The future of video marketing (and how to keep up)
Video marketing has come a long way in recent years, with new technologies and trends emerging all the time.
I’m always keeping an eye on the latest trends and tech - not just to stay ahead but also out of excitement.
From the Avatar-based 3D boom a decade ago (I wrote my university dissertation on this) to interactive video on major streaming services, the future of video marketing is looking brighter than ever.
Let’s chat about the latest trends and advancements in video marketing and how you can stay ahead of the curve.
Let’s get started.
Interactive and personalised video
There’s many ways to create interactive video, especially if you look at the alternatives to Youtube.
Adding a call-to-action (CTA) button at the end of your videos is the simplest way of creating interactive content, encouraging your viewers to take an action after viewing your content.
By incorporating elements such as quizzes, polls, and personalised messaging, businesses can create a unique and engaging experience for their target audience.
But it’s not just an exciting way of wrapping up the same information in a new way.
With each answer a viewer gives, you can segment them for future personalised messaging.
If you have a food business, and they click a button to hear more about your vegan products, guess what? Your next video can promote all your vegan products to those people.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is the buzzword of the moment, but it’s already starting to sneak into live video and video editing tools.
People commonly using live video chats or webinars will soon notice that people’s eyes are always looking directly into the camera, even if they’re actually looking down at you on their screen.
Voice-recognition can now easily create long video transcripts that would have taken hours for a human.
An AI can colour-match one shot to another.
One of the more impressive use-cases I’ve seen is repairing old video, upscaling it, adding colour and generating new frames so that it becomes much more relatable.
AI can now also be used to suggest video ideas.
Asking ChatGPT for 3 short video ideas gave me some inspiration in about 20 seconds.
In all these cases, while AI is faster, it’s not accurate (yet). That transcript will have misunderstood an accent, or not recognised a product name. That colouring of old footage won’t have gotten the clothing right, and asking ChatGPT for ideas won’t be useful unless you ask something in a very specific way, or know how to create what it suggests.
While AI is probably here to stay (but still learning), editors will remain sat at the end to make sure the output is fit for us humans.
Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR + AR)
Often bundled together and both seen using bulky eyewear, the approach to creating VR and AR content is very different.
Virtual Reality (VR) is a closed-off experience, placing the viewer in a 360 world of dragons, galaxies or deep oceans.
This is essentially 360 video wrapped around the viewer, with a VR headset used to view the spherical video.
Augmented Reality (AR) is superimposing video into the 3D space around the viewer.
Think of it like seeing the ruined walls of the Colosseum digitally built back up right in front of you, that you can walk around. Or past recordings of events hovering in the air next to where they were filmed.
Both are incredibly immersive, but in very different ways.
This technology can be used to showcase products in new and innovative ways, allowing customers to see and experience products in a way that was previously not possible.
I dabbled in a bit of 360 video when 360 cameras started releasing in the mid 2010s.
If you’re looking into this, I would recommend shooting video in at least 4K.
HD 360 cameras stretch an HD image all around the viewer, and can look very low-resolution very quickly.
Live Video
First of all, there’s a difference between livestreaming and webinars.
Don’t worry, I’ve written 29 differences between the two.
Live video (in all its forms) has become a popular way for businesses to connect with their audience.
This type of video marketing allows businesses to showcase their products, answer customer questions and give customers a sense of community seeing as they’re part of a greater audience that they hear from.
I’ve produced 50 livestreamed events with 680 hours of audience watch time (1,100 hours counting the event recordings).
These events were hybrid (live audience plus online audience), with multiple cameras and speakers, so you would have seen me next to a vision mixer and sound mixer, picking the right camera and microphone to show the online audience on the fly.
There’s a plethora of things that can go wrong when you’re live online, from a microphone losing connection to a power cut, so you’ve got to be prepared for anything.
Short-Form Video Content
We’re talking Facebook Stories, Youtube Shorts, Instagram Reels and Tiktoks.
These types of videos are quick, easy to consume, and can be highly effective in reaching younger audiences.
Businesses can use short-form video content to showcase their products, provide insights, and build brand awareness.
I’ve edited over 60 Youtube Shorts and over 150 Instagram Reels from longer-form content.
However, it can be a real hit and miss with getting seen through these platforms, as you have no control over how and when the algorithm will test your content against different audiences.
Some of my clips have received over 3K views organically, while others have 0.
You need to keep uploading content consistently and see what booms.
It might not be what you expect.
But how do you keep up when everything is changing this fast?
Stay informed: Keep an eye on industry news and developments through websites, blogs, and conferences.
Events (online and in-person): Attend events and join industry groups to exchange ideas and findings.
Experiment: Don't be afraid to try new things and see what works best for your business.
Analyse: Check the performance of your video marketing campaigns to make data-driven decisions.
Hire experts: Consider hiring a video marketing specialist to stay up-to-date with the latest trends and best practices.
Copy your competitors: Your competitors are testing for you. See what’s working and what’s not.
Be adaptable: Stay light on your feet and be open to testing and being reactive to the industry.
By keeping informed, staying ahead of the curve, and continuously improving their video marketing efforts, you can stay relevant and effective in the ever-evolving world of video marketing.
Conclusion
The future of video marketing is looking bright with new trends and advancements emerging all the time.
By staying ahead of the curve, businesses can continue to reach and engage their target audience, drive conversions, and build brand awareness.
Whether it's through interactive and personalised videos, VR and AR, live video or shorts, you have many options to choose from in your quest to create a successful video marketing strategy.
I’m constantly monitoring the latest changes in the video world.
If you want to chat about how your business could adapt or test new strategies and techniques, get in touch.
