While video is a well-established marketing trend over the past decade, 2020 has cemented its importance as a tool to reach customers. Last year companies of all sizes have utilized video in a variety of formats to capture a growing audience of consumers spending more of their time online and on their phones. Whether you’re already using video in your marketing or you’re looking to get started, we have a few tips and trends that will help you reach your audience.

Streaming and Live Shopping

Streaming has been popular for a variety of demographics over the past couple years and its popularity (and, thus, importance) is only growing. Nearly all social media platforms support live streaming, with Facebook and Instagram being two of the biggest hitters online. Now that we’re in a more isolated world connecting with directly with your consumers is a bit difficult, but live streaming allows for you to reach your audience in a way that’s personal.

Some ideas for your business could be live product reveals, Q&A sessions, virtual events, shopping streams, and more!

Short Form Video

In 2020 TikTok exploded into the collective consciousness and it’s clear that it’s not going away anytime soon. If you’re looking to reach a younger audience there’s no better place to look than the short-form video platform, as roughly 50% of its user base is under the age of 34. Recently we’re seeing other social media platforms getting in on the trend, particular with the launch of Reels on Instagram. With a run time maximum of 60 seconds, it’s important to condense your message and creativity in your content is key for gaining attention.

Small videos featuring your products or services are simple to produce and fast to upload, meaning you can get your message out there faster and with more frequency.

Stop Motion Video and GIFs

A rising trend for online marketing is turning what could just be a simple photo into a very short video or GIF. Motion is a great way to quickly grab attention, and with so much of the content being produced on a platform like Instagram you need a way for your content to stand out. These micro-videos entice users to tap on your content and produce more engagement and these videos can be easily converted into GIFs to use on your marketing emails or ad posts.

Stop motion video is also a growing trend on TikTok and Instagram. It’s engaging, eye-catching, and easier to make than you might think! There are a few apps that you can use to create these videos like Life Lapse and Stop Motion Studio (both on iOS and Android).

Importance of Closed Captioning

If you’ve watched any videos online lately, you’ve probably noticed they all start playing in silence. Facebook muted their auto-play videos a few years ago, so brands and content creators are putting closed captions on all of their videos. While it’s still important that your video have quality music and sound for those times when watchers have their sound turned on, more and more users are scrolling and swiping through their feeds with the sound off. Having captions on your content ensures your viewers aren’t missing out on any important information.

2020 changed how we market and video is growing in popularity and engagement rapidly in these more isolated times. In 2021 it’s an effective strategy for any business, and with these trends your content has the potential to reach out to an even wider audience.