Move over static posts. We're almost halfway through 2024, and the advancements in video content marketing are more exciting than ever!
According to recent HubSpot research, 31% of marketers allocate between 21% and 40% of their total marketing budget to video, with more than a quarter spending between $20K and $60K per quarter.
With that amount of emphasis on the importance of video, it’s imperative to maximise the ROI on the videos you create to ensure you’re making something that your target audience will see and engage with.
2024 – The most accessible year for video
Ever since we launched Shootsta, our goal has been to enable businesses to create high-quality video content at scale, regardless of skill, budget, or experience. In 2024, that vision has become even more accessible for people in business, thanks to the advancements and innovations in technology.
This year, we've seen video used in a multitude of use cases across businesses. Teams are leveraging video’s power to build trust and credibility, nurture relationships, engage employees and motivate action, and integrate it into their broader strategies. Whether for social media, content marketing, or product launches, video is making a significant impact across a diverse range of businesses.
Top 5 video marketing trends in 2024
While there are countless trends emerging (too many to keep up with!), we've curated a few key ones that we believe are shaping the future of video marketing.
1. Short-form videos
It's a no brainer, short form is where the world has moved to. These videos are taking centre stage as the most popular format of video content consumed. Wistia’s survey shows nearly 50% of videos are under 3 minutes, and 22% are less than 60 seconds. This shift is evident with the rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, where brands can quickly capture audience attention with concise, engaging content.
Short-form videos are particularly effective because they cater to the modern viewer’s preference for easily digestible content. These videos can quickly convey a message, tell a story, or showcase a product, making them ideal videos for social media where users scroll rapidly through their feeds. Additionally, short-form videos are highly shareable, increasing their potential to go viral and reach a broader audience.
6 tips for creating short-form content:
1. Focus on key messages:
Identify the core message you want to convey and keep it clear and concise.
2. Engage early:
Capture attention within the first few seconds with a hook to ensure viewers stay engaged and keep watching.
3. Repurpose wisely:
Break down longer videos into short clips, each highlighting a unique aspect of the original content.
4. Tailor for platforms:
Customise your content to fit the style and audience of each platform. Shootsta makes this simple with an in-platform social iteration tool.
5. Utilise captions:
Adding captions can enhance accessibility and ensure that viewers understand the content, even without sound.
6. Keep it authentic:
Authentic, relatable content resonates more with audiences, building trust and engagement.
2. Optimising video SEO
In 2024, optimising video SEO is more important than ever as search engines increasingly prioritise video content in their algorithms. With video becoming a primary means of communication and engagement, businesses need to ensure their videos are easily discoverable. Proper SEO strategies can help videos rank higher in search results, leading to increased visibility and traffic.
There are an increasing number of tools that can help with video SEO, such as VidIQ, a handy marketing tool that optimises channels and videos by leveraging YouTube's metadata and analytics.
7 tips for optimising video SEO:
1. Keyword research:
Conduct thorough keyword research to identify terms your target audience is searching for. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your video title, description, and tags.
2. Engaging thumbnails:
Design custom thumbnails that are eye-catching and relevant to the video content. This can improve click-through rates and overall engagement.
3. Detailed descriptions:
Write detailed and informative descriptions that provide context for your video. Include links to related content or your website to drive further engagement. We recommend all of our customers request SRT along with our edits (free of charge of course!).
4. Use transcripts and captions:
Always provide transcripts and captions for your videos. This not only improves SEO but also makes your content more accessible.
5. Optimise video length:
While short-form videos are popular, ensure that the length of your video is appropriate for the content and platform. Longer videos can rank well if they provide valuable information.
6. Leverage tags and categories:
Use relevant tags and categories to help search engines understand the context of your video. This can improve your video’s visibility in search results and recommendations.
7. Engagement on posts:
Encourage viewers (even your employees to start) to like, comment, and share your videos. High engagement signals to search engines that your content is valuable and relevant, which can boost your SEO.
3. Enhancing the mobile video experience
It’s no surprise that the most common format in which people will watch your videos is on a mobile. Businesses that prioritise the mobile video experience will see higher engagement, better retention rates, and increased viewer satisfaction.
It’s important to also understand and cater to mobile user behaviour. Mobile viewers often have limited time and shorter attention spans, so content needs to be to the point and immediately engaging.
7 tips for enhancing the mobile video experience:
1. Optimise for vertical viewing:
Create videos in vertical or square formats to maximise screen space on mobile devices. This provides a more engaging and immersive experience for viewers. This is a recent favourite of ours - so clever Audible team!
2. Use clear and bold text:
Incorporate large, readable text and graphics to ensure that information is easily understood on smaller screens. Avoid clutter and keep the design simple.
3. Enable auto-captions:
Provide auto-captions to make your videos accessible to viewers who watch without sound or in noisy environments.
4. Create short and engaging content:
Yes, you heard it again - keep it short! Mobile users often prefer shorter videos that they can watch quickly while on the go.
5. Incorporate interactive elements:
Use interactive features such as polls, questions, or clickable links to engage viewers and encourage interaction. This can enhance the viewing experience and increase engagement.
6. Test across devices:
Test your videos on various mobile devices and screen sizes to ensure they look and perform well across different platforms.
7. Optimise thumbnails for mobile:
Design compelling thumbnails that are easily visible and attractive on mobile screens. A good thumbnail can entice viewers to click and watch your video.
4. Creating authentic videos
Authenticity is the cornerstone of effective video marketing in 2024. Audiences, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, increasingly favour content that feels genuine and relatable over highly polished, corporate videos. This shift towards authenticity is driven by a growing distrust of overly staged and artificial content, with viewers seeking real, transparent, and trustworthy brands.
Creating authentic videos involves showcasing the human side of your brand. This can mean featuring real employees, sharing behind-the-scenes looks at your business, or telling honest stories about your brand's journey. Authentic videos resonate more deeply with viewers because they reflect genuine experiences and emotions, building stronger connections and fostering trust.
7 tips for creating authentic videos:
1. Showcase real people:
Feature employees, customers, or community members to add a personal touch.
2. Share behind-the-scenes content:
Give viewers a glimpse into the day-to-day operations of your business to create a sense of transparency.
3. Tell genuine stories:
Focus on storytelling that highlights real experiences, challenges, and successes, making your brand’s journey relatable.
4. Embrace imperfections:
Don’t shy away from minor mistakes or unscripted moments; they can add to the authenticity and relatability of your content.
5. Use natural settings:
Film in real, everyday environments rather than overly staged settings to maintain a genuine feel.
6. Engage with your audience:
Respond to comments and feedback in a personal and meaningful way to foster a sense of community and connection.
7. Maintain consistency:
Ensure your authentic voice and style are consistent across all videos to build a recognisable and trustworthy brand identity.
5. Integration of user-generated content (UGC)
UGC is your gateway to authenticity and plays a pivotal role in video marketing strategies in 2024. UGC involves leveraging content created by customers, fans, or community members, offering brands a powerful way to build authenticity and trust. As mentioned above, audiences seek genuine and relatable content, so UGC provides an unfiltered perspective that resonates deeply with viewers.
The appeal of UGC lies in its authenticity. When customers share their real experiences and opinions about a product or service, it adds credibility that traditional advertising often lacks. This type of content can take various forms, from reviews and testimonials to reviews and unboxing videos. By incorporating UGC into their marketing strategies, brands can showcase genuine endorsements and foster a sense of community and loyalty.
Moreover, UGC is highly cost-effective (most of the time...). Encouraging customers to create and share content can significantly reduce production costs while amplifying reach and engagement. It also empowers customers to become brand advocates, further strengthening the brand-consumer relationship.
6 Tips for Leveraging UGC:
1. Encourage participation:
Actively invite your customers to share their experiences through video content. Run contests or campaigns that motivate them to create and post videos related to your brand.
2. Highlight UGC on multiple platforms:
Share user-generated videos across your social media channels, website, and other marketing platforms to maximise visibility and engagement.
3. Create a branded hashtag:
Develop a unique hashtag for your UGC campaigns to easily track and aggregate this content.
4. Engage with UGC creators:
Acknowledge and interact with users who create content for your brand. Responding to their posts and featuring their videos can boost loyalty and encourage further participation.
5. Incorporate UGC in marketing materials:
Use compelling UGC in your advertisements, newsletters, and promotional videos to add authenticity and relatability to your campaigns.
6. Ensure legal compliance:
Not the fun stuff, we know, but incredibly important to obtain the necessary permissions and rights to use UGC in your marketing efforts to avoid legal issues.
Predictions for future video marketing trends
As we look ahead and speculate, there are some key video trends that we believe will be established or continue to rise as we look to the near future. Here are a few predictions for the future of video marketing:
1. Increased use of AI and automation
This is a no-brainer, AI will continue to revolutionise video production. AI-driven tools will streamline video processes like ideation, scripting, editing and more, making it easier for businesses to produce high-quality videos quickly and efficiently. We have been involved in this conversation, launching Shootsta AI in its early form to enhance and assist video creation in the Shootsta Platform.
2. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)
AR and VR technologies are still in their early forms and are still not widely adopted, but we believe they will become more integrated into video marketing in the future, providing immersive experiences that captivate audiences. Brands are already using AR to create interactive product demonstrations and VR to offer virtual tours or experiences, allowing viewers to engage with content in entirely new ways.
3. Increase in personalised video content
Whilst personalised video content is not a new concept for customers of Shootsta, we do believe we will be seeing an increase in hyper-targeted, personalised content in the future. Advanced data analytics and tools will enable brands to create targeted video content tailored to individual viewer preferences and behaviours. Personalised videos can improve engagement, drive conversions, and build stronger customer relationships.
4. Growth of live streaming
Live streaming is already an established trend and will continue to grow in popularity, offering brands a way to connect with their audience in real-time. Live events, product launches, and Q&A sessions provide an authentic and immediate way to engage viewers. As technology improves, live streaming quality and accessibility will enhance, making it an even more integral part of marketing strategies.
The future is Shootsta
As we step into 2024, video continues to dominate content marketing with its unmatched ability to engage and convert audiences. Advances in technology and AI have democratised video production, making it accessible for businesses of all sizes to create impactful content.
To ensure your brand leverages video’s full potential for maximum ROI, partner with Shootsta and be supported and guided to create impactful video content in 2024 and beyond. No matter your experience, team size, or budget, we’re here to help you make video the hero of your business strategy.