Five video marketing platforms to watch – 2018
Corporate videos used to be something companies would invest in only if the marketing budget allowed.
Today, 87% of online marketers use video content as part of their corporate communications plans.
Any marketing/PR agency will tell you that video is vital to a digital strategy that builds brand trust and audience engagement. Viewers spend billions of hours watching and sharing videos on social media channels and mobile platforms ever year.
45% of people watch more than an hour of Facebook or YouTube videos a week. And over half of video content is viewed on mobile devices.
That’s why 51% of marketing professionals worldwide claim video content has the best return on investment (ROI). Video on a landing page is said to increase customer conversions by 80% or more.
And marketers who use video, grow revenue 49% faster than non-video users.
These are the video platforms to watch out for.
1. Projection Mapping
Like a projector, projection mapping shows an image, video or graphic, but on a 3D surface.
That 3D surface might be a giant cube in the middle of the street, or the side of a building.
Companies love using projection mapping for product launches, opening events, industry conferences – any location or event where they want to capture the audience and create viral marketing.
2. Augmented Reality (AR)
AR takes the camera view of a location, recognises the image, and adds digital layers of information to interact with it.
Augmented reality is expected to have one billion users by 2020.
AR will continue to dominate on mobile devices, extending to entertainment, travel, business and even educational applications.
Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone X seemed to push for AR with the inclusion of an AR kit, a platform that develops augmented reality apps for iPhone and iPad.
3. Virtual Reality (VR)
VR is predicted to be a $30 billion industry by 2020.
However, digital marketers are still figuring out where VR can fit in to marketing strategies, due to the restriction of needing VR compatible software (VR Headsets).
Virtual tours are very popular for certain industries (gaming, travel, real estate, retail) to engage audiences with interactive video content.
4. Live Video Streaming
Live videos are increasingly popular on social media with one in every five Facebook videos now streamed live and they are keeping viewers engaged longer.
Consumers are said to watch live videos three times longer than normal videos.
Live demos, product launches, Q&A, and even celebrations at the office are considered great live video content.
5. Insta-stories Vs. Snapchat Stories
Snapchat originally started the ‘stories’ concept. However, Instagram has stolen the lead with 250 million users using Insta-stories, compared to Snapchat’s 166 million.
Facebook, YouTube and Whatsapp have already joined the club with their own ‘story’ feature.
Consumers love sharing their moments on a public platform and for companies it’s a great way to connect with their audience.
