In the year gone by, 86% of businesses revealed that they use video as a key marketing tool in their business. This revelation suddenly established video content as a powerful marketing tool for businesses of all shapes and sizes. Today, video marketing is being deemed as the marketing of the future, and the trends are rightfully so.
The fact didn’t escape the existing as well as up and coming businesses as 92% of marketers revealed that they consider video marketing to be a crucial part of their marketing strategy. And this is not some fad, but a fact led by an actual demand by consumers for more video content. Today more consumers are watching video content online than ever, thanks to affordable data plans and accessible smartphones.
There have been studies that confirmed the fact that the majority of consumers are tempted to buy a product after watching a video. Moreover, video content has a higher shareability quotient, which makes them an effective as well as an efficient marketing tool.
It’s been speculated that by the end of this year, video content will likely draw around 80% of all online traffic. This number is huge. As a brand, you should have a strategy in place to benefit from the popularity of video content. Right now, is the right time to get onboard the video wagon. Here are the top video marketing trends that businesses must try this year.
Smartphone video production
Video production once required expensive and heavy equipment, however, that’s in the past now. Today, we have smartphones that are capable of capturing 8K video and churning out professional-grade video content on the go. It’s for this reason that even brands that can afford expensive and professional equipment, are turning towards smartphones to create relatable and genuine content.
In what can be termed a turning point of the event, social media influencers on platforms like TikTok and YouTube are creating better, realistic, and perfectly edited videos compared to professional video marketers. Professional quality editing tools offer auto caption, teleprompter, video editing, and more features in one package. You only need one app, and that’s it.
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Live video trend
Live Video was one of the most popular marketing trends that have been on a rise since 2020 when the pandemic first struck. As the in-person events and programs were canceled due to the lockdown, live videos emerged as the tool for brands to remain connected to their consumers and audience.
“With live video streams, you can create intimate connections with your followers, you can actually ask questions and monitor likes in real-time.” – as mentioned by BIGVU in one of their recent blog posts.
Today, live video is an essential tool for everyone, from influencers to artists. There are production companies that are streaming full-length dramas and plays on live video. What makes live video a hot trend is that viewers tend to engage with live video at a higher rate than the normal video content.
Reportedly, the live video watch time grew by a whopping 250% in 2020 as compared to 2019 and has only grown ever since. Supercharged by the pandemic restrictions and lockdowns all over, the growth of live video was through the roof. According to Google Trend data, searches for live streaming platforms doubled after March 2020.
Sensing the trend, social media platforms started prioritizing users who live-streamed predominantly. That is because live videos got users to stick around on their platform longer. Research data revealed that a live video can hook viewers up to 10 – 20 times longer than pre-recorded videos.
Vlogger’s perspective
It’s a well-known fact in the marketing world that storytelling is the best way to develop a brand identity and connect with the consumer. The vlog video blogging style is the perfect medium of storytelling content for brands.
Vlogs are another video content material that influencers have mastered in recent days. You will find vlogs on almost every topic from parenting to travel. The main reason behind this is that vlogs get four times more social engagement than any other type of content.
When an influencer or creator tells their experience from their perspective, the audience relates to them. This relatability factor is what works for the vlogging format and it’s here to stay for a long time.
The popularity of vlog content is undeniable, and it will continue to trend in 2022 and beyond as well. Notably, vlogs receive around 44% of daily views from internet traffic. Thanks to a varied array of vlogging topics, there’s no dearth of content to create and vloggers will have a gala time this year and beyond.
SEO optimized videos
If you thought SEO optimization was limited only to text, think again. According to a report, videos have over 50x the likelihood to get a first-page ranking compared to traditional text SEO optimization techniques. Moreover, Google is adding video snippets next to top search results and visitors are more likely to click on them.
Anyone can optimize their video content for a better SERP ranking by focusing on consistency, relevancy, and backend optimization. Make relevant videos but keep them interesting. Be consistent in creating video content and publish them regularly to boost footfall.
Lastly, maintain the basic SEO sanitization. Keep up with optimization steps like tags, keywords, appropriate thumbnails, and drive engagement organically by interacting with the audience.
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Use separate SEO strategy for video
Bear in mind that the actual video SEO is different from search engine SEO. YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google and has its own set of rules, intent, and keywords. The searches conducted on YouTube have a different intent and it’s reflected in the keywords. Search intent on YouTube is more instructional in nature than transactional like Google.
On YouTube, if a person is searching for Khao Suey, they are not looking for where to buy Khao Suey from but how to make Khao Suey. And that’s what will show up and alongside the intended video, YouTube will also show a host of relevant videos based on intent and the viewing history.
Social media stories
The trends in social media stories like that on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn have emerged as a powerful video marketing tool as well. That is because, unlike the regular video content, Stories are displayed to every audience on top of their feed. Social Media Stories are expected to be a more casual way of vlogging.
These stories are mobile-specific and full-screen vertical videos that stay only for 24 hours. So, they are temporary. But some apps like Instagram allows users to pin them together on the profile page as a collection. Despite the fact that these stories can be saved for later viewing, the temporary nature of the content creates a sense of scarcity in users. Many users don’t want to miss out on what their favorite brands have to say.
Get interactive with your audience on social media
Additionally, using Social Media Stories, brands can get up close and personal with their followers, instilling a sense of belonging. Stories are immersive not only in the sense that they are full screen but also since they are shared at the moment with the followers. Uses stories to share impromptu videos and images, giving them a glimpse behind the scenes. This way your followers get a glimpse of a moment in your day; they feel like a part of the brand because you let them in as a brand.
A recent report by Statista revealed that people access social media through mobile more than any other device. This makes stories even more impactful since it’s both created through mobile and optimized for mobile. If the numbers are to be believed over 70% of Instagram’s active users use stories daily and 19% of brands’ visibility comes from stories. Goes without saying, Stories are great for brand visibility.
Apart from visibility, platforms like Instagram also offer features like polls, Q&A, surveys, and even taking questions from followers. This provides brands with an array of features to get personal with their audience and keep them engaged. In short, social media stories are adding an additional layer of transparency to the online content, which millennial and gen Z users demand from brands these days.
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Conclusion
2022 and beyond, video content will continue to be one of the most powerful marketing tools for brands. However, to get a good result, brands need to figure out a video marketing strategy and compelling content. Rest assured – video marketing is a crucial part of the future of marketing.
As listed in this article, there are multiple video marketing tools to select from. Figure out the type of brand you are and the type of followers or customers you have. Then find perfect video marketing strategies according to it. Once you have a solid strategy in place, your marketing campaign for 2022 is bound to be a success. Follow the video marketing trends mentioned in this article to stay up to date with future video marketing strategies.
Web developer and SEO specialist with 20+ years of experience in open-source web development, digital marketing, and search engine optimization. He is also the moderator of this blog "RS Web Solutions (RSWEBSOLS)".
