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January 12, 2017
I create video for a living. And man-oh-man, is it hard to keep up with trends. Technology is moving like lighting, and I’m more a slow-drizzle, look-at-my-reflection-in-the-puddles kinda gal.
If you’re like me and need to pick up the pace from a mosey to a mad dash, this blog will give a brief canvass of what’s hot on the horizon.
Here are my top 3 trends in video to watch:
ROI! Your client yells. ROI! Your marketing director repeats. We get it. It’s not enough to have a flashy-splashy video, or even to have 20,000 views, or clicks, or “interactions”…whatever that means. Conversion is where it’s at. You want to know that not only did someone catch a glimpse of your content, but they were influenced to take action. And better yet: Buy. Mobile coupons do that. Just add a digital coupon after viewing, or in the description, and upon redemption, bam. That illusive, maligned apparition, ROI, becomes hard reality.
This campaign for Crest was the bee’s knees. It was funny, relatable, and authentic. Now, execution has been streamlined more to make it easier for the end user to redeem.
Enter Vibes and their partnership with Chipotle’s mobile wallet campaign. In case you haven’t heard, Chipotle was trying to regain consumer trust and confidence, and wanted to entice people back by reaching hearts in the most direct way… through stomachs. They gave out a mobile raincheck when stores were closed.
They followed up with a “Guac Hunter” game offering free guacamole. Customer response knocked their proverbial socks off, with 5.3 million requesting the offer and a 67% redemption rate.
Combine the power of video with mobile wallet, and watch the rewards roll in.
It’s getting easier and easier for people to buy your products. (Just think of Amazon delivering your toilet paper via drone and tell me you don’t freak out about that a little.) With interactive options like annotations, video is also getting more interactive and designed for the end user.
Google launched Trueview “to connect the dots between the moment a person watches a video and the moment they decide to make a purchase.”
YouTube’s shoppable video feature is bound to skyrocket, as it enables brands to share relatable, entertaining content that drives viewers to purchase the products. It’s a much more fun and direct relationship from prospect to sale that also offers strong analytics. Buyable video! Who woulda thunk?
According to Digiday, Sephora saw an 80-percent lift in consideration and a 54-percent lift in ad recall. Wowza.
We at Scenic Road have been obsessing over video storytelling for 8 years now, and the tide has absolutely turned toward strategy. It’s not enough to have a video.
You need multi-channel marketing: various videos, video versions (including live and 360), and associated digital content to tell that story to a broader audience by tailoring pieces to reach the target consumer on the platform that they prefer, in the way in which they prefer.
Right now, Generation Z can be found on apps like Snapchat and Instagram, which are slaying the realm. Snappers (Snapchatters?) are watching more than 10 billion videos a day.
Brands like Gatorade, Everlane, and even stalwarts General Electric and The New York Times are embracing this new short-form video craze.
Instagram rolled out Stories, where you can upload videos up to 60 seconds. With attention spans continuing to dissipate, short-form video will continue to grow.
These tips are just the beginning. Let’s be clear. Story will always matter. If that’s not first and foremost, no technology will save you from being lost in the abyss of the internet. You’ll always have to use emotion to drive your storytelling content (more on how to do that here and here).
Whether you’re the rare up-to-speed breed, or move like the Sloth in Zootopia
(and hey, that’s fine, too– that’s my favorite part), video will continue to be a must-have for 2017 and beyond.
Get onboard, and you’ll be amazed at how far it will take you.
Have you nailed a recent video content strategy lately? Share it with me, and I’ll tweet it, preach it, and maybe share in an upcoming blog.