done right, this can be a very effective way to engage an audience. Consider streaming a live video about an issue that people are interested in, invite discussion and involve the right people. Interactive content is fast becoming a hot trend in video marketing.

Which segues nicely into other types of interactive video... 

Interactive Content

This form of video is developing fast and viewers can now experience a range of features that include functionalities such as;

Hotspots: areas within the video window that when clicked on will take the viewer to another webpage or even display pricing for an item.

360º panoramas: the use of immersive 360º video has been popular in real estate videos for some time but its use is being expanded for destination video, training and educational purposes.  

User directed video: a viewer can decide what path they take while watching a video as they customize their experience by clicking on responsive elements on the video. This is a software and programming tool that creates embedded code on your website to display the video and its interactive elements. This is also known as ‘gamification’ and can be used effectively with quizzes and questionnaires.

Interactive components can take a stale and static linear video and turn it into something much more effective while at the same time offering a much more immersive experience for the viewer.

Straight up

I must admit, at one time I hated vertical videos with a passion. They went against all of my traditional video standards, if it wasn’t 16:9 it wasn’t good enough. But now, I have come to realize the appeal of this style of video as Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories and TikTok have gradually made this format of video even more acceptable. The popularity can’t be ignored so I have reluctantly jumped on board the vertical video bandwagon. After all, when you think that these are primarily shot and edited on your smartphone and uploaded directly to the social media channel of your choice in all their raw, unpolished glory it would be a benefit for any company to embrace this trend.

SEO

Any savvy marketer knows all about SEO or Search Engine Optimization, and how important it is in this digital age of online media. You want to get seen and discovered by as many people as possible in order to maximize the reach of your brand. SEO plays a hug role in this area and has been used for several years by website programmers to help companies gain a foothold on Google search rankings on the way to the elusive top spot on page one. You know the old saying, if you want to hide a dead body on the internet then bury it on page two of Google search results as nobody goes that far. 

SEO now applies to your video content. So it is even more important to capitalize on this development if you want your videos to show up in web searches. Google has included an autoplay feature on mobile devices for video content showing up in search results. If you optimize your videos the right way they will show up and play in search results just like web content. I think this trend in particular will be revolutionary and there is no time like the present to start optimizing your content.

Finally…

Vlog is the new Blog

So blogging is so 2020… what next? Well, Vlogging of course! 

With blogging being outdated and especially with everyone having a blog (even my daughter has one), video is starting to take over here, too. Vlogging, or video blogging, is a new trend. As an alternative to writing things down and sharing them online you create a Vlog or video post of your thoughts on a topic and include other footage, graphics, music, text and other visuals to spice it up. You can even interview guests and showcase your new products/services. It might be out of your comfort zone but if you think of how engaging this is then it could fast become a trend that most companies begin to use as an integral part of their marketing plan.

I still haven’t started my podcast and now I have to think about starting a vlog. 

If you would like to discuss your video marketing requirements in more detail, then please feel free to call Andy Holt on 780-907-1445 to arrange a mutually convenient telephone call or Zoom meeting.