Statistics tell us that people spend more time viewing live videos than they do viewing recorded videos. To be more specific, three times the number of hours spent watching recorded videos.
360-Degree Videos
360-Degree videos aren’t completely new, but they aren’t too old either. We saw them gaining some traction in 2017, but 2018 might be the year where they join the list of standard video formats.
Last year, it was found that around 86% of businesses had used 360-degree videos as part of their respective marketing campaigns. We will see more businesses doing that in 2018 and they’ll be doing it more often.
Though there is some level of complexity involved in creating these videos, things are likely to get simpler as technology evolves and costs drop.
Video First
Video Frist is a term that Facebook came up with to refer to a new phenomenon. The phenomenon being that a lot of consumers weren’t just okay with viewing videos, they also wanted to create their own videos.
Video is now, pretty much, the primary way through which information is sent and received. It’s also the most popular medium for expressing oneself. Not text.
This is exactly why a lot of social media sites including Facebook, of course, making it easier for users to view, share, and even create videos. Facebook’s live video platform is an excellent example of this.
Video Mapping
Video mapping might sound like a new term, but it has been a thing for quite some time. However, it remained unheard because of its lack of applicability with regard to mainstream functions. However, changes in technology have now eliminated that limitation.
Video mapping is basically a technique that allows users to render 3D projections onto flat surfaces. You’ve likely seen this in a few sci-fi movies. Firms such as Disney and Coca-Cola have already used it in some of their experimental campaigns.
But, it might just gain some traction in 2018 due to the reason which we just mentioned above.
VR Video Marketing
Virtual Reality (VR) still remains an area that’s largely unexplored. Of course, a few strides have been made in the past, but, there remain a few roadblocks that prevent companies from leveraging this wonderful technology. The biggest problem is that VR technology is dependent on a peripheral device, which is the VR Glass.
Unless and until every customer out there starts using VR glasses, it’s going to be impossible to use it as a mainstream marketing tool. However, this doesn’t mean experimentation has to stop. Neil Patel, a digital marketing expert, suggests that brands leverage VR in their own unique ways to engage customers.
He gives the example of e-commerce brands using VR to create virtual stores. Customers can be exposed to simulations where they walk into the digital store and browse around like they would in an actual brick and mortar store.
There are rumors that a few big corporations are investing in VR-based marketing. So, we may just see a few key developments in this particular area in the near future.
Video is Still the Rage
Based on the trends that we’ve just read about, it’s quite clear that video isn’t going to go anywhere soon. In fact, it’s going to become a critical part of the digital marketing strategy. However, to excel at it, businesses will have to start thinking a little creatively and adapt to changes in the market.
For instance, who would have thought that Facebook would start dominating the video arena?
So, don’t think twice about using video marketing for your campaigns. However, make sure you’re smart about it.
