Melissa Burns — November 20, 2017 — November 20, 2017
JESHOOTS / Pixabay
The growth of mobile surfing and the increase in video content have been among the most noticeable Internet trends for the last five or seven years, what with explosive development of mobile technologies and increase in network bandwidths. The year 2018 promises to be heavy on both, with mobile videos becoming one of the primary methods of marketing in social media. The reason is simple: with the ever-growing amount of content constantly bombarding people, their already short attention spans are getting even shorter, and pictures/videos are much easier to perceive than text. So what should you do to ride on this trend in 2018? Let’s find out.
1. Short and simple instructional videos promoting your content
Mobile users generally are after two types of videos: very short, very easy-to-understand ones that can be looked through quickly to get the gist, and long ones that can be watched for a significant period of time while they are waiting somewhere (in a line, on a bus trip, etc.). Needless to say, short videos can occupy the niche of the long ones (you can watch multiple short videos while you wait), while long ones cannot replace the short ones (if you need a 3-minute instruction on how to sharpen a kitchen knife you will be annoyed with 2-hour in-depth guides). This means that concentrating on short and simple is most likely to be a winning strategy. You can see a good example of Ben and Jerry’s ice-cream brand, posting colorful, short recipe videos that pack quite a wallop on their Instagram.
2. Long, in-depth videos if it is appropriate for your product and audience
Nevertheless, the above-mentioned approach doesn’t work in all industries. If you sell a complex product, it may be difficult or even impossible to say anything meaningful about it in a span of a few minutes. And it is wrong to think that the longer video is, the less engagement it begets – in reality, there is a drop after 2-3 minutes, but later on, videos do remarkably similarly irrespectively of their length. Long-format videos will be both easier to make and probably more suitable for your target audience, who want in-depth information on the subject they really care about. They will probably bookmark these video for later and watch them whenever they have time, and if the quality is any good, it will do wonders for your reputation as an industry expert.
3. Live video
Live videos are a simple and cost-effective way to take your viewers behind the scenes of how your company functions. According to eMarketer, more than a third of all Internet users admit they watch live videos, the most popular channels being Facebook Live, with YouTube live streaming closely following it. Live video may be started spontaneously, but this way you can expect any results only if your brand is already fairly popular. Otherwise, it is better to schedule it for later.
The main selling point of live videos is the ability to directly engage with viewers and build rapport, so make sure you prepare yourself to communicate as naturally and authentically with them as possible.
4. Unusual or Bizarre videos
Not every brand from just any industry can pull this off, but if you do, it will immediately give you the recognition that is hard to win in any other way. If you manage to create a video that will go viral, you can reach out far beyond your usual audience, even getting to the people that otherwise would have no way of interacting with your brand or even hearing about it. This ad by Little Baby’s Ice Cream, for example, is probably a little bit too unsettling for the product it markets, but one thing is for sure: once you watch it, you’ll need brain bleach to stop remembering it whenever you hear about ice-cream – which probably was its purpose.
Mobile videos are, unmistakably, the next big thing – and there are as many ways of using them as you wish if you approach the job creatively. So get ready, study the examples of those who already do it well, and 2018 will be alright for you!
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