The Video Marketing Trend

With customers making purchase decisions based videos that move them, it’s no wonder that 81 percent of businesses are using video marketing to drive sales for their products. The importance of video marketing is only set to increase with researchers estimating that 85 percent of all internet traffic within the United States will be video-based by 2020.

So now that we agree on the importance of video marketing, and the influence that it carries, the question of how to run effective video marketing campaigns is an important one. How can you make your content stand out from the millions of other videos already out there on similar subjects? How do you grab the attention of viewers and keep it long enough to successfully deliver your brand message? Here are the three basic steps:

1. Tell a Story

Almost all customers prefer to view content that tells a story. That’s why you see more and more brands creating a narrative around their products: to make their brand more relatable and to easier connect with viewers.

Video storytelling humanizes a brand and enable them to stand for something bigger that just sales and profits. The numbers prove the effectiveness of this storytelling — it is reported that storytelling increases the value of a product or service 20 times over.

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all method to creating captivating stories. You need to be creative with your narratives — always be truthful and authentic — but also speak in a way that will connect with your ideal customers and relate to them on a emotional level.

Take note of the way Airbnb using storytelling to move us:

Over time, you will be get better at consistently engaging with your customer base. You’ll need to master the craft by 2019.

2. Make the Video Short

The launch of Snapchat in 2013 and its popularity in the following years, proved and showcased how much people like short and short-lived videos. Since then, more and more social media platforms have taken note and incorporated the feature into their platforms.

For example, Instagram Stories has increased the time spent on Instagram overall from 15 minutes to 32 minutes per day. What this tells us is that there is a clear consumer preference toward watching live videos over social posts. TikTok has dominantly 15 second videos and it’s now topping the charts of user retention rate of all video Apps.

Short-lived videos capitalize well on FOMO (fear of missing out). It specifically creates a sense of urgency around your content, making viewers feel like they have to constantly be on the lookout for your next update.

It’s important for e-commerce sellers to have a short video to grab audience attention: get people’s attention as if they are watching a commercial on TV. Do not use a minute-long video that sounds more like a corporate propaganda. Highlight one or two features of your product to appeal to the audience’s curiosity and do not do a grandma’s story type of video that tells everything.

3. Use a Face

The self-recorded video is massively trending today, thanks to TikTok, where users record short videos to send to their friends. Billions of people worldwide use TikTok now and watch tens billion videos daily. That’s a whole lot of people. They also spend an average of about 30 minutes a day on the app. Its largest demographic is 18 to 24-year-olds while 25 to 34-year-olds make up about 30 percent of its user base.

Some companies have caught on to the trend, and some even record videos that try to mimic the look and feel of selfie videos content in order to come across as more authentic and to establish a personal connection with viewers. That’s why popular video advertisements on social media usually have a face, telling a story rather than a narration at the back.

It is very effective because it gives viewers the impression that they are being spoken to.  Sincerity and authenticity truly matters to consumers. That means it should really matter to you as well in 2020.

Check out this awesome video from Dove:

Move your Audience with Videos

With our specialty in production and advertising pillars, we can conceptualize a story for your brand and execute a video production for any scale for you. Contact us for a free consultation today!