Social Media Video Trends

Feb 24, 2020

Content. Trends. Brand. Engagement. These are not just words that we hear every day in the agency. These are the goals that guide our strategy and creative work. As attention spans continue to shrink, it is more important now than ever before to create content that will have people stop mid-scroll and engage. And what better way to do that, than video?

Here are all the latest video trends that will help you take the social media world by storm in 2020 and beyond.

1) A FULL PERSPECTIVE: 360 VIDEOS ARE ON THR RISE

360 content is a hot trend because it enables viewers to have a more immersive and interactive experience – while having full control over how they take in the content. 360 videos get:

• 41% more earned interactions
• 85% VCR (video completion rate)
• 8x greater content recall
• 28x better brand recall
• 3x higher purchase intent

2) STORIES VS. FEED – THE ETERNAL DILEMMA

Not all content is feed-worthy and not all feed-worthy content is cool enough for your stories. Use this simple checklist to stay on top of social media posting etiquette.

Feed:
• Content should be evergreen, perfect and professionally shot.
• Sound off. Consumers usually don’t view videos on the feed with sound.
• This is your proven playbook, stick to what works for you.

Stories:
• Content is meant to be fleeting, in the moment, and more casual.
• Sound on. Consumers are more likely to be listening when watching stories.
• Have fun experimenting with new ideas.

3) LIVE VIDEO IS ALIVE AND WELL

Live streaming is great because it encourages more audience engagement and retains viewers for longer than prerecorded video.

• 80% of users would rather watch live video than read a blog.
• 82% of users prefer live video from a brand over social posts.
• Live videos are watched 3x longer than pre-recorded videos.

4) THINK MOBILE-FIRST.

Consumers see horizontal video content “as work” since they have to turn their device to view the video. Your video will get almost 40% more impressions for being a vertical video.

• Vertical and square video continuously outperform horizontal video.
• In addition, vertical outperforms square in nearly every aspect.

5) LESS IS MORE

Keep length in mind when generating video content so your video gets the engagement you intended. Length varies from platform to platform:

• Instagram & Twitter see the most success in videos 15-60 seconds long.
• If your video is going to be 90 seconds or longer, it is more ideal for Facebook.

6) THUMBS UP FOR THUMBNAILS

Your thumbnail has a greater impact on users than you may think. Be sure to choose one that grabs users’ attention the moment it comes across their feed. Research shows that thumbnails with people receive a 30% higher play rate than those without.

7) KEEP “ME TIME” IN MIND

The biggest takeaway here is that you are reaching your audience during their “me time.” Don’t try and push your latest promotional content all over the feed. Instead, connect with your audience through storytelling. Next time you are generating video content, put yourself in the shoes of the audience and ask, “is this something I would watch during my ‘me time’?”

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