Video remains a colossus among content formats, captivating audiences with its unparalleled ability to weave visual stories that engage, inform, and inspire. And now, ankle deep into 2024, the horizon of video marketing is again expanding, fuelled by technological innovations, and shifting consumer behaviours transforming it into a critical tool for marketers aiming to connect with audiences on a deeper level.
This week’s article ventures into the heart of video marketing, exploring its intrinsic value, how consumption patterns have shifted, and most importantly, the strategies poised to define 2024 and on. From the dynamism of short-form videos on social media, the depth of immersive VR experiences, and the proliferation of AI, I’ll aim to uncover how to measure their impact effectively, ensuring your brand not only resonates with its audience but also thrives in the ever-changing digital ecosystem.
Shifts in Video Consumption: Adapting to the Digital Age
Thanks to new technology and changing viewer preferences, the way we consume video has undergone a seismic shift with today’s audience demanding content that is not only accessible but also aligning with with their fast-paced lifestyle. The proliferation of mobile devices and high-speed internet has made video content omnipresent, allowing for instant access to a world of information and entertainment and it is this shift that has required marketers to rethink their strategies, focusing on creating content that is not only engaging but also easily consumable across various platforms and devices.
Key Strategy: Focus on mobile-optimised, platform-specific content to ensure accessibility and engagement. Tailor your videos to suit the unique characteristics and user behaviours of each platform, from YouTube’s long-form content to TikTok’s short, snappy videos.
The Rise of AI in Video Marketing
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising video marketing, redefining boundaries and offering tools that both enhance creativity and streamline production. Generative AI and AI-powered editing software are not just futuristic concepts but are already delivering tangible benefits and with businesses reporting positive ROI from AI-driven video marketing, and the adoption of AI tools is expected to surge, enabling marketers to achieve more with less and tailor content with unprecedented precision.
AI will likely be a major trend in video marketing in 2024, as more and more brands use AI tools and techniques to create, edit, and optimise their video content. Some of the possible AI video marketing trends for 2024 are:
- Generative AI:This is the use of AI to create new content from scratch, such as images, videos, audio, or text. Generative AI can help video marketers produce original and engaging videos that match their brand voice and style, without the need for expensive or time-consuming production processes. For example, LOVO is an AI-powered voiceover platform that can generate realistic and natural-sounding voices for any video script.
- AI Subtitles: Adding subtitles to videos can improve accessibility, engagement, and watch time, especially for viewers who have the sound off or speak a different language. AI subtitle tools can automatically transcribe and translate video captions, saving video creators time and ensuring accuracy.
- AI Video Analytics: Measuring the performance and ROI of video marketing campaigns is crucial to optimise and improve them. AI video analytics can help video marketers track and analyse various metrics, such as views, watch time, engagement, conversions, and sentiment and, furthermore, provide insights and recommendations on how to improve video content, such as the best length, format, style, and platform. For example, Vidyard is a video hosting and analytics platform that uses AI to provide video marketers with actionable data and feedback.
Key Strategy: Leverage AI for generative content creation and editing to produce unique and captivating videos efficiently. Utilise AI tools for tasks like creating realistic voiceovers and automating subtitles to enhance accessibility and engagement.
Navigating Changes in Search Engine Results Pages (SERP) and Content Distribution
Recent adjustments by search engines to reduce video thumbnails for non-central content have significant implications. This strategic shift underscores the importance of ensuring your video content is the focal point of your web pages to maintain visibility and ranking. It’s a clear signal that video SEO should be a priority, emphasising the need for marketers to adapt their strategies to align with these evolving algorithms.
Key Strategy: Prioritise video SEO by ensuring your videos are the main content on your pages and are fully optimised with keywords, tags, and descriptions. This will enhance their visibility and ranking on SERPs.
Integrating Video into Newsletters and Emails
The resurgence of newsletters offers a prime opportunity for incorporating video content into email marketing enriching these communications by offering a more immersive and engaging experience. This approach not only enhances the narrative quality of emails but also drives product adoption and customer retention.
Key Strategy: Incorporate short, engaging video clips into your newsletters to highlight new products, share insights, or tell your brand’s story, enhancing depth and driving engagement.
The Ascendancy of Product Videos
Product videos have become indispensable in conveying the value and functionality of products, especially for software and tech companies. This shift towards visual product explanations and demonstrations caters to consumer preferences for digestible and engaging content, significantly impacting interest and conversion rates among high-intent visitors.
Key Strategy: Shift to video-based product documentation and demonstrations. This approach not only caters to consumer preferences for video content but can also simplify complex information, enhancing user understanding and engagement.
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