Top 3 video marketing trends for 2017

21st December 2016

The “Year of Video” has been heralded again and again in recent marketing trends articles, and given the medium’s effectiveness in reaching and motivating audiences, the odds are that 2017 will continue to be the age of video content.

But your competitors will also have noticed that it’s video’s time, and in the crowded marketplace, producing a promotional film is not enough on its own. Effective content needs to play into a brand’s wider digital marketing strategy from planning to campaign activation, and draw on the latest relevant techniques to stay ahead and engage audiences.

So here are my top 3 video marketing trends for 2017, and more importantly how you can use them to deliver results for your brand.

We like to practise what we preach, so you can watch our video below if you’d prefer:

360-degree video

There is always a new piece of tech on the block, and that tech of the moment is 360 degree video. But unlike other fly-by-night technology, 360 degree video is here to stay and it’s backed by the big players – Facebook and YouTube.

Although 360 degree cameras have been around for a while, it has been hampered by playback. Now that audiences can watch via social networks coupled with the availability of inexpensive headsets, such as Gear VR, 360 degree video is ready for brands to inspire their audiences with immersive content.

Brands are still working out how to maximise ROI with 360 but it’s definitely the one to look out for in 2017. 360-degree video is at its best when it is transporting viewers somewhere else, and we’re finding great applications for holiday destinations, charity campaigns, product launches and automotive films.

Ecommerce and video

There’s always been pressure to measure ROI and build the direct link between video and sales, and the next marketing trend on our list has huge potential to do just that. Interactive video is my second tip, which includes offering choices for viewers, direct links to shopping baskets, integration with sales software and page website behaviour tracking; all of which are going to make a real impact on e-commerce businesses.

Shoppable videos will be a big trend for 2017 which brings content marketing and sales closer together than ever before.

Storytelling

Consumers are flooded with content hitting their screens at all hours of the day. Just think every minute, there are 400 hours of new video shared, 555,555 photos uploaded to Instagram and so on. (Smart Insights)

Both 360 video and interactive platforms are examples of how tech can help you stand out from all the mediocre content out there. However, tech alone just won’t cut it to motivate consumers.

To stand out in the soup of content we need to consider my third tip for next year, and it’s one deep in our psyche as far back as our early ancestors gathering around a campfire – emotional storytelling. Humans are hard-wired to understand emotional stories and this makes it the best way to connect with an audience. Successful brands will concentrate on how their content makes people feel, rather than banging on and on with a sales message.

So those are my key video trends for the year ahead and we’re looking forward to helping brands use them to get their marketing strategy right in 2017.

What are your marketing predictions for the year ahead? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us at @hurricanemedia

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