For many years, marketers have lived by the adage, content is king.
But times have changed.
In 2018, video content is king.
Over the past few years, video has exploded, starting with a surge in popularity on social media through GIFs and live video.
Snapchat broke the mold, competitors soon followed, and now video content has taken center stage on almost every social media platform and also found its way into email marketing and advertising.
Today, a strong video content marketing strategy is an integral part of every modern marketing campaign.
And with good reason.
Video content is here to stay.
Gartner predict a whopping 80% of all internet traffic will be video by 2020.
So, what are the top video marketing trends today, and what does that mean for marketers?
Two Key Video Marketing Trends in 2018
Internet marketing guru, Mary Meeker, is renowned for her annual report on internet trends. This year, Meeker shone the spotlight on the rise of video marketing.
So, what are the top video marketing trends today, and what does that mean for marketers?
Two Key Video Marketing Trends in 2018
Internet marketing guru, Mary Meeker, is renowned for her annual report on internet trends. This year, Meeker shone the spotlight on the rise of video marketing.
In particular, the report focused on two major shifts in the landscape, which marketers would be wise to take note of.
1. Mobile Matters for Your Video Marketing Strategy
Technology for mobile devices has accelerated at an incredible rate over the past decade.
In the late 00s, smartphones were little more than a prototype, digital cameras were still popular, and the concept of using the internet to watch videos on the tiny, fuzzy screen of your phone was nothing but a pipedream.
Today, the world is obsessed with mobile, with the average person watching 30 minutes of video on their smartphone every day.
Google recognized that 60% of searches happen on mobile, and so began to roll out mobile-first indexing in late 2017.
Companies who respond to this can reach much wider audiences, and generate greater traffic to their websites, social media pages and products.
2. Livestreaming is becoming Mainstream
What was once a novel feature used by event organizers is now one of the leading video marketing trends in 2018.
Research from the Delhi School of Marketing concluded that Facebook Live generates an astonishing 3,000 years’ worth of video content every day.
Bloggers, entrepreneurs and public personalities alike use live video regularly, to connect with their respective networks and audiences in a more personable, engaging way.
Meeker’s report highlighted the example of the broadcasting platform, Twitch, which had about three million daily views back in 2012.
Today, that number is more than 16 million.
How Can Marketers Respond to these Major Video Marketing Trends?
We know that video is the future.
Failing to get on the train could be a costly mistake for any company, as keeping pace with ever-evolving marketing practices is crucial to remaining competitive.
Here are three ways that your company can improve your video content marketing strategy.
1. Make More Mobile Video Content
90% of consumers watch video content on their mobiles.
So, it should come as no surprise that companies who create great video content for mobile enjoy a large ROI on their marketing efforts.
Video content is far more engaging than text or images, getting up to 12 times more social shares.
This is rocket fuel for brand awareness, and great social proof for any company looking to sell products and services to a wider audience.
(i.e. Practically everyone in the digital age)
2. Invest in Video Advertising
A report from EConsultancy projects revenue from mobile video advertising will quadruple in the space of five years, soaring from the $3.5 billion spend of 2015, to almost $14 billion by 2020.
Advertising is a big part of the video content marketing strategy for almost all major social media platforms today, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat.
3. Embrace Live Video
For marketers, live video advertising is a great way to spread brand awareness.
As the buzz continues to grow, opportunities to monetize live video are becoming prevalent. People can monetize their own livestreams now or invest in placing adverts in other people’s video content.
L’Oréal Parisdid this to great effect by reaching out to social media influencers in their niche. Teaming up with beauty bloggers who already had a loyal following, the cosmetics giant was able to use the influencers to nurture trust in their brand and products.
Look to China to see Video Marketing Strategy Done Right
In the past two years, mobile internet use has increased dramatically in China.
The main reason is short-form video.
While The Great Firewall of China has banned YouTube and Facebook, Chinese short-video apps Douyin and Kuaishou both have about 100 million active users.
That’s daily.
Now, global brands are seeing the potential to tap into the Chinese market.
Travel brand, Destination Canada launched a short-video series ahead of the country’s 150th anniversary. The series was filmed in China, and helped drive record numbers of Chinese tourists.
Harnessing the power of the latest video marketing trends can open the door to a prosperous future for almost any company, in China or otherwise.
Ready, set, action.
