The Latest Video Marketing Trends and Best Practices

The importance video plays in marketing has become undeniable in our social media and digital-first world. But what type of video content should your business be creating? How do you optimize videos for different channels? And how much of an investment will it take? But also consider how it can scale your sales team, and be ready 24/7 in every corner of the planet. 

A Wyzowl study found the biggest barriers to adopting video marketing is marketers simply don’t know where to start or lack the time. Partnering with an agency can give you the support and expertise needed to develop an effective strategy across channels and create videos that are both relevant and engaging. As new trends take place, here are ways marketers can strategize smarter and streamline content creation.

Leveraging AI tools to streamline workflows.

Navigating the growing influence of AI can seem overwhelming. On social media, you may have noticed an increase in AI-generated videos. People are having fun experimenting with text-to-video AI tools such as Meta’s Make-a-Video and Google’s Imagen Video. These tools still have limited capabilities however, and the end results are noticeably fake or flawed. You’ve probably seen it before in AI images—the person with seven fingers on one hand or the animal missing a leg. Marketers shouldn’t be looking to AI for video generation but rather leverage AI editing tools to simplify complex or time-consuming tasks.  In other words, assisting your team, not replacing well-executed creative.

Here are some AI tools Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects offer to help streamline video editing and production workflows.  

• Remove unwanted objects from footage
• Add backgrounds or AI-generated images
• Automate color and lighting corrections
• Enhance audio by removing distracting background noises  
• Generate and translate captions automatically
• Find shots faster searching by location, colors, shot type, transcript and more
• Track a subject’s movement, cutting down on frame-by-frame refinement 

Crafting a unique and engaging video aligned with your goals requires a team that thinks differently and understands the complexities of your business. AI tools help your team work faster and smarter throughout the editing process, saving valuable time.

Increasing customer- and employee-generated content.

Did you know Gen Z values authenticity and transparency from brands versus high-paid models and expensive shoots? And 82% of people trust a company more when they hear from real customers. Simply having high-level productions with flashy b-roll won’t cut it. Authenticity and relevance are paramount, and there’s no better way to show that than through the stories of people who actually interact with your company.

Not only does customer- or employee-generated content increase relatability and trust, but it’s also less expensive. Ask customers or employees to share product/service testimonials or experiences they had with your company or solution. Launch a themed campaign with a challenge or competition that requires viewers to create a video response. Consider incentives or prizes to encourage participation.

Adjusting to changing viewing habits.

Mobile viewing habits have changed rapidly over the past couple of years. People are turning their phone sideways less in favor of the vertical immersive experience. Vertical video is now the norm on social media, receiving 130% more engagement than horizontal video. The popularity of vertical content even led Instagram to replace post thumbnails on a profile page from a square frame to a 4:5 ratio. You may have noticed more videos are being uploaded to YouTube in vertical format as well.

If you’re creating a video for social media, it should be optimized for a 9:16 aspect ratio (1080 pixels x 1920 pixels). To streamline video creation and ensure consistent branding, create both vertical and horizontal templates for text and animations so your team is ready to go regardless of the channel. Shoot landscape unless it’s meant solely for social. It’s smarter to film in landscape 4K, leaving plenty of room to crop the video later if needed, enabling you to repurpose the footage across multiple channels.

Soundless optimization is also important since the majority of people watch videos muted. Always have subtitles and use visuals, text-on-screen and other on-screen elements as needed to communicate your message effectively.

Developing more sustainability messages.  

Audiences of all ages today are more environmentally conscious than ever, a sentiment that will only continue to grow. One study found consumers are more likely to engage with brands that emphasize their sustainability efforts, and 73% are willing to pay more for products from environmentally responsible companies. A study done by McKinsey and NielsenIQ found over the past five years, products making ESG-related claims averaged 28% cumulative growth over a five-year period, versus 20% for products that made no such claims.

Having a commitment to sustainability is no longer a differentiator but an expectation. Whether or not your company goes beyond that baseline expectation, it’s important to let prospects know your company values environmental responsibility and is up to industry standards. Expect a focus on sustainability messages from companies throughout the year.

Video can supercharge your marketing efforts with the right team, strategy and tools. For best practices, check out our blog post How to Optimize Your B2B Videos for Different Social Media Platforms.