Well, it’s a new year, which means we would be remiss if we didn’t talk about it in some way. But rather than looking back, we want to take the chance to look forward on what promises to be an exciting year. The technology landscape is evolving faster than most people can keep up with, and new opportunities for businesses to promote themselves with video are popping up all over the place. So today, we want to look at what we think the top 3 video marketing trends will be.
Live Video Streaming
Live video used to be a coveted achievement for video marketers. But now, with the help of services like Facebook Live, live streaming is 100% accessible to every kind of marketer and business owner. Live videos allow you to interact with your customers in an instant way, answer questions and form a personal connection with them in a way that other kinds of marketing just can’t. It’s also more economical, since it doesn’t require editing phases or post production, and attracts more viewers than other kinds of marketing. Studies done on live videos also show that viewers spent up to 3x longer watching live videos than pre-recorded ones, and users believed live videos projected authenticity and trustworthiness. So while it’s not a new technology, it’s popularity is still in a huge upward swing, and we believe it’s here to stay in 2018.
360 Videos
360 videos were starting to catch on in 2017, and since Google has given us the ability to include them in Google My Business listings, it’s the green light for businesses. 360 videos give you the chance to bring an immersive and user-controlled experience to your customers, allowing them to manipulate their own perspective using a VR headset, a mouse click or a smartphone screen. In 2017 Google ran a series of tests on 360 video, and while it wasn’t as readily viewed as standard video, it did get more click throughs, shares and subscribers than standard video. Since it allows for a first person viewing experience, 360 degree videos are likely to become a big marketing tool in 2018. If you don’t believe us on how effective it can be, go and look at this 360 video from Honda. It’s much harder to click out of a video that you’re a part of.
VR Video Marketing
Speaking of VR headsets, we think VR video marketing is going to have a huge upward surge this year. While VR might still be largely uncharted territory, the leading products like the Oculus Rift and the Vive have made VR more of a household presence. In fact, studies predict that the number of active VR users will reach 171 million by the end of the year. And it’s no surprise, since VR allows you to step into the experience, instead of being a passive viewer. For brands offering experiences VR videos could be the most compelling marketing tool there is. Imagine being able feel as though you are skydiving, snowboarding or kayaking down the rapids. Adding an immersive element to video marketing could change the landscape completely, and with new headsets like the OculusGo, it’s more accessible than ever. But the big hurdle here is convincing the customer to put on a pair of glasses or a headset and step into the video in the first place. That’s why we expect this to mainly be used by bigger businesses this year, with the success trickling down to the forward thinking small business owner.
At Swanwood Productions, we believe that video should be at the heart of all business marketing. Video has been steadily rising in popularity over the years, and we are on the cusp of a huge spike in video possibilities. The last few years have been about skyrocketing video numbers. We are up to a collective one billion hours a day of YouTube viewing, and that number is only going up. In 2018, viewers don’t just want to view passively – they want to jump into the screen, so 2018 is definitely not the year for you to be camera shy! If you’re not sure how to approach video, or want some help producing high quality video for your business, just get in touch with our team today to arrange your free consultation, complete with tea and biscuits.