Advertising video company Breadnbeyond recently produced an infographic revealing the video marketing trends they had seen in 2017, and some of their predictions for video content in 2018. At Beyond Fifteen we’ve seen an increase in interest in advertising video – and particularly live streaming video – in the past year. Many of the trends and likely future developments posited by Breadnbeyond line up with what we’ve been seeing and the advice that we’ve been giving to our clients. Here are three of the top trends for video marketing in 2018.
- Expect ad prices to go up. More and more business, big and small, are recognizing the value of targeted social media ads, including advertising video. Total ad spending on Facebook alone increased by 74 percent in 2017, and as the number of advertisers on social media platforms increases, the prices of securing advertising spaces on those platforms will continue to rise.
- Watch out for Facebook Creator. Launched in November for iOS devices, and with an Android version expected to drop later this year, Facebook Creator is a one-stop app intended to allow creators of all kinds to deliver branded live video to an audience. Clearly driven by Mark Zuckerberg’s aim to make time spent on Facebook more engaging and interactive, Facebook Creator may currently be pitched more at social media stars and entrepreneurs, but we predict it won’t be long before video marketing professionals take advantage of the app’s features to promote brands and build communities as part of their wider social media marketing strategies.
- Mobile optimization will be key. Smartphones and tablets are becoming ubiquitous, and last year 69 percent of all digital media engagement was on mobile devices, as opposed to desktop or laptop computers. That percentage is only going to increase, and it’s therefore vital that your brand’s video marketing efforts be optimized for mobile devices, and not just for viewing on traditional web browsers.
Those are some of the trends we expect to see for video marketing in 2018. However, if we were to highlight one single area that will continue to see growth and innovation in the coming year, it would be live video. A recent study showed that a whopping 82 percent of consumers favor live streaming over other types of social posts, and the potential for engagement is clear. Crafting original and engaging live advertising video content that stands out from the crowd is likely to be one of the biggest challenges for marketers in the coming months.