Trends In Video To Look Out For
Video Era! Every year is the year of video, but that should (hopefully) come as no surprise! In all seriousness, I’ve seen a huge uptick in the adoption of video by marketers and salespeople alike in recent years, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Better yet, there’s been an explosion of creativity in the business video world as of late, and I’m chomping at the bit to see what happens next!
That’s why I thought it would be fun to look deep into our metaphorical crystal ball at the emerging trends in video I think I’m sure to dominate the scene in the future. So, get that space suit out of your closet, ’cause we’re about to blast into the future!
People often say that video content is taking over, but the truth is that it already has. Users want to see videos more than any other type of content, and video is projected to take up more than 80% of internet traffic this year alone.
Content marketers need to be on top of video trends if they hope to stay competitive. The industry has begun to take notice of the full power of video, but the platform of video continues to change and evolve. It’s not enough any longer just to use video to market your product; you need to be using video the right way to speak to the right people.
What Trends Should You Look Out For In Video In The Future?
- Spontaneous stories
- You can find these casual little darlings on social media, in formats like Instagram Stories, Snapchat, or even in tweet threads. These bite-sized videos, produced on the fly and delivered incrementally, keep viewers hooked and help start conversations in real-time.
- Spontaneous stories are great for drumming up hype around a product (especially e-commerce items that are new to the market) or breaking down educational topics related to your brand.
- Parks Project uses Instagram Stories to share updates on volunteer and fundraising efforts in short videos and slides. These short and sweet videos make it easy for Parks Project’s current and future customers to watch the company’s mission in action. We think that in-the-moment content will become more and more prominent as mobile video becomes the norm, so start warming up those thumbs!
- Accessible video
- As video becomes more and more popular, marketers will need to master video accessibility. In fact, captioning and auto describing video are required by law for many businesses.
- Video thought Business
- First-person storytelling is one of the most effective ways to communicate a message, so it pairs well with the most emotional medium out there — video! A video of someone talking directly into the camera is extremely captivating (and also super easy to create), which is why we think this will be a big trend for marketers and salespeople in the future.
- Live Q&As and AMAs
- Ever since Reddit popularized the “Ask Me Anything” format, online Q&As have brought people together to geek out on topics they care about. A candid Q&A helps people get to know industry experts and CEOs better while allowing the featured speaker to answer burning questions all in one place.
- Video Q&As can be done on any number of platforms, including Twitch, Periscope, Facebook Live, Instagram Live, Crowdcast, and more!
- Podcast tapings
- A video of a podcast helps viewers get to know the hosts and guests even better. When done at a business, it can offer exposure and insight into your company culture and lets your employees shine.
- Drift releases videos of their “Seeking Wisdom” podcast on the company’s YouTube channel. The video version shows behind-the-scenes action, facial expressions, and reactions that you don’t get in the audio version.
- There’s more than one way to make your podcast interactive. For instance, the hosts of the popular Hello Internet show make stop-motion animated videos to accompany each podcast.
- 1.1 video
- Creating a 1:1 video is a quick way to check-in with customers or leads and make sure your message gets heard. After all, watching a video is more engaging than reading through a whitepaper, slideshow, or lengthy email, and viewers retain more information this way, too.
- With tons of mobile editing apps and tools like our very own free webcam and screen-recording tool, Soapbox, it’s easier than ever to make a video on your own.
- Virtual presentation
- Conferences are a blast because they gather like-minded people with great ideas in one place. Virtual conferences do the same thing, but with a global online community. It is exciting to see more companies bring people together with online conferences and presentations.
- People watched from all over the world, and the responses were super positive! Hosting a virtual conference by creating video presentations can easily help you expand your brand’s reach. Plus, you can collect leads when asking viewers to sign up for the exclusive content. It’s a win-win for all!
- Mobile-first-video
- In 2017, the number of mobile video views surpassed desktop. It might not feel all that surprising considering how much time we spend on our phones, but that’s still a pretty staggering stat! With more and more people watching content on narrow, vertical screens, and Portraits oriented square videos are on the rise. This trend is so exciting because it brings on a whole new set of creative challenges and possibilities!
- Mobile marketing gives us the chance to connect with people on a more casual, intimate level. Since we use our phones to connect with friends and family, brands will start to consider that more heavily when it comes to the way they approach their customers.
- Video in email
- Video and email are the perfect pair — like PB&J, salt and pepper, green eggs and ham — you get the gist. Everyone reads emails, but with tons of emails pouring into your inbox throughout the day, a video can help marketers stand out amongst the crowd. Putting “Video” in your subject line can lead to higher open rates, and video thumbnails will lead to more clicks than plain links!
- Plus, using video gives you the chance to add some personality to your sales and marketing emails.
- I think this trend will continue to gain traction in the future, as more and more people start to see success when including video in their email communication.
- Paid video courses
- However, if you’ve spent a few years building up a captive audience, you might want to consider gating or charging for some of your educational content. Doing so can help you easily measure exactly how your marketing efforts are impacting revenue, and will also help you come up with new ideas for valuable content!
- Creating a course will not only provide a valuable resource to customers, but it also becomes an opportunity for different creators to partner together.
- Transparency with Video
- Marketing involves so much testing and tinkering, it’s easy to feel like you’re just not doing it right. I think that behind-the-scenes videos about how people actually build and grow their businesses (showcasing both successes and failures) are the next step for businesses big and small.
- I’ve always believed that being transparent about what I’ve learned over the years that it is one of the best ways to reach audiences and help them grow. I think that businesses will start being more transparent with their decision-making process, I will share more about what’s worked for them, and what hasn’t, and I think they’ll communicate that message with video.
- Splitting the screen
- As more and more teams go remote, collaboration via video will start to become the norm. Recordings of video chats and screen shares are a great way to share knowledge in your team or even give the rest of the world an inside look at your process.
- A great example of this is the New York Times series on pop music production in 2018. Their video on “The Middle” shows a series of interviews and songwriting sessions conducted over FaceTime — super cool.
- Recording your conversations or presentations makes it easy to go back and review what was said, and passes on learning at scale. The internal and external potential for this medium is endless!
- Recurring video series
- It is most exciting about video marketers taking big creative risks in the coming years. This includes long-form series where brands and artists work together to dive deeply into relevant and interesting topics for a wide audience.
It is exciting that there’s going to be more video, everywhere. If video trends continue to follow their current trajectories, there will be a record amount of video watched in the future. In this brave new world, anything is possible, and I know marketers and salespeople are going to step up to the plate. So, go forth, make amazing videos, and be sure to share your creations with us!
