The evolution of video marketing

Posted by Chris Doyle on 8th April 2019

Video advertising has become more creative and is now anticipated by viewers across the world. Many of us love waiting for the big Christmas TV advert to be released or finding out which Super Bowl commercial is going to be the biggest hit.

Being able to create an advert used to mean that your company needed to employ a video production company. But as technology has improved, and everyone has a video device in the palm of their hand, it’s now easier than ever to create promotional video content for your business.

DSLR cameras have become more affordable and easier to use too, meaning video content can be produced a lot quicker with a professional camera.

But in my opinion the cameras in most mobile phones are amazing and possibly the most cost-effective way to record a video for a short promo or even a news piece.

The rise of Instagram and Snapchat stories

The increased popularity in Snapchat and Instagram stories has meant that filming in portrait mode has become more acceptable. Suddenly, everyone is a videographer, and producing portrait-style videos.

For companies wanting to post a quick update online, or for bloggers wanting to show off their coffees, filming on a phone has become the easiest way to release content.

But we must factor something else in. Although consumers love watching videos of cats and the Kardashians, many people now view content without sound. (Granted, this is less of a problem when watching a cat.)

Today, a lot of videos feature captions. This can be in the form of pop-up text that informs the viewer of what is happening in the video. Tasty are a brilliant example of this. Full subtitles can also be used for interview-led videos.

Videos are fast and informative with creativity and quality ranking highly. My personal favourite to follow, and example of an organisation getting it right, is Manchester City Football Club. They truly lead the way in terms of media. They use different animations and filters to make their videos more engaging. The following week, you will see other teams and even Match of the Day using these techniques.

What’s next?

Companies want both short and long video content to reach their audiences. A short and informative video on social media of up to two minutes might be designed to entice you into a product, whereas a longer video will allow viewers to build trust in your brand and allow you to share how-to guides, advice and stories.

The availability of drones is making it far easier for anyone to achieve quality aerial footage, without the need to hire a professional video company. Capturing drone footage allows companies to showcase the scale of their business, whether it’s an aerial view of their production site, property portfolio or event.  

Today, live streaming on Facebook and 360-degree videos are the biggest steps in modern video production, and both are brilliant for interacting with viewers.

But until 360-degree videos become more accessible to everyone, I believe we will continue to engage people through 4K videos shot on quality DSLR cameras with interactive captions.