In this digital era, we are all aware of the undeniable power of video in the digital marketing world. As the best performing and profitable digital marketing tool, businesses no longer hesitate whether to incorporate it or not in their strategy. Especially with the “new normal” that we are facing since the spring of 2020, we are all used to virtual communication. All team meetings are held online through various streaming tools. This time we are all well aware of the necessity of incorporating video in any company’s digital marketing strategy. The question is how to do it more effectively? Above all is identifying the latest digital and video marketing trends and modifying the existing or developing new advertising methods, accordingly.
Video marketing continues to change rapidly, with constant shifts in platforms conditions and terms, viewer’s preferences, etc. What was popular last year will probably be outdated this or next year. Therefore, companies need to keep up with the latest video marketing trends, in order to stay ahead of the industry curve. In fact, according to Wyzowl, 99% of video marketers plan to continue using video in the future.
We present to you the 10 video marketing trends we believe are the future of video marketing and every brand should watch closely in 2021. So, let’s dive in!
1. Animated Explainer Videos
One of the best and most effective ways to promote your business or product in the past few years has been and continues to be the animated explainer video. This short video provides you with the opportunity to educate your clients and customers on how to use your product or service and can even be helpful for onboarding processes. There are countless ways to use the animated explainer video in your marketing strategy and get your potential clients interested in what you have to say or present to them.
Whether you add voice-over, or it’s a simple and clean animation of your story, as long as it’s interactive and catches the eye it will serve its purpose. Take Ahrefs’ animated video as an example. It’s entertaining and filled with different elements that jump around the screen and make you watch it. They’ve made two versions of it, one with voice-over and one without that you can see here:
EXTRA TIP: If your video has a voice-over, consider adding subtitles as well. Many people watch video content with the sound off nowadays.
2. Shoppable Videos
Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed drastically the shopping behavior of users. E-commerce has seen a large increase in many areas as people tend to shop online as opposed to going to the stores due to social distancing. So, what better way to promote your product online than through video?
Consumers spend a lot of time online and that’s where you can find them. Hence the next big video marketing trend in 2021 is creating shoppable videos. These videos allow the viewer to buy the product right on the spot. The shoppable videos contain buttons that take the consumers to the product page and allow them to buy immediately. These types of videos are mostly shared on social media platforms which are slowly but surely becoming the biggest marketplaces.
Example: Benetton shoppable runway video
3. YouTube Ads
The key element of advertising is to be seen where everyone is watching. Because YouTube has crossed the record of 2 billion logged-in viewers per month, advertising on this platform may give you more ad reach than a TV commercial. It’s an excellent opportunity for businesses to boost their brand and engage customers. With YouTube video ads, your prospects can skip your ads, but only after watching 6 seconds, in which case, the advertiser is not charged. Great, right? To pay for the actual view only. So how much do YouTube ads cost? Usually between 0.10$- 0.30$ per view, depending on your target audience, goals, and video quality. Apart from the pricing, the advantages of YouTube over TV ads are:
- Get to your target audience more efficiently;
- Higher chance for your prospects to take an action;
- Your ad can be shared on other platforms;
- Much better ROI.
4. 360 Degree Video is One of the Best Video Marketing Trends
Create a full 360 experience for your target group, so they can have a better look at your company, culture, product, or service. These 360 Degree videos are mostly used by restaurants, hotels, tourist agencies, or real-estate companies that can present rooms and surroundings from a different perspective. Viewers will get the chance to look around by moving left and right while the video is on or paused. In this way, you will connect better and spread trust among the consumers. It is easy to make it. You don’t need any fancy equipment to ‘cook’ this video, a GoPro camera or smartphone will do the job! After filming, by using a method known as video stitching, all shots are merged into one video piece. Video stitching could be done by the camera itself, app, or specialized software such as Mistika VR.
5. Vlogging Will Become Even More Popular
Who says that you can’t turn your hobby into a business? Reasons to vlog? Well, vlogging gives your viewers a peek into your life and can help you form a better connection with your audience. In fact, vlogging has become one of the most loved ways to interact with the target audience. Many Instagram influencers are also vloggers and are actually increasing their audience across different platforms. Moreover, vlogging could be about some specific topics, not just a tour throughout the day. To become a successful vlogger, these are my top 4 things you should pay attention to:
- Consistency is key.
- Attract, but more importantly, keep the viewers’ attention.
- Don’t waste viewer’s time; provide quality, short video content.
- Practice, practice, practice! Practice makes perfect!
6. Go Live
Convert new leads and drive additional exposure with Live video. You can go live on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or other live streaming platforms. Do not underestimate this game-changing marketing tool because it can do wonders for your business. With no duration restrictions, you can interact better with your customers and bring the conversation to a more personal level. Businesses that understood the strength of using this tool started implementing Live Q&A, AMA sessions, product launches, tutorials, interviews, etc.
7. Repurposing and Cross-Posting
We all know that content creation can often be difficult and time consuming especially when you need to make it separately for different social media platforms. For that reason, this new video marketing trend will probably be welcomed by all marketers. So, instead of producing several videos for each platform individually, it’s recommended to cross-post and repurpose content.
For example, you can create a longer-sized video that can be chopped up into various smaller ones. All these videos can be resized and edited to be suitable for each platform. Similarly, you can publish videos on YouTube, or Vimeo and simply share them on social media. In this way, you will drive traffic to all of your platforms.
8. Soundless Video As a Video Marketing Trend
Our customers speak to us. What matters is, do we listen to them? Yes, we DO! The most compelling evidence is the rise of a new video marketing trend – Soundless video. Statistically, 85 percent of Facebook video is watched without sound, so why adding a sound when people tend to mute videos? Being often in crowded surroundings, most of us don’t want to make noise or be a distraction to others, which is why our phones are usually in a silent mode.
On the other hand, this means less work for the editors and more forward-thinking of the advertisers. Speaking of advertisers, they simply can’t deny the changes that need to be done in order to keep up with their audience. And if this is a new way of communication on social media, marketers will have to embrace it. Therefore, the video content must be in a good quality, high contrast (differs from other videos) and easy to understand. Be smart and creative and make the most of every second by using only visuals.
9. LinkedIn Video
It’s a fact that people love watching videos and spend a lot of time on social media platforms. LinkedIn is a professional social networking site where companies can also promote their products and services, and video content is the way to do it. More importantly, it is the place where members love talking about career, business, and products. It’s the place to be for anyone who wants to promote their business.
In 2020, LinkedIn has also introduced Linkedin Stories, LinkedIn Live, and video conferencing. This only confirms the fact that video is an essential part of any marketing strategy.
10. Stop Motion Video
The last but not least important video marketing trend for 2021 is the stop motion video. It is already popular on TikTok and Instagram and we’ll probably see more of it in this upcoming year. Simply put, the stop motion technique makes inanimate objects appear to move on their own.
Stop motion videos are easily made with simple apps such as Life Lapse, where you don’t have to be an experienced video editor to produce it. This type of video is effective and catchy for the audience which means that it will help you engage your audience.
Did you like my top 9 Video marketing trends?
I’m sure that something new is knocking on the door already, but these 10 trends shouldn’t be ignored by any chance. Feel free to leave a comment down below and for any additional questions please contact Ignite Global Media.
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