In today’s fast paced world, media consumers expect to see engaging and relevant content whenever they go online. Brands have to keep up with the times to ensure their content strategy appeals to online audiences’ changing media habits. Video is on the rise and all the signs are pointing to trends that include vertically shot video on social media, storytelling in micro-moments, and geolocated discovery and sharing. Video can be a brand’s opportunity to reach their audience in a more meaningful and impactful way.
By 2019, video will make up 80% of all internet traffic and 64% of marketers are expecting it to dominate their content strategy. With the majority of worldwide video happening on mobile devices and 94% of people holding their phones upright when recording, it is clear that vertical videos are taking over today’s media landscape. Nearly all of the billions of Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories created yearly are shot vertically. Vertical is also widely popular among live videos which have 6x the engagement that non-live videos have, according to Facebook. Even YouTube, which has been notoriously slow in its adoption of vertical video, has recently committed to incorporating them into its ad portfolio; a telltale sign of their growing popularity.
People go online in moments when they are looking for what to do, where to go and what to buy. It also takes only 1.7 seconds for consumers to decide if they are going to continue watching a video. With these two things in mind it is not enough to just create videos, to stand out against the crowd your brand needs to use this opportunity to engage consumers through storytelling in micro-moments. By telling a story in shorter increments it captures the attention of consumers when they are browsing online in random bursts. “People love brands that aren’t afraid to let people in. That’s why the most popular videos on Snapchat and Instagram Stories have a more edgy, intimate feel.” Video can tell a story in a way that photos and text can’t. Brands, celebrities, and influencers are all using this type of content to connect with their audience on a personal level. By letting their audience in, seeing snippets of behind the scenes, and showing personality, a brand comes to life. People are widely choosing to consume media in short, frequent bursts as oppose to fewer, long sessions which presents the perfect opportunity to connect with consumers through storytelling packed in bite-sized videos.
To take it up a notch and make your content even more relevant, marketers have been using geolocation to target their audience with location specific messaging. Stadiums, airports, universities, and malls are all places that can be targeted to reach specific interest groups. Marketers need to wisely use location data or they will miss out on opportunities to engage current customers and acquire new ones.
Video is taking over and it’s essential to know how to use it in your favor. Consumers love to see real people and the behind the scenes of brands. It no longer works to just put an ad in front of your audience and expect significant results, having a two-way conversation is what customers want. Video helps humanize your brand, educate consumers, and evoke emotion through storytelling. If anything is obvious it’s that consumers want transparency when it comes to brands they follow online. Videos are the key to hook consumers interest and by using vertical content, storytelling, and geolocation, your brand opens up the door to capture the interest and loyalty of customers.
