2024 Video Marketing Trends
With the industry expanding and new tools constantly emerging, there are endless opportunities within video marketing in the new year. Video marketing is a critical component of any business’s marketing strategy; with consumers seeking genuine experiences through marketing, businesses are trying to communicate brand messaging through authentic visual storytelling.
Here’s the top video marketing trends to keep an eye on in the new year:
AI for Video
AI continues to be a hot tool for video marketing in 2024, after the jump in use of artificial intelligence in 2023. In 2024, marketers are looking for more and more ways to use AI as it continues to impact every industry across the globe.
AI-driven video production tools and technologies are revolutionizing the industry as they streamline processes and enhance workflows. The automated processes offered by these tools have the potential to reduce the time spent researching and planning projects, analyzing and editing footage, writing scripts and captions, and more, allowing video production professionals to maximize efficiency and productivity.
360° Videos
360° videos are quickly gaining traction as an exciting medium that allows viewers to watch content from any angle, as if they were actually there. This trend could lead to a greater emphasis on live-streaming events like concerts or sporting events in 2024. AR and 360 videos have already been integrated into advertising strategies to boost audience engagement. Companies like Grand Marnier collaborated with Blippar to feature AR at promotional events, giving guests a one-of-a-kind 3D experience.
Thanks to the continuous advancements in virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR), businesses can create immersive and interactive experiences that were once unimaginable. From product demos to virtual tours, or even employee training, the options are limitless.
Live Streaming and Interactive Content
In 2024, businesses are expected to produce more videos tailored directly to audiences and are more interactive. Personalized video content is predicted to be a main focus of 2024, and with the help of AI algorithms and customer data, brands can produce videos customized to individual preferences, behaviors, and demographics.
Live streaming is continuing to grow in popularity along with the consumer emphasis on immediacy and authenticity. Live streams are also extremely versatile; brands can use live streaming for exclusive product launches, behind-the-scenes content, Q&A sessions, and broadcast live events to create real-time engagement and receive direct feedback. Live streaming has a global audience reach of almost 28% and is the third most popular video format.
Other interactive videos, that encourage the audience to take part in activities like polls and quizzes, help create an experience for viewers to remember. The inclusion of these interactive elements also offers data that helps marketers gain a deeper understanding of their audience.
User Generated Content & Smartphone Production Use
User Generated Content, where real people make content for brands to use, has continued to rise since gaining momentum in 2022. Today's consumers are drawn to honest, authentic content with real customers speaking to their experiences with a product or service. This approach allows brands to connect with their audience through everyday people and a loyal customer base.
In 2023, UGC content flooded TikTok and Instagram, and is expected to continue growing throughout 2024. Brands encourage customers to share experiences and reviews online to help build community and provide unique perspectives to buyers. With social media marketing now requiring a huge amount of consistency, UGC content has eased the burden on in-house marketing teams with customers now creating and sharing branded content.
And with smartphone video quality continuing to get better and better, companies are avoiding traditional production costs by using smartphones to create vertical video and short-form social content for their brand. While small businesses with limited resources can benefit the most from this short-form, mobile-first video trend, even Olivia Rodrigo’s pop-rock anthem “Get Him Back!” was shot entirely on an iPhone 15 Pro Max (with the help of special equipment, drones, gimbals, dollies, and having the perfect lighting on set, of course). The Pro Max has a 5x telephoto camera that can shoot up to a 120mm focal length, along with regular and wide-angle lenses. The new USB-C connector also allows users to capture video directly to an external storage drive at up to 4K 60fps with increasing image stabilization, expansive dynamic range, and faster processing capabilities.
Social Media Video SEO
Entering 2024, brands should optimize their videos to enhance visibility and help reach the right audience. Additionally, marketers will focus on creating content tailored specifically for vertical viewing habits, with TikTok and Instagram Reels taking over the digital marketing landscape.
In today's digital age, businesses need to create video content optimized for vertical viewing to succeed with a Gen Z audience. With vertical videos taking up more of a smartphone's screen space, the orientation helps users stay engaged. While regular video content is still a vital part of online marketing, especially on websites, companies still must deliver brand messaging quickly and creatively.
According to a 2023 survey conducted by Her Campus Media, Gen Z uses TikTok as their preferred search engine for discovering new brands and products, with 61% of respondents saying they rely more on the recommendations from influencers and brands than family or friends. The survey also highlighted the new heights video content consumption is reaching, with 95% of Gen Z using Instagram, and 80% using TikTok, daily to watch videos. In tune with the survey, creating short, captivating videos customized for these specific platforms has never been more important- in today's fast-paced world, marketers only have 2.7 seconds to capture their audience's attention before it's lost.
HubSpot Blog’s 2023 Marketing Strategy and Trends Report reported 90% of marketers are planning to utilize short-form video to increase or maintain their investment in the upcoming year.
Cross-Platform Marketing Strategies
As social media platforms continue to evolve, optimizing video content for cross-platform sharing has become essential to reach customers in as many ways as possible. This video marketing strategy centers around simply repurposing content on different platforms. Video marketing strategies should prioritize content that seamlessly transitions from one platform to the next and uses consistent messaging.
As the visual storytelling landscape continues to evolve, so will Cosmic. We take pride in staying informed about emerging trends and helping our clients stay ahead of the curve.
