• 4 Reasons Why Digital Video Will Win The Decade

    4 Reasons Why Digital Video Will Win The Decade

    Last week at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, Robert Kyncl, Chief Business Officer at YouTube, presented the keynote on why digital video will win the decade – and video and content marketers should take note.

    But before diving in, let’s refer back to 2012 when Kyncl made some bold predictions. He said that by 2020, “90% of all internet traffic was going to be video traffic,” and “75% of all video people watched in the US was going to be transmitted through the internet.” Fast forward to the CES 2016 Keynote, Kyncl justified his predictions by educating the crowd:

    • “Cisco predicts that video will actually reach around 90% of global internet traffic by 2019 – so a full year ahead of schedule.”
    • “By 2020…digital video will only reach about 60% of the total pie, not 75, as predicted.”

    However, Kyncl is standing by his latter prediction because he doesn’t think digital video will grow linearly – currently at 25% a year – but exponentially. “So, this being Vegas, I’m doubling down. I believe digital video will overtake TV to become the single largest way people spend free time before the end of the decade,” states Kyncl.

    Per Kyncl, here are four reasons why digital video will win the decade:

    1. It’s inherently mobile

    Bigger, brighter and sharper screens, longer battery life, stronger and faster data speeds, and better sound quality are all trends producing devices constantly improving on the mobile video viewing experience. “And app makers and publishers, from Snapchat to The New York Times, are all investing in making video a core part of their experiences, accelerating mobile video consumption,” adds Kyncl. “And on YouTube, the average time people spend watching video on their mobile device is forty minutes, a gain of 50% year-on-year.”

    2. It’s endlessly diverse

    With digital video, not only can audiences share and search, but choose to consume at their leisure. The mobility is “successfully changing the way we consume video into the way we consume books – you can find one on whatever interests you and consume it whenever and wherever you want,” explains Kyncl. “That openness has led to incredible content diversity. Not only do we have videos on every topic imaginable, entirely new genres of video have been born on YouTube.”

    3. It’s never been more important to music

    Aside from sleeping and working, watching video is the #1 way people spend their time. What’s #2? Listening to music – at just over four hours a day. “And YouTube is a major source of that music,” Kyncl reports, “More than half of all teenagers use [YouTube] as their main way to find and listen to new artists, in large part because we have the biggest and best music library available. If an artist has a live performance, a remix, an acoustic version or an out of print track, chances are you can find it on YouTube. But the best thing about music on YouTube is that music videos can become massive phenomena, whether they’re from established or emerging artists.”

    4. It’s immersive in a way TV can never be

    CES 2016 product and technology trends in Virtual Reality and 360 video are at the forefront of this statement, and leading content creators around the world are using this technology to tell richer, immersive, and interactive stories.

    “Already on Android and soon in iOS, you’ll be able to watch any video on YouTube in VR…making VR truly democratic and primed to grow exponentially,” concludes Kyncl.

    These four reasons and trends all point to digital video’s success during the decade.

    To watch Robert Kyncl’s Keynote in its entirety with compelling cameos from Scooter Braun, founder of SB Projects, Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro, and Chris Milk, CEO of Vrse, carve out an hour for the video below:

    Fill out the form below to schedule a free strategy call with our team.



    Tim Bradley

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  • 4 Steps to a Successful 2015 Video Strategy

     

    With Christmas around the corner, there’s really only one thing on everyone’s mind.

    Next year’s Video Content strategy!

     Ok, well, maybe not, but as the calendar year winds down and we all gather to reflect and celebrate the accomplishments of 2014, there’s no time like the “present” to start thinking about what 2015 has in store for your brand’s content production.

     Unsurprisingly, countless articles about 2015 Video Marketing Trends and Predictions have been popping up for well over 6 months (I’m personally looking forward to what’s in store for 2016 and 2017, which I’m sure I’ll hear about from someone in the next few days…).  But if you have yet to put much thought into what your strategy will be come January, here are 4 steps I suggest taking:

    Audit

    Take a solid look at what you already have, and what you can do to improve it.  How’s your YouTube presence?  Is it organized and easy to navigate?  Are you using custom thumbnails to your advantage?  What are your competitors doing?

    Step back and view your YouTube page as if you were a potential customer looking for knowledge and/or entertainment.  What’s the experience like for someone who isn’t as deeply invested in your brand as you are?

    If you haven’t yet, start taking YouTube seriously.  Create playlists, add longer text descriptions, keywords, and tags to boost SEO.  It’s relatively easy, and it makes a huge difference.

    If you haven’t yet, check out the YouTube Creator Playbook for Brands for some solid insights.

    Experiment

    As fellow video producer Tim Bradley wrote a few weeks ago on our blog: “Try it all with video.”  I couldn’t agree more.

    Approach every initiative with the possibility of video top-of-mind.  Utilize different styles (formal, “run and gun,” animation, scripted, etc.) that best suit a particular message.

     Expect the unexpected – you’ll often find uses for your video assets you weren’t anticipating.

    Do it Right

    No more foot-dragging – you need to start seriously budgeting for high-quality online video in 2015.

     A few quick stats from Brightcove:

     -Seven in ten (76%) consumers cite video as their preferred content source when consuming brand information.  (I repeat: seven in ten.  Seventy-six percent.)

     -Over a third of consumers (35%) cited brand video content as more memorable if it is of high quality.

     Customers (of ALL kind – take note, B2Bs) are hungry for well-produced, engaging videos to give them all their information.  Don’t waste the opportunity by relying on cheaply-produced videos or overly-long PowerPoint screengrabs.

     Take your time and do it right.

     Distribute

    It’s no secret that there are no longer any free lunches  in the content marketing world.  You need a distribution plan, otherwise no one will see your video.  This WILL be an additional expense, so make sure to budget accordingly and be prepared for the cost. That way, you can be sure you’ll get the results you want.

    Did I miss anything?  Let us know what you are planning for your 2015 Video Strategy!

    Matter

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  • Your Company Video: Would YOU Watch It?

    Your Company Video: Would YOU Watch It?

    You’ve invested your staff’s time and internal resources. You’ve budgeted for the video production and editing. And now you have a brand new video for your company’s website, social media, or otherwise. But did you ever stop to ask yourself, “Would I watch this video?” Sadly, the answer for many company employees is “no.” Whether it’s getting bogged down by too many details, or the visuals are just not that compelling (read: too much talking heads), or the overall production value is simply lack-luster – somewhere along the way the “creative” was lost in the creative process.

    Video is the medium to experiment and explore fun and engaging ways to connect with your respective audience. And who knows your audience better than YOU? No need to “play it safe” and produce the same-old-song-and-dance type product that is, frankly, boring. As obvious as this is to a B2C company, it also applies to B2B. Enter “Human to Human” (H2H). When someone clicks “play” on that YouTube video, they expect to have an emotional, human connection to that video. Whether through the character development, the “problem” or situation, or the overall story line, your audience wants and expects to relate to some element of that video. If that connection is not there, the video will fall flat and the investment is wasted.

    The takeaway: at the very beginning, the pre-production of the creative process, just ask yourself: “Would I watch this?” If not, then go back to the drawing board and find that compelling story that best represents and relates to your company’s audience. A story that makes them connect with the humans behind the business.

    Tim Bradley

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  • 5 Tips for Using Video in PR & Marketing

    Memo to communications professionals: If video isn’t in your PR and marketing toolkits, it should be. (more…)

    Matter

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