Video marketing became a major player in the 2010s and has no plans to slow down in 2020 and beyond. A lot of what is relevant for video marketing in 2019 will still be absolutely important this year.
In this blog, we’re going over six video trends and ideas that will help you hit the ground running in 2020.
1. The Benefits Continue to Increase
Over the last decade, companies that have embraced video marketing as a strategy have seen great results. From increased web traffic to lead generation, the benefit of video marketing is abundant. (See Wyzowl’s full video marketing statistics here).
With 86% of businesses using video, and 77% of them already posting videos on social media, now is the time to jump on board if you haven’t already. You can be sure that this is something your company will want to be a part of. With a few resources, just about any company can begin a video strategy. The popularity of video will continue to rise along with the benefits you could reap.
2. Create More Video
For those who are already creating videos, it’s time to increase the number of videos you’re producing. According to Social Media Today, 93% of brands post to Facebook and 90% to YouTube one or more times a week. Even if weekly production isn’t possible for you, these numbers tell us more is more — specifically, more chances to be seen. This could be a great time to push yourself or your company to increase the number of videos you create on a regular basis.
However, we should warn that while creating more videos is great, you shouldn’t sacrifice quality for quantity. It is important to find the right balance. If the video is simple, easy to replicate, or you have a big team, it might be possible to put out a new video every week. If it is more complex or you’re a one-person crew doing a highly polished video, it might take more time. And that’s 100% okay; the key here is a balance between quality and quantity for your business.
3. Focus On Your Niche
In 2020, more companies than ever will post videos online, and it will be more important than ever to stand out. While the above sections are important, it is vital to emphasize that, while getting into video or increasing frequency is important, it doesn’t mean you should just copy everyone else.
As a company, you’ll be required to do your research. Take a look at your competitors and other successful companies to find the gap. The gap is a topic or type of video that you feel isn’t covered well enough. Identify a gap that pertains to your company or industry. This could be a huge opportunity for you; if your niche is already full, this is a great excuse to try new things to differentiate your videos from others in the space. Social listening is a great way to hone in on your niche. To learn more, check out our guide to using social listening to improve your video strategy
4. Episodic Content
This trend gained momentum in 2019, and we predict it will take its full shape in 2020. Episodic content — similar to a TV show or web series — is an ongoing show for its fans and customers. The idea behind this video technique is to create even more value for the customer. Brands believe if they can spend more time with a customer, that customer will be more loyal and spend more money. Episodic content produced by companies like Mailchimp is one great example; while they have taken this above and beyond by partnering with actual media companies, this is still a very doable concept for most to produce in-house.
Here at SproutVideo, we produce a series called How To Video featuring our own Head of Video, Nick LaClair. We produce episodes regularly and stick to similar formats and content.
5. Silent Video
No, we’re not referring to black and white movies with no sound. We are talking about formatting your videos for the way audiences in 2020 will likely watch them. Now, more than ever, people watch videos with the sound off. Beyond being more accessible to everyone, there are a number of reasons why this is important. People might not want anyone nearby to hear what they are watching while at their desk or on their device. Maybe they are out in a public place, or maybe they just forgot their headphones.
Captions or on-screen text are trending, and are a great way to help the viewer understand your message without sound. With this in mind, you can bake these elements into the video so you don’t have to worry about auto-caption systems making mistakes. When working in different aspect ratios, you can get very creative with your timing and layouts.
6. Video Across All Platforms
As video continues to rise, we suggest that you take the extra time to optimize the format of your videos to meet the needs of every platform, ensuring the best experience for your viewers. This can be challenging, but it’s not impossible; clever cropping or letterboxing are quick options if resources are tight.
It could also be a great time to start experimenting with creating videos for specific platforms. Some of your content will work great across the board; however, a video made for Linkedin might have a different tone and format than one for your Instagram audience. We understand this is a very advanced step for most but, with proper planning, research, and time management, it can be achieved.
There’s no time like the present to start improving your video marketing.
What other video trends are you seeing for this year? Let us know in the comments below.
