There’s no denying that video has gained significant traction in recent years. Brands who are incorporating video into their marketing strategy open up a huge opportunity to develop customer relationships, as it puts a human voice behind the brand, which in turn builds credibility and loyalty. By Fergus Dyer-Smith CEO and Founder at Wooshii .
There’s no denying that video has gained significant traction in recent years. Brands who are incorporating video into their marketing strategy open up a huge opportunity to develop customer relationships, as it puts a human voice behind the brand, which in turn builds credibility and loyalty.
In this piece, I have outlined three predictions around video which I believe will be influencing brands and marketers in 2022.
Becoming ‘Video First’ is the New Focus for 2022
‘Video first’ is set to become the buzzword of 2022. Whilst digital-first drove us through the late part of the last decade, a number of factors, including the pandemic, rising channels such as TikTok and the dominance of YouTube will see companies viewing video as a primary, not a secondly tactic. Indeed, it has been forecast that by 2025 the corporate world will spend $43bn each year on video.
However, to maximise this medium’s full potential, businesses will need to develop standardised ways of planning video campaigns, including setting a clear brief and having a seamless production process. Further, assets should be easily accessible and performance of vendors should be measured and benchmarked, allowing processes to be refined and improved regularly.
Until now, video has always been somewhat under-measured, made complicated by channels having different definitions for key performance indicators. Therefore to fully reap the rewards of this medium, it will be key to work with partners that can manage and measure the entire life cycle of companies video operations.
Shoppable Videos will Come of Age
We all know that video is a highly effective marketing tool, but its unique ability to engage people means it’s also emerging as a highly effective sales tool. And whilst we’ve seen shoppable videos go from strength to strength in China, its take up in the UK has been somewhat slower.
Indeed, this is in part due to the fact that until very recently, it was not native. That said, I predict that 2022 will be the year that shoppable videos will come of age, taking over the way we shop online.
This is because they are highly interactive and are a great way to capitalise on both impulse buying and anticipation from early adopters. However, brands will need to ensure the video is pitched to the right audience on the right channel. The shopping interface also needs to be seamless, making it clear what’s clickable and what happens when you click.
To succeed, brands will need to approach video with a clear demographic in mind. They will then need to start testing to figure out what works and what doesn’t. This will also enable them to adapt the video to different customer segments so that everyone gets shown the content that is most likely to convert to a sale.
Ultimately, the best way to make a video entertaining or impactful is to double down on quality. There don’t always need to be a big budget, but customers don’t expect amateurism from brands. Therefore brands need to ensure their videos are optimised for mobile – which is increasingly the main platform for viewing videos – and for the specific channel the brand is on.
Synthetic Media is Going to Become Mainstream
Like any new technology, synthetic media has received a lot of negative press over the last few years and has previously been seen as somewhat of a red herring due to it being used by some to spread disinformation.
But, with technological advancements continuously developing, many companies are now looking to adopt AI due to its multitude of benefits.
Indeed, as AI avatars, voice and even fully AI created scenes become easier to use and create, combined with continuous pandemic restrictions making conventional filming risky, it has highlighted the benefits of using synthetic media for video production. From replacing the physical processes of filming with digital ones to cutting down time and cost to achieve a finalised product.
Understandably, creators may feel threatened by this, but they shouldn’t. Instead this will bolster their importance and put more power into the hands of creators. This is because the physical limitations on what can be created are being slowly eroded which in turn means imagination becomes the only limitation. And that’s where the best creators can shine.
In a world where consumers are increasingly spending more and more time online, it’s imperative for brands to deliver content fast, repeatedly and consistently on a global scale. With video providing brands with standout results and giving them a competitive edge we will see a significant uptake from brands in becoming video first, utilising shoppable video and synthetic media to engage with consumers in 2022.
