It's that time of year when holiday music is arguably on the radio way too soon, PSL's move over for GL's (gingerbread latte's, duh), and everyone reflects on the year they've had. As an agency, and video department, we like to do the same. We saw several video marketing trends and strategies stick in 2019: hyper-focused brand videos, podcasting, retail video ads, 1:1 video experiences, the list goes on. Our department always tries to remain on the cutting edge of video marketing, and I'd like to share what I believe will be some of the key trends that you should expect with video marketing in 2020, and what 2019 trends will last.
2019 Video Marketing Trends that Will Last
Live Video
As 2019 approached a year ago, there was a heavy emphasis on "going live". Through several mediums such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, etc., live video was a quick and easy way to get a hot topic discussion going. From a digital marketing standpoint, live video trended on the cusp of companies, brands, and their messages needing more authenticity. Live video is raw, organic, and not produced so being authentic was easy.
Well, one year later, and live video is still around and building. BUT, it's important to note that in the live video environment (which is flourishing), some mediums fell flat on their face where others are strongly positioning their platforms for live content. Facebook live was a bust; it's not the first time this social media juggernaut has developed a tool to try and "be the best at everything", later to find out they're trying too hard to make "Facebook something it's not." Other applications like Instagram and Snapchat capitalized on growing the "live media" trend by staying true to the main attraction of their service. Live video will continue to grow, and the cream is rising to the top which will compound even more in 2020.
Brand Stories/Testimonials
It's safe to say that for years to come, these "micro-documentary" style brand videos are here to stay. How do I know? Let's start by taking a step back and understanding the world we live in. Everything bad that is global media is spiraling out of control...you can't go two clicks without seeing something that can influence your beliefs for better or for worse on every topic under the sun. Rob Wijnberg describes the current news landscape in 4 words; "Sensational, exceptional, negative, current."
Secondly, you can't go two clicks without landing on a piece of video content. Video is EVERYYYYYWHEREEEE if you haven't noticed. So, we are flooded with video and our news is becoming a toxic cesspool...how do brand related stories thrive off of these facts? Because as humans we crave something that is 1) positive, raw, humane, emotional, inspirational (should I keep going?), and 2) a video that sparks a change internally after watching. Even if it's sending it to your friend (or in my case my wife...) after watching, that is sparking change; it's pulling a lever inside of you that you crave. Companies know this, and once again, in a world where everything is under a scrutinizing microscope, building videos around "true" stories can be nothing other than that, and that movement is here to stay. Oh, you want examples?
Yeti
Skratch: Adventures in Golf
1:1 Video
We saw a huge push for personalized video in 2019, made part by great video marketing tech companies building tools to make it easy. With so many traditional sales tactics beyond their expiration date, it's now easier than ever to communicate 1:1 via video, while tracking your prospects interactions with said video. Vidyard has a great (and free!) tool that has transformed the way our agency views communication. GoVideo allows you to send a video rather than an email (which we know how many times messaging, and tone gets lost in emails). The best part about this tool, is it's super easy. With the click of a button you can be off and recording, and customize everything once done for what you are sending! You then pop that link right into an email, message, etc., and GoVideo will tell you when the recipient opens and watches your video. Check it out, I made one just for you below:
2020: What Trends to Expect
Paid Video Trainings/Courses
With live video taking off through 2019, one trend that was foreseen and has slowly taken off was paid video trainings. It's safe to say we will see more and more of this through 2020. In fact, one of the initiatives our agency will be keeping an eye on is how we can get involved! Me personally, I have watched a few paid courses through 2019 from DigitalMarketer. Where we have so much access to the ability to record high quality video and video
MORE Video Series
Video Series are not only intriguing (once you find the audience who wants to subscribe), but it's generally a great way to build a digital strategy around. Where video is king, you can very easily build a strategy and promotion schedule around a continued video series. I think you are going to see companies taking this to the next level where they are building more and more series to hit more specific/targeted audiences. I know at Revenue River, you shouldn't be surprised to see more video series coming in 2020 aside from our already popular On the Hot Seat and On the Fly segments!
IGTV Blast Off
As we discussed Instagram a bit earlier, with the recent updates to feature longer video posts, I do believe that Instagram TV is going to be a major player for how people view videos in 2020...so watch out YouTube! Companies that see Instagram as a viable social media outlet should be using IGTV as an audience growth strategy. On top of that, Instagram makes it fairly easy to link back to your website, so your ability to drive relevant traffic to convert is pretty enticing.
Interactive Video
Although interactive video content isn't for every industry or every company, we're going to see interactive video continue to grow. And with the popularity rising, the companies that believe interactive video isn't for them, may be wrong. With a touch of creativity, interactive video can take several shapes and several forms. As for industries where we are already seeing interactive video, I believe we will see the trend grow wider. Real Estate using 3D drone fly through's will be more common as people look to buy homes, etc...
It's always fun predicting what's coming next, especially when it comes to video. A lot of the times we are wrong, and some new "white unicorn" technology, app, or video medium surfaces. But, a lot of the times we all have a pretty good pulse as to what's going on and how we keep up with these trends. If 2020 is the year you need video, our team is ready to kickstart your year with some video help.