The Future of Video Marketing
I’m sure others will chime in with additional research to support the exponential growth in video marketing, so I’ll try to add some unique value by suggesting some ideas I have around the future of video marketing.
Videos Will Be Bite-Sized
Some companies and nonprofits will still make longer, documentary-style videos, but the general trend will be toward short, digestible videos with a compelling story on an attractive hook. There are entire generations of digital natives who are constantly bombarded by terabytes of information every single day. They don’t have time or the interest in “going deep” on many subjects, so a quick hit is all they need to determine whether or not they want to investigate further.
Snapchat is founded on this premise and we are seeing short-form video content permeate into other platforms like Instagram and Facebook messenger.
Video Curation Will Be The New Email Newsletter
We all subscribe to at least one of those “this week in ______” style email newsletters. I think that in 2017 we’ll see similar resources pop up that will curate the best video content around a particular topic or niche.
Webinars Will Be The Best Converting Marketing Channel For Products
Many SaaS companies have already realized that webinars attendees convert a 2–3x the rate of email subscribers or inbound marketing leads. That’s because they actually want to see the thing they’re buying, watch it be applied to a situation similar to theirs, and talk to the people behind it. Doing so helps them more confident that they are making the right purchasing decision.
Live Video Will Challenge Podcasting And Blogging As The Best Knowledge Sharing Medium
We’re already seeing this trend gain steam in some industries. Professional gamers have been interacting with their fans through live video on Twitch for years. Webinars, as we mentioned previously, are cementing their position as a foundation of product marketing strategy. Personally, I tune in to Facebook Live every week to watch Matthew Berry’s live fantasy football Q&A session.
Again, watching live video is the next best thing to being in the room with someone you respect or admire. I think this strategy makes huge strides in the first six months of 2017.
Video Will Extend Beyond Product Marketing
2017 will be the year that video extends beyond marketing and into adjacent business functions like customer support, training, and employee onboarding.
Would you rather point someone to a 2,000-word article on how to troubleshoot their issue with your software or direct them to a 5 minute video where someone visually walks them through every step with voiceover directions? How much would a video knowledgebase cut down on required customer support time and resources?
We think that video has broad implications for employee training and coaching. On average, sales reps that use our video-based practice software record their pitch 7–9 times before submitting one for their manager to review. Managers can then provide contextual feedback that is marked at specific points throughout the video. Finally, “best in class” submissions can be saved and shared across the organization to help turn best practices into common practice.
To answer your question directly… Yes, video will soon be the leading marketing tool for many businesses. The world is too large to knock on every door, so the next best thing is to share your message face-to-face in the form of video marketing.
