Most businesses promote their services by running marketing campaigns on Google, starting a blog, and posting on social media. These are standard practices among companies that research ways to attract customers. But everyone knows these mediums, which makes them insufficient to stand out in markets where everyone competes for consumers’ attention.
Modern brands know this reality. As a result, they lean on video trends to create content that today’s consumers want to see the most. Focusing on video formats lets brands attract more customers than competitors that produce videos just for the sake of doing it.
Learn about the following seven video trends for profitable videos that your company can use in your next marketing campaign. Leaning on these trends means fulfilling an existing demand for a specific video format instead of spending hours producing a type of video that viewers no longer want to watch or share.
1. Serialized content
Serialized content is a video format where you discuss one topic over many videos. Google found serialized content to be one of the top YouTube trends of 2021.
With this format, you expand on concepts viewers love instead of guessing what they like. For example, if viewers like a video explaining the benefits of a specific product, create a series of videos breaking down that product and its features in more detail.
After analyzing what millions of viewers watch, Google concluded that people seek content they are familiar with. It’s a time-conscious decision for the viewer. Every minute, brands and creators uploaded over 500 hours of video to YouTube as of 2020. People seek more of the same to avoid watching boring videos and wasting their time.
Google found serialized content to be one of the top YouTube trends of 2021.
Serialized content helps you strengthen the bond between you and your audience. When you expand on topics viewers want to know more about, you show them you care about their preferences. They’ll see you value their desires and are not trying to only profit from them. Hence, they’ll be happier to support your initiatives.
YouTube offers the most reach for your serialized videos. To use it, log into YouTube Creator Studio. Then click on the Analytics tab in the left sidebar to find which of your videos people watch most frequently and for the longest time. Look for a video with above-average views, comments, or viewing sessions. Next, ask yourself one question: Can I create a video on a different aspect of this topic? If you can, produce it to increase your odds of publishing a successful video.
2. Live streams
Remote work, lockdowns, and health restrictions reduced the number of interactions people had. Thus, viewers started watching live videos more often to interact with others, even if it was through a screen. According to Think with Google, 85% of people watched a live stream between May 2020 and May 2021.
Spectators could interact with creators while watching these videos. The immersive experience lets people connect more personally with creators as they can ask questions or make suggestions to video makers and get a reply immediately. The bond can make viewers pick your videos over those from companies they only vaguely know.
Live streams also let viewers strengthen their relationships with their social circle. In the same ThinkWithGoogle study, researchers found that 79% of viewers feel a more profound connection to live content when watching YouTube with others. When viewers enjoy the time they spend watching your videos, they are more likely to return for more.
85% of people watched a live stream between May 2020 and May 2021.
YouTube live streams are a great place to start as the platform is free and intuitive. To use it, verify your YouTube account to unlock the live stream tool.
The next step is to set up your equipment. Most built-in computer cameras and microphones produce blurry videos and distorted audio. So plug in a high-quality webcam to deliver an enjoyable viewing experience. You also want high-quality audio to go along with the high-quality video. Place your microphone between your sternum and chin for the best audio quality.
Next, click on Go Live in the top right corner of YouTube’s interface. Write a title that describes your live stream’s purpose, add a related thumbnail, and then go live.
3. Hyper-targeted video advertising
A survey of U.S. consumers found that 71% prefer ads based on their interests and shopping habits. Some consumers care even more about hyper-targeted advertising. According to Digital Journal, around 90% of consumers of digital marketing services value ads based on their search patterns.
No one wants to watch an ad presenting a product they have no use for, especially if the ad shows up every time they launch a social app. Irrelevant ads provide an impersonal shopping experience, which frustrates 71% of consumers. These ads also set you up for failure as you can’t sell a product to someone who doesn’t need it.
In contrast, creating targeted video-based ads makes viewers even more likely to watch them. Targeted videos are actually helpful for the viewer rather than nuisances to scroll past. These ads feature problems, data, and solutions relevant to the viewer. Therefore, the viewer will care about the content of the video in hopes they’ll find a solution to a problem they have.
Irrelevant ads provide an impersonal shopping experience, which frustrates 71% of consumers.
Consumer data-collecting tools make creating hyper-targeted video ads easy. Social media platforms track how long users look at an ad, and websites record where most visitors stop scrolling. Advertising networks collect or buy this data so you can segment your target audience by specific characteristics like job role, marital status, or income bracket.
You can use this data to target the people facing the exact problems you solve. But there’s a caveat. Use this data to know who to target but not as the entire foundation of your script. According to Harvard Business Review, knowing consumers’ preferences could drop an ad’s performance if it makes consumers concerned about their privacy. It’s okay to show dog leashes to dog owners. But it’s scary if your ad mentions the viewer’s dog’s breed, age, and health problems.
Your video ads shouldn’t mention sensitive information like finances, sex, and health, as that can offend people. Also, don’t infer information about customers and risk weakening the bond between you and them.
4. Visual podcasts
A 2022 study from Google found a rising demand for recorded audio content and multisensory experiences, like visual podcasts. When you record your team producing a podcast, your audience can see a more authentic side of them. The intimacy builds a deeper connection between viewers and brands that regular podcasts cannot create.
Viewers can feel like a part of your team when they see your crew in a laid-back setting. People invested in your success will happily support your projects, whether through sharing your video or buying the product it offers.
Google found a rising demand for recorded audio content and multisensory experiences, like visual podcasts.
Your visual podcast’s equipment depends on your podcast’s format. For example, if you record alone, use a front-facing camera and a tripod to capture clear, steady footage. This setup will also work if you are alone in a room but interviewing people over a video conferencing tool.
Set multiple cameras to capture each person’s gestures and reactions for podcasts with more than one host. Make sure to give each speaker a microphone to ensure the audio is free of echoes.
5. Short videos
Platforms specializing in short videos are booming. TikTok hit 1 billion active users in September 2021—a 45% increase since July 2020. Meanwhile, YouTube Shorts hit 15 billion daily views in 2021. These numbers show people value content they can watch in seconds, even if it takes brands less time and budget to create them.
Google found one shared trait among YouTube’s most popular Shorts: they were relatable. In regular-length videos, editors cut anything that sounds unprofessional to maximize the amount of information in the video. The result is a video that looks too put together and, at times, pretentious.
Shorts’ production value is lower than longer videos, often relying on smartphones and minor editing. Viewers perceive these videos as more authentic as if they or their friends could produce them. This informal trait makes brands seem more approachable, making people feel more open to sharing feedback and ideas.
People value content they can watch in seconds, even if it takes brands less time and budget to create them.
Brands can use short-form videos to cover subtle parts of their business that viewers want to learn about. For instance, you can record a 30-second video covering an unknown product use case that can improve customers’ lives. Similarly, you can film quick lessons about skills viewers want to learn. The short length makes your videos easy to consume and produce.
6. Shoppable videos
Deloitte found that almost four in 10 Americans have visited the website of a product they saw on social media. Also, 31% bought products using these platforms’ mobile payment options. Take advantage of the rising trend of in-app purchases by creating shoppable videos.
Shoppable videos have tags people can click to learn about a product or buy it. These videos include a “Buy Now” button viewers can tap to reach a landing page and order your product with just a few clicks. The fewer steps involved in buying your product, the more you’ll sell. Viewers are less likely to get distracted if they can quickly buy a product. And fewer steps means it’s less likely they’ll forget about buying your product after watching a video.
Almost four in 10 Americans have visited the website of a product they saw on social media.
You can use interactive video software focused on shoppable videos to let people buy products from home. Focus on one or two items so as to not overwhelm viewers with dozens of options.
The small offer also helps you include buttons that solve common objections to buying these products. Let’s say your video promotes a service people often find expensive. In that case, you can add a “Learn about our costs” button to explain your service’s worth.
7. Live video events
At the pandemic’s beginning, many companies faced a challenge: they relied on in-person events, and then they couldn’t host them. Instead of eliminating these events, 70% of U.S. event professionals moved at least portions of their face-to-face events online.
Online events are cheaper to host than in-person ones. You don’t need to hire dozens of staff members, sound systems, lights, or rent a place. For a few hundred dollars a year, you can get video conferencing to host as many webinars and events as you want. These tools come with polls, breakout rooms, booths, and other features to re-create the experience of attending an engaging in-person conference.
70% of the U.S. event professionals moved at least portions of their face-to-face events online.
Live video events are also more flexible than in-person ones. Speakers can present from anywhere as long as they have internet, which gives you access to a global pool of experts. As for attendees, they don’t have to invest in hotels or flights, so it’s easier for them to participate in your event.
Thanks to the tools’ features, you can check your event’s analytics once it is over to find areas for improvement. For example, you can see which speaker held the audience’s attention for the longest time and invite them to a future show. You can also check when people left the event to know which segments to remove from your presentation.
Apply these video trends using Vyond
Companies can use Vyond to apply these video marketing trends or create videos that support them. For example, you can add animations pointing to essential statistics in your presentations, making viewers more likely to see them. You can also include moving graphics for shoppable videos and visual podcasts to stand out from competitors.
Once you understand how animating works, which won’t take long because of Vyond’s intuitive software, you can create entire videos. This process doesn’t require previous animation experience, as our vast number of templates will help you turn ideas into videos in minutes.
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