With Christmas on the horizon - now is a great time to review what has happened in 2018 and challenge our ideas and plans for 2019, and, determine if they are still suitable for the predicted business landscape.
Whilst none of us can predict exactly what the business landscape will be - there are several trends which are worth considering and every marketeer will agree that video is definitely one of them.
It wasn't very long ago that video was only achievable for the large marketing departments with equally large budgets but with the dawn of tablets and smartphones and the great apps available out there - everyone is now "capable" of making a professional standard video for their organisation or at least give it a go!
However [I can hear all our videographer friends shouting at me!], that being said, many folk underestimate the time involved in video preparation and also the time involved in the shooting and editing as well as the skill of filming, lighting, sound etc - so definitely worth calling in the professionals, however, DIY videos in certain circumstances can be brilliant and have their place!
Video is a driving force for organisations keen to connect with their audience and influence them. Getting a video viral would be awesome, whilst a tough ask, the ones that engage and excite their audience are more likely too. What is clear is that storytelling or solving a problem your audience is experiencing or pure entertainment are the ones that are more likely to achieve virility.
In terms of trends for 2019 and certainly something we have seen at Red Lemon are using video for the following ways:
1. Employee Engagement/Coaching/Training
We often help organisations share their story with their employees - it could be updating them on a new corporate policy, encouraging them to be aware of employee benefits or coaching/training videos.
Employees want to access information at times to suit them - a self serve situation - rather than being sent on training courses at great expense and time to the organisation. With attention spans continuing to reduce - short on demand videos are perfectly suited to today's audience.
Animated video usage also continues to increase as they allow complex ideas to be shared in an upbeat manner without the need to source actors, locations and setting up of sets etc. The only limit to an animated video is your imagination!
2. Marketing
It is thought to be as much as 90% of marketeers are using video in their campaigns - it is clearly high on all brands' agendas and with good reason. Video is aiding the consumer decision making process and increases product sales conversions by as much as 80%. Video on website homepages are becoming vital for visitor engagement and information - white papers have seemingly had their day.
3. Storytelling (our favourite topic!)
Storytelling, as we know, is nothing new but the business world is embracing it and its effectiveness.
People want to connect with a brand and stories are powerful in enabling this. Rather than using too much text on your website - consider using product explainer videos, video bios and videos rather than white papers.
With the addition of captions/subtitles, which is needed for SEO and accessibility, then your video can be used without sound which may appeal to those in open plan offices or on the move and enable them to enjoy your videos at a time to suit them.
Video is definitely here to stay and something to consider for 2019 and beyond - if you are not using video yet - why not consider animated or filmed video to bring your message to life and help increase your ability to share your story?
Do get in touch if you would like us to help you tell your story visually and keep an eye out for our workshops in 2019 to help you consolidate your visual storytelling. www.redlemoncreate.com