Video marketing has become one of the most popular and effective ways of connecting to your audience. In 2018, 76% of marketers said that it increased their sales. They use it for product demos, virtual tours, testimonials and funny or heartwarming ad campaigns.  

And video marketing going to get even bigger in 2019. Here are some of the big trends that show the future of video and how it can change your content marketing game. 

Smartphones open new video marketing possibilities

What this means is that anyone in your company can now capture high quality footage. You can film an event or store opening, interview customers or a company expert, or capture behind-the-scenes.

Today’s smartphones come with powerful cameras that allow anyone to capture high quality video. In fact, Apple shot its entire 30th anniversary ad with an iPhone — proof of the power of its video capabilities.

Of course, challenge is to turn that footage into an interesting video. Your content writing company can prepare a script, cut hours of footage into a short but compelling video, or add elements like music or taglines.

But smartphone capabilities means that there are more opportunities to create content – or at least, provide your content writing agency with material for it.

The rise of the square format

Before, videos were shot horizontally so they could be viewed well on widescreen TVs. However, trends show that most people spend up to an hour each day watching videos on mobile. That means a vertical format fora phone, or a horizontal format on a tablet. What’s the middle ground?  

The square format. Your content writing agency may already be very familiar with it, since it’s become the most popular video format for mobile news feeds.

Square formats are  78% more popular, have a 54% higher view-through rate for the first 10 seconds, have 35% higher video views, and 80% more engagement.

By the way, square formats aren’t just for videos. Even Facebook images and ad campaigns now use this size. 

Here are two Facebook posts we created for our clients (click here to view more of MapleTree Media’s social media marketing campaigns!)  

More 360 degree videos  

Three-dimensional, immersive videos can make the viewer feel like they’re actually there. However, this video technique needs to be used in a creative and strategic way.  

Facebook 360 videos have a lower view-through rate, but have a higher click-through rate. What that means is that people are curious, but you need to give them quality videos for them to finish it. And if they do get past the 10 second mark, they are more likely to share it with others.

More live streaming  

Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook all now offer live streaming. Live streaming is now responsible for 13%  of video views. It offers a lot of benefits,too!

Brands that don’t have huge video marketing budgets don’t have to spend for editing and post-production. Customers also view live streaming as authentic and trustworthy.

The challenge, however is to choose what events have enough entertainment or useful information to keep viewers engaged. When you plan your annual content marketing calendar, think of a few activities that can tap into the power of live streaming.

MapleTree Media is a full-service digital marketing agency in Singapore. We offer video marketing, social media marketing, search engine marketing and other content writing services. Contact us to find out more about what we can do for you!