I have been looking this week at predicted marketing trends, and while there are very many forecasts – especially as we head into the new year – I have tried to boil them down to some main ones.
It seems that buyers – especially younger buyers such as the much pursued Millennial demographic – are big on video and the so-called authentic marketing voice. Buyers are increasingly seeking authenticity when online and video is seen as a mean of making a real connection with the audience.
Different surveys have found, for example, that viewers are 65%-85% more inclined to buy after watching a product video, and that almost half of buyers look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store, while marketers who use video increase their revenues almost 50% faster than non-video users.
And on the issue of video, there are two types: ephemeral content and live broadcasting. The ephemeral sort is along the lines of Instagram stories and SnapChat images. In other words, pictures and movies that disappear within a relatively short period. You are not making video for the long term but rather for a short attention span. And when you consider that Instagram has hundreds of millions, the investment is clearly worthwhile. It’s all about the “Story” on Instagram. Create the story and keep it going if you want to retain the viewer.
Meanwhile, Live Broadcasting has become increasingly popular. Facebook Live attracts 135% more organic views than images on the newsfeed. And with Facebook making changes behind the scenes to make it more challenging for content to be seen organically, live streaming is becoming an important part of companies’ social media strategies.
The strength of live broadcasting via Facebook Live or YouTube Live is that it provides a platform for honest conversations, with viewers able to ask questions or make comments in real time, strengthening accountability and creating a sincere two-way communication.
