3 Video Marketing Trends for 2019: Just Having Video is Not Enough

Small shop owners, big brands, ad gurus, and non-marketers all have something in common: They all know video is important. What does that mean? It means that video is not an innovative marketing technique anymore.

Sorry. I know that might be hard to hear for companies that are just now employing video efforts to propel their marketing endeavors. But it’s the truth. Brands have been consistently using video to enhance their digital efforts for well over a decade.

Just because the idea of video itself is no longer innovative doesn’t mean that tactics within video marketing aren’t innovative. Because just like any marketing effort, the landscape becomes more complex as more competition rolls in. Now it’s not only insufficient to forgo videos within your marketing, but it’s detrimental to forgo having a specific video strategy.

So to help you prepare for 2019, I’ve gathered some of the top trends I believe we will see in the next twelve months.

Video Trend #1: Long-Form Videos

We saw something happen in content over the last few years. People used to enjoy and crave long-from content to inform them of their world. Everything from news articles to blogs: the more the better. But then something happened. With the rise in instant technology, we grew an addiction for instantaneous gratification. Like skirts in the 1960s, we wanted content to get shorter and shorter. But then *dun dun duuuuuun* something changed. Whether it was poor value perception of short content or just changing search ranking algorithms, we have seen the rise of long-form content once again over the last year or so.

I believe video is destined for the same fate.

Back when video became really popular on the internet (think: around 2008) there were no rules. Video length varied greatly, but it wasn’t surprising to find a four or five minute brand video. And then we saw the desire for short video rise. Suddenly, marketers got accustomed to saying, “Let’s aim for a minute or less. That’s as long as we can hold their attention.” We saw the rise of short-form video platforms, like Vine. Snapchat introduced their 10-second video, and Instagram introduced their 15-second video. Many are also familiar with the newer platforms like TikTok (previously Musical.ly) and Facebook’s Lasso that are trying to capitalize on this short-form video format.

But here’s the thing. I think we, as consumers, are becoming short-form content fatigued. While it can feel satisfying in the moment, it leaves us feeling empty. It makes us feel as if we’ve wasted our time, as we watch enormous amounts of these snap-shot stories and get no real value in return.

Because of this, I believe the pendulum is swinging back to long-form video.

Video content that is extremely valuable and highly engaging. Video content that expresses true human authenticity. We see this in the prevalence of live video streams, the continued popularity of YouTube and Twitch streamers, and the rise of long-form video channels within platforms like Facebook.

The data backs this up as well. HubSpot recently posted an article about user video preferences. They posed questions about video to 6,500 people across the U.S., UK, and Canada. Upwards of 50 percent of respondents were unfamiliar with platforms like TikTok. In addition, most respondents preferred long videos to short videos:

“The lowest number of respondents - only 7% - said they could only maintain attention for a video that was less than five minutes long. In fact, the highest percentage indicated the opposite, with over 20% saying that they believe a video over 75 minutes long could hold their attention.”

2019 Takeaway

Video Trend #2: Distribution

Let me describe a scenario to you. The marketing team of a medium-sized company works hard to prove the value of video and vie for a slice of the budget to be dedicated towards video efforts. They finally get approval and begin planning their video strategy. They outline a few videos, set up shooting and production. Numbers add up quickly (video can be expensive!), but it’s alright because it’s video. And they needed video. Finally, they finish the series of videos and upload to YouTube. They share the videos on their social platforms and embed them on the website. They eagerly sit and wait for the results to roll in. And the results never come.

Yikes.

The number one mistake I see companies make in their video strategy is the lack of a distribution plan. Nothing kills like seeing a $10K video sitting in YouTube with 110 views. A distribution plan is vital to ensuring the hard (and expensive) work of creating quality video content does not go to waste. So often I’ve seen great video content gather dust while the decision makers within a company begin to lose faith in video.

The fact of the matter is that using video within a strategy can be difficult. Really difficult, depending on how much traction you hope to see from a video. It’s not enough to create a video, place it in a few spots, and wait for the views to roll in (sayonara, 2008). Now you must weave your video into a plethora of marketing efforts consistently over a period of time. We call this a distribution plan.

When we plan out a video for ourselves or our clients, we create a checklist of distribution efforts we plan to accomplish for each video. This also helps us set goals for the video so we can accurately measure success. Here’s an example of some of the items we might include:

• Split the video up into several types of videos to promote on various platforms and in various ways
• Cross-promote with other alliance brands or influencers
• Feature on specific, relevant website pages
• Publish in specific blogs
• Add video to the resources page
• Create a specific landing page to feature video + call-to-action
• Post to the personal social platforms of the video subjects, especially LinkedIn
• Post to business social platforms as a link back to a blog featuring the video
• Publish the videos natively on social platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc)
• Post within relevant groups on social platforms (specifically LinkedIn)
• Incorporate in existing workflows (including [Video] in title) or create new workflows
• Post video link or thumbnail with play button within email signature
• Create 6, 15, 30, and 60-second video ads to be featured through paid efforts, specifically YouTube and Facebook
• Close caption + transcribe
• And about 20 more …

2019 Takeaway

I hope you already know to think strategically about each video you create. We all know that video can be a very time-intensive and expensive content format. Here are a few things you need to identify before you even think about shooting and production:

1. What type of video will help you accomplish your business goals?
2. How will it do that, and how will you measure it?
3. Who needs to be involved, and how should they be prepared?
4. How does this video complement all other marketing efforts?

After you’ve identified those areas, then you can begin thinking about how you plan to distribute this video. It will depend on your persona, the type of video, and what you’re trying to accomplish. Be sure to identify this plan before you set a shoot date and finalize the budget. Get commitments from all those required to make sure distribution is feasible and will be executed. 

Video Trend #3: Video To Fit Within The Buyer’s Journey

It’s easy enough to say that your company needs video. But what does that actually look like? How will you create video that helps a user on their path towards becoming a buyer? If there is one myth I would like to karate chop in half, it would be that people still think video is best suited for awareness. Video is AWESOME in awareness, true. In fact, it’s likely that most of the viral brand-related videos we see are focused on awareness. But video is so much more expensive than that. There are many different types of videos that fall within the Buyer’s Journey. Here are just a few:

AWARENESS

These video types are intended to bring awareness to a brand, product, or service. The metric for success in awareness videos is views to that video. These videos should entertain first, and educate second. They should be shareable and easily consumed. Humor or heartfelt work best in this category.

Brand/About Us Video

Brand Videos are typically higher-quality productions that encompass a company’s story. They are intended to raise awareness about the company itself, along with their products and services. They can be animated, but often aren’t.

HubSpot About Us

Epiphany Video

These videos are typically product or service-centric. They help a viewer recognize a problem and then present the solution: Your product or service. They are usually high-paced, funny, or inspirational.

Dollar Shave Club

Chat Books

Social Moment Video

Social moment videos are typically simple and shareable ideas that tickle people’s fancy. The brand tie-in isn’t usually direct or of high priority, but the video reflects in a positive way on the brand. This can often be tied in with an experiential marketing event. 

Fearless Girl

Myth Buster/Questions Answered Video

These videos can answer the very high-level questions a viewer might have before they would ever consider viewing your product or website.

Google’s SEO for Startups

Things To Consider For Awareness Level Videos

• Require a very strong distribution plan
• Should entertain first, educate later
• Should be funny, touching, or inspirational
• For most, they should be focused on the viewer and their problems and not the company (Exception to a certain degree is the Brand video)
• They should be formatted very specifically to be uploaded natively to the different social platforms
• Better production = better shareability, which lowers the cost per view

CONSIDERATION

These video types are intended to help answer a question that a viewer might have and ultimately lead them down the buyer’s funnel. Their metric for success can be views to the video, visits to a targeted page, or viewer interactions in result of the video.

Explainer Video

These videos are often animated and work to explain a product or service in an easy, high-level manner. Continually ensuring that the client is the ‘hero’ of the video and your brand is the guide is very important.


Spotify’s Promo Video

Content Marketing Teaser Video

These video act as an intro to an offer, whether that’s an ebook, a trial, or a downloadable tool. They help increase the value of the offering, and they aim to convince a user to trade their info to get that offering.

50 Shades of Marketing Teaser 

Demo/Tutorial/Product Walk Through Videos

These videos help a viewer understand how a product works and can vary in quality or execution, but they often are comprised of screenshots, video screen captures, or someone walking through a product in real life.

Canon Walkthrough

FAQ Videos

FAQ videos are short videos that either answer a question or lead into a longer written explanation, depending on the need.

Sony Camera

360° Videos

These videos offer a unique experience to viewers by immersing them into a space. They can be viewed through virtual reality gear, or by manually navigating on a device using your finger or mouse to move around. These can show a viewer a specific space or event, and can give them an opportunity to walk through a space.

Jack Daniels 360 video

Things To Consider For Consideration Level Videos

• These videos are an excellent way to amp up the perceived value of a product, service, or gated resource to increase viewer interactions.
• Beware of expiring content. If the content will change frequently, consider video formats that are easy and quick to update.
• Assess high-impact videos to see where viewer engagement drops off and revise specific elements of the video to improve underperforming elements rather than revising entire video.
• Serve up conversion videos to targeted groups of people.
• There should be nurturing efforts surrounding these videos.
• Gated content required a high perceived value, and consideration level videos can help create this perceived value.
• Offer an opportunity to convert or point somewhere where a viewer can convert as appropriate.
  
  

DECISION

These video types are intended to help convert a viewer into a contact or lead. This could be through testimonial, demos, personal communication, and more. The measure of success for this video could be views, visits to a specific target area, viewer engagement, and number of conversions attributed to the video. 

Webinars

Webinars serve the viewer by sharing specific, valuable, and exclusive information on a fairly regular basis. This could cover your own products and services, as well as industry-specific topics. These are an excellent way to get contact in the system by gating these scheduled webinars. They also offer an excellent follow-up nurturing opportunity.

5 Keys to Success for the Strategic Leader

Product Review/Overview

These videos typically give the viewer a visual of the product and explain features and differentiators. These can often be done by influencers as a way to propel a product into the market.

Canon D7100 review

Personalized/ Targeted Sales Videos

These videos typically feature a specific salesperson and target a specific prospect by name. They should be authentic and show how the salesperson values that prospect by referencing points that are specific to that prospect.

One Squared Event Promotion

Voicemail Videos

Video voicemails are low-cost, high-reward videos that customer-facing employees can use to connect with customers and leads.Using just your computer's camera, you can introduce yourself to a prospect in a memorable way or quickly respond to a customer's question.

Stand out in the Inbox with Video Voicemails | Wistia Blog

Testimonial Videos

Testimonial videos are vital for most businesses. They should capture authentic stories about a customer’s experience with a company, product, or service. They can often get more mileage if the customer has a large network and industry/community recognition.

"So Yeah, We Tried Slack …"

Culture Videos

Culture videos can be very similar to Brand videos, but they focus more on the people within an organization and what differentiates the company from competitors. It should express why you’d want to work with that company.

Annie’s Culture Video

Event Immersion Videos 

Videos that enhance an event can improve the perception of your brand, educate viewers, and engage them during the experience. Event videos offer a memorable, visual experience that will stick in the viewers long after the event is done. 

HubSpot’s Growth Video (Note: This was featured on three large screens during a keynote)


Recruitment Videos 

Recruitment videos should give the viewer a holistic view of either specific jobs you are trying to promote, or more broadly, the type of environment the company thrives within. They are intended to generate interest and get prospects excited and engaged. 

Apple's employee recruiting video

Things To Consider For Decision Level Videos

• Decision level videos should be focused on getting a person into the system as a contact so they can be nurtured, or giving them the information they need to become a customer. 
• Many decision level videos can be used as sales tools for a sales team. 
• Assess high-impact videos to see where viewer engagement drops off and revise specific elements of the video to improve underperforming elements rather than revising entire video.

DELIGHT

Delight videos are an important part of the customer experience. They thank the customer, continue to nurture them, and make them feel important. They are frequent touch points to stay top of mind. They are often fun, entertaining, or specific to a user. There are many videos throughout the stages that will fit into this category as well, like FAQs, how-to's, industry-specific videos, etc. 

Office/People/Behind the Scenes Videos

These behind-the-scenes videos are a great way to show a user what’s going on under the hood. This can be an excellent way to communicate the type of culture you have, how your employees do their work, and how your company is fun or inspiring.

BEHIND THE SCENES : Travel Videos

Community Involvement Videos

These videos are an excellent way to connect with the local community and showcase your community involvement. This could be as simple as recording employees participating in a local community event, or as complex and orchestrating an experience and recording the result. This often falls into the experiential marketing video category.

Bank of America

Client Hero Story Videos

Client hero stories showcase not only a customer testimonial but how that customer is being innovative. Sometimes these videos actually have very little to do with your own brand but are instead putting your client on a pedestal. This can help show others how you treat your clients, and it can also provide a lot of value for that customer.

Client Story: Hogarth – Facilitating Global Collaboration

Things To Consider For Delight Level Videos

• Delight videos are often heartfelt and light
• Like all content in the delight stage, these videos should aim to please current customers, showcase to potential customers how you treat your current customers, and ultimately lead to evangelists of your brand.
• Delight videos can also be content that helps continually educate and offer value to customers.

2019 Takeaway 

Fit your video efforts to your persona. Where do you need to meet them in their buyer’s journey? What are areas your marketing struggles in? How could video help fill the gaps? Crafting video content with a specific funnel stage in mind help ensure that the video content is created to intentionally solve a problem.

The Sum

Whew! Did you make it all the way down here? Good for you. I sincerely hope this helps as you put together your 2019 video strategy. Video can be stressful and intimidating, but it is WORTH IT. I promise.