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Video has occupied a vital corner of the strongest content marketing strategies for years. Yet with the increased focus on marketing synergy, and rapid improvements in content delivery and consumption; video marketing is no longer confined to a singular space. This is buoyed by the overwhelming popularity of video compared to all other forms of content. As much as 54% of consumers prefer video content to newsletters, social images, and blog articles. Recognizing the capabilities of, and extraordinary demand for, video marketing should form the foundation of any new marketing strategy in 2019.
Smartphone-first Video
In 2018 there were more video views from a smartphone than from a desktop. With this in mind, squared and portrait orientated videos will be more of need as we move further into 2019 especially with the rise in “stories” on social media.
Live Video
As more platforms embrace the idea of live video streaming, we anticipate standard webinars to be to be reinforced with “Live Q&As” or videos in an “Ask Me Anything” format. These give featured speakers a platform to answer any important questions in real-time. Industry experts, product managers, and technicians can offer live support for new clients, or existing customers. This broadens the scope of video marketing to include additional aftercare and support.
Podcasts
Video killed the radio star, and now it is encroaching on the territory of traditionally audio-based podcasts. With a video podcast, your business gets two versions of the same product. Audio can be released individually, while a full filmed version offers a deeper insight into company culture to further enhance exposure. We expect this trend to catch on over the next twelve months.
Video Thought Leadership
Video thought leadership is immensely popular. Potential customers can be easily swayed by experts in similar areas of interest. They can address concerns before they even arise, offering a trustworthy review of your product offering. Does the instrument work as expected? Can they expect good levels of support in their region? These answers feel more earnest when they come from an informed third party, rather than your own product managers.
In a recent scientific equipment buyers survey conducted with over 100 leading scientific professionals, 71% of people said that video content had an influence on their decision to buy.
Source: AZoNetwork Buyers survey, 2019
Recurring Video Series
Binge-watching has proliferated from episodic streaming services into video marketing. This works hand-in-hand with the quick-delivery and fast-digestion of video content. Consumers don’t want to watch a seven-minute video about the functions and capacities of your scanning electron microscope (SEM). So, break up your script into a series that tells weekly micro-narratives within a broader storyline. With a strong concept and a skilled video editor, this requires no more work than editing a single longer video. You can then increase your customer engagement by staggering the release of each ‘episode’, or make each segment available to them at once.
Behind the Scenes
Transparency is key in 2019, and more companies are using video marketing to extoll their cultural or environmental values in an enjoyable format. Documentary-style behind the scenes videos are a refreshing change of pace from the typical corporate messages that consumers are accustomed to. This can demonstrate your manufacturing expertise, customer service and support capabilities, your shipping processes, or your overall company culture. Sharing insights into the care and attention that factors into your production and aftercare service could be an important factor in converting a lead to a sale.
Accessible Video Content
Captioning and auto-describing in videos is becoming increasingly common, and occasionally legislated. Inclusivity is an important moral to strive towards as it ensures more individuals can consume your content – particularly as videos are increasingly shared and featured on social channels. Someone viewing your video in China may benefit from Chinese subtitles, even if they have a sound understanding of English. This is a satisfying trend that has the happy duality of commercial and ethical improvements.
Video in Email
Videos no longer need to languish in the embed links of your site or on social media. Hundreds of emails flood into our inboxes every day, and statistics show that simply including the word “video” in the subject line will increase open rates. Providing a video thumbnail can lead to more clicks too. We are also seeing sales and marketing departments introducing “video email signatures” to make emails more personable and help put faces to names.
AZoNetwork offers a wide range of video services from, thought leader videos such as the example above or voice over and translation services. Whatever your video project you can trust AZoNetwork to deliver a bespoke experience that’s sensitive to scientific working environments such as laboratories or research facilities. AZoNetwork’s full-service approach is trusted by many leading brands around the world. Why not see for yourself by visiting our video channel.
