Video is Taking Over Media
I was recently asked, “What will the next dominant social media platform be?” My answer was somewhat facetious: Video.
How’s that?
Drones, Snapchat’s Discover section, Facebook Live, and Instagram stories - some of the moment’s most popular marketing trends - all have one thing in common: Video.
Video has been tracked for explosive growth over the past few years and is predicted to continue to do so into the foreseeable future. Globally, internet video traffic will grow fourfold from 2015 to 2020, to become 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic. And mobile video is especially prevalent, which is why Facebook is launching a B2B ad campaign to encourage marketers to create more mobile ads.
Here’s How It’s Happening
Youtube channels are exploding, turning it into a big part of the infrastructure. Youtube is big. Very big. This list of the fastest growing youtube channels shows staggering numbers of total subscribers and the rates of new subscription.
And that’s not all.
An Easy Way to Digest Information
Video is a great way to get information about a product or service out to consumers, and B2B marketers are also increasingly using video to reach their target audiences. B2B decision makers and influencers use video as a source of information, as cited in this Google study: MYTH #5: Video is watched solely to gain awareness. REALITY #5: B2B researchers watch video during the entire path to purchase.
A Cheaper, Better Way
Internet video for marketing is far cheaper than Super Bowl ads, and very far-reaching. Marketing video is used by 90% of marketers, and very high click through rates, engagement and ROI are reported. Video is consumed at fast-growing rates on tablets and smart phones, due to portability (i.e., laying in bed) and being easier than reading.
Video is getting easier to produce. All anyone needs is a smart phone and one of these 10 Handy Tools to Create Mini Videos.
More Emotional
At the end of last year, Small Business Trends predicted that video storytelling marketing will go viral in 2017, because videos “have the power to create gripping, lasting memories in the minds of consumers.” It’s also a quick hit for the silly or the sensational. We just want more.
Video - A Part of the Fabric of Digital Marketing
Where the trend for website headers used to be big, beautiful images, it’s quickly becoming visually-striking ambient videos. Just as videos draw us into websites, we’re taken (or swept away) by videos that begin playing automatically as we scroll down our Facebook and Twitter feeds. Although automatically-starting sound is still a major offense.
Whatever marketing activities you’re currently doing, and whether your company is B2C or B2B, you will be missing a big opportunity if video is not a vital part of the mix.