#1: TEMPORARY STORIES
When it comes to temporary stories, Snapchat were the original creators, but Instagram, Facebook, and Whatsapp have since jumped on this bandwagon. Temporary stories refer to pictures and videos that stay up on your profile for all your friends to see – but only for 24 hours. After 24 hours, they’re gone for good – and if someone screenshots them, a notification is sent to your phone.
These stories have been around for years, but have recently become an extremely popular tool in video marketing. Most platforms cap the length of the videos you can upload to your profile at 10-15 seconds, to appeal to the short attention span of most viewers.
Due to this time cap, the latest video marketing trend on temporary stories involves using bright colors and flashy text so as to create a strong impression on viewers in the limited time available. In 2018, this trend is expected to become more and more commonplace, so if you’re planning on uploading marketing videos as temporary stories, make sure they’re memorable!
#2: HOW-TO VIDEOS
How-to videos are basically videos that teach viewers to do something, or explain a concept in simple and easy terms. For example, a how-to video may go over how to properly apply makeup, bake a chocolate cake, install a shelf, etc. They can also be used to teach a scientific concept, discuss current events; the implications are limitless.
Of course, when it comes to video marketing, how-to videos are not exactly the most relevant. However, by studying why these videos are so popular, we can learn some valuable skills.
How-to videos tend to be short and to the point – once again, this is to appeal to the short attention span of most viewers. Their conciseness enables them to be shared across multiple social media platforms, which is likely the reason for their sudden rise to popularity in 2017.
Incorporate this level of directness in your marketing videos – make them short and sweet. People will then share them across different social media platforms, and thereby increase your company’s online reach.
#3: LIVESTREAMS
Livestreams have been around for a while, but with the incorporation of “live stories” on Instagram, they’ve now become an extremely popular tool used by people of all types – from celebrities to the average joe. But they can also be used by businesses as a marketing tool.
Livestreams allow people to answer the concerns and questions of viewers in real-time – and this is the reason why customers love them! They get to voice their queries and comments and they feel heard.
The personal quality of livestreams cannot be discredited, and it is a great way to foster a strong relationship between your customers and your company.
#4: VIDEO VOICEMAILS
If you’re looking to add that personal touch to your video marketing strategy, but don’t want to do a livestream, video voicemails are the next best thing! Now that we have such advanced technology at our fingertips, video voicemails are the hottest video marketing trends, and you should jump on it while it lasts.
The key characteristic of a video voicemail is having someone speak directly into the camera. Viewers will feel like they are being personally spoken to, and will therefore feel more connected to your brand.
Another benefit of video voicemails is how they are an excellent platform for you to introduce your company to your customers. Research shows that customers are more likely to stay loyal to a business that they know well, so use video voicemails to help your customer get to know your business!
#5: USE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VIDEOS FOR DIFFERENT PLATFORMS
Each social media platform has its own appeal – Snapchat lets you send temporary pictures and videos to your friends, Facebook lets you post text, picture, and video updates, Instagram lets you post permanent pictures and videos on your profile, Whatsapp lets you text your friends and family for free, etc. Therefore, you can’t just upload the same video to each platform – you have to tailor them to the platform’s audience.
For example, let’s say you have a 20-minute video about your company you want to upload online. Upload the entire video to YouTube, and upload it in short clips with attractive captions to Facebook. This is because people typically use YouTube to watch videos – so they will likely watch the video until its end – but people use Facebook to get quick updates, and are likely to scroll past a 20-minute video with no caption.
Research all your social media platforms before you upload your video to it, and see how you can refine your video so it creates more appeal in your viewers.
#6: SOUNDLESS VIDEOS
Soundless videos do not refer to videos with no sound, but rather, videos that can be watched with no sound, and can still communicate the intended message to the viewer. These work great when launching a new product into the market.
These videos have gained popularity in 2017 with the increase in the number of people who watched videos with their phone on silent. Think about it, you spend a lot of time scrolling through Facebook when you’re in public – on the train, in the park, etc. If you don’t have your earphones with you, you probably watch videos on silent so as to not disturb those around you.
So, to appeal to this demographic, soundless videos were created. One way to make your video soundless is to add subtitles to a pre-existing video, however, more and more businesses have leaned towards communicating a message in a video with as few words as possible.
#7: VLOGGING
Vlogging has been around for a long time, and it will be around for a long time more. It allows people to connect with their viewers and discuss topics in an informal, casual way. Viewers feel bonded to the vloggers they watch, and it’s an excellent way to reach people and communicate a message.
Vlogging isn’t just for celebrities (online or offline). Businesses can also use it to expand their reach – we’ll discuss this in the next point.
#8: SPONSORED VIDEOS
Many vloggers are sponsored by businesses to play their advertisement or mention their brand in their videos. It’s a great way for businesses to get their brand name out there, and due to the casual nature of vlogs, viewers feel advised to become customers, instead of being told to do so.
Vlogs aren’t the only videos businesses can sponsor – nearly any video on the internet can be sponsored! Sponsored videos are also great for those who can’t come up with a creative enough outline for their own video.
#9: E-MAIL VIDEOS
With social media being so popular, businesses often overlook e-mail marketing strategies. Yes, e-mail marketing techniques have largely fallen out of style as social media marketing techniques have been proven to be much more effective. However, in 2018, a new and improved e-mail marketing strategy will become widely popular, and it is incorporating videos into e-mail marketing.
Studies show that people prefer to watch videos rather than read a piece of text based on that video. Studies also show that e-mails that contain videos are more likely to be opened and paid attention to. So, incorporate videos into the e-mails that you send out, and you can broaden your company’s online reach.
#10: VIDEO MAPPING
Simulated 3-D once seemed like a thing of the distant future, but it’s now extremely commonplace. With the 3-D projection being popularized, video mapping is soon to come too!
In fact, big companies such as Walt Disney and Coca-Cola are already developing video maps for their new marketing strategies. This technology may still be in its infancy, but it will soon become extremely popular due to its innovative quality.
#11: EASY ACCESS
This will probably be the biggest video marketing trends of 2018 – the ease of access social media provides. Anyone with a social media account such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc, can upload any videos they like for their followers to see, like, comment on, and share. Wifi is freely available in most places, and everyone has a data plan on their phones, making social media even easier to access.
For businesses, this presents a chance to advertise – for free! Businesses can upload their advertisements as videos to social media platforms and expand their online reach without having to pay a single cent.
#12: VIRTUAL REALITY
Virtual reality (VR) is one of the most exciting technologies out there, and its accessibility is only increasing with time. In 2018, it is highly likely that VR technology will begin to become incorporated into videos online at a higher rate – in fact, it’s predicted to gain 171 million active users by next year!
This futuristic and innovative technology will definitely appeal to a large crowd, so get a head start and jump on this bandwagon soon!
