Your Guide to the Changing Video Landscape

2016 was THE year of video, with consumers viewing more video content than ever and Mark Zuckerberg claiming the future is video. And this year, it is predicted that video will drive 74% of all web traffic—a number that will only continue to grow as more consumers cut cords and rely on digital platforms to watch and share entertainment, news and sports. Video is being consumed at a rate of 100 million hours per day on Facebook and one billion hours per day on YouTube, making it a great time to be a marketer and storyteller.

Quite simply, if you want to reach people where and how they spend their time today, video content should be a cornerstone to your creative approach and content marketing strategy.

Here, we’ve rounded up the four things you need to know about video to create and execute an effective content marketing plan in 2017.

1. One size doesn’t fit all:  Every video platform has intricacies, nuances and best practices that vary based on who is watching, what they want to watch and how they want to watch it. In 2017, one size will not fit all. Brands need to create bespoke content for each platform in order to drive success. Focus on executing with excellence and with platform best practices in mind from the start, even it if it means creating fewer videos for fewer platforms.

How does this impact content strategy?

• Content shouldn’t just be optimized for social—it should be designed for social. Know your intended platform for distribution before you invest in content creation. That way, you’ll ensure your content has a higher chance of resonating with, and successfully engaging, your audience. 
• Focus on quality over quantity. A well-executed, platform-optimized video can work much harder for your brand than an all-purpose video posted to every platform.

2. Viva variety: With a growing number of brands and creators pushing out high-quality video content, social platforms are quickly innovating to surface more video content and maximize engagement. And it’s happening in more ways than one—there’s live content, disappearing content, interactive content, branded entertainment, short films… you name it. With each of these unique formats finding different homes, a tight content strategy is key to tying it all together.

What does this mean for your brand?

• Understand your audience beyond demographics and interests. The sooner you learn the behavior patterns of your audience – how they engage with content, the types of content they like to watch –the sooner you’ll be able to inform an effective content strategy and media plan.
• Experiment with different types of video content across platforms. Experimentation and testing are critical to preparing for the next wave of consumers—young Millennials and Gen Z—and for the evolving media habits of Baby Boomers and Gen X. Don’t wait for your competition to pass you by. Find out what works (and what doesn’t) so you can start to build out those audiences early.

3. Longer watch time: As people get more comfortable with longer watch time, the average video length is growing on every platform. But, just because you have the ability to make a longer video doesn’t mean you should. Heavily branded spots that feel like a traditional commercial are not the answer. When it comes to creating longer content for a brand channel, you need to think like a filmmaker. Story structure, drama and emotion all matter.

So how do you hook your audience?

• Create multiple versions of your content with distinct 3-second openers. Testing your creative requires a very small initial investment and can make a major difference in drop off rates.
• Play into consumers’ curiosity by giving them “exclusive access.” Give them a sneak peek or behind the scenes access to an aspect of your brand or a relevant cultural experience.
• Break the fourth wall. Try having talent talk directly to your viewers and encourage the audience to comment and participate.

4. It’s a video, mobile-first world: In Q3 of 2016, digital ad spend increased by 20% to $17.6 billion (source: IAB), due in large part to growth in mobile video content. And that number is only getting bigger. For brands, most opportunities to connect with consumers in 2017 will likely be through video consumed on a mobile device—something that will, no doubt, impact how we think about creative and production.

Things to consider:

• Design your videos for “sound off” but delight with “sound on.” With Facebook moving towards auto play videos with sound on, it’s important to elevate your videos with music, VO and sound effects. But, know that a lot of people will still be watching on mute. So leverage graphics, logos and text to make sure your story translates without sound. This brings us to our next point…
• Create your videos for the “smallest common denominator” mobile device. Screens are getting larger but we’re still talking pocket-sized. Be sure any on-screen graphics, logos and text are easily legible on a small screen.
• Ensure your creative is bright and high contrast. Dark environments are hard to see on a smart phone.
• Plan ahead for vertical vs horizontal content. Are your viewers watching your video on a vertical or horizontal screen? While most devices will flip creative automatically, it’s best to plan ahead and design for the appropriate format.

The times they are a-changin’ but we’ve got you covered. Check back regularly for the latest trends in video. And for more platform-specific best practices, check out our Social Video Cheat Sheet.