Over the past few years, video has become the breakout star of the marketing world. Buoyed by the growth of short-form video sharing platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, video has become one of the most engaging, effective and fun ways to connect with an audience.  David Fairfull looks at the shift.

Back in early 2020, Cisco predicted that by 2022, video content would make up more than 82 percent of consumer internet traffic. With 2022 just kicking off, we’re expecting big things. 

For businesses looking to invest in the future of content, and plan their marketing strategy this year, video is sure to be the best way to engage new and returning audiences. But why has video content become king of the internet? How can marketers maximise the effectiveness of their video content in a saturated market?

What makes video content so impactful?

Video content is unique. Its ability to capture not only one but two of our senses means viewers are more likely to focus  without distraction. Not to get too scientific, we retain information better when it’s in video compared with written. 

For this reason, video content tends to be more engaging. But it’s also a powerful tool to support storytelling, something that every strong advertising and marketing campaign needs. Video content makes ideas and concepts more appealing and easily digestible. It forms stronger associations, especially when paired with music. Remember that song you’ve had stuck in your head all year?

While video content has always been engaging, the dramatic uplift in consumption and willingness to watch it has increased. For marketers, it’s a no-brainer tactic. It works well across all social media platforms and digital channels. While it can be any initial expense, it doesn’t have to be, particularly with social media.

Why has our appetite for video content grown?

As social platforms have become more ubiquitous, so has the desire to be entertained every second of the day. Between longer form videos on YouTube to quicker TikTok clips, there’s content out there for everyone. 

It’s not only how much content there is, the way we consume media has completely changed. Watching Netflix on the way to work is normal. So is scrolling TikTok first thing in the morning.This tells us is that with the rise of smartphones, we’ve witnessed a massive jump in just how often people are tuned in. 

In fact, Australians are spending the same amount of time at full time jobs as they are on the internet. With the rise of the pandemic shifting a majority of what we do to an online forum – shopping, ordering food, socialising, finding entertainment – it’s expected that these numbers won’t decrease despite lockdowns slowly coming to an end. 

But why video content particularly? With high engagement levels, marketers and business leaders alike have realised its potential, and capitalised. New platforms that champion video, brand-specific YouTube series and influencer-led video content are all on the rise. 

Because of its ability to capture attention so well, it’s become a really handy marketing tool, and one that most, if not all, businesses should be investing in.

How can I boost my video engagement?

Many businesses and marketers already use video. However, it can be difficult to get results unless the content you’re producing is strong enough to cut through the noise. But it’s worthwhile putting in the time to boost video view rates (VVR). As an example, Tweets with videos have 10 times more engagement than those without. 

But knowing how to do so can be difficult. As a result, it’s crucial to capture the attention of viewers quickly and put in the work to maximise watch-through rate. 

Thumbnails, using engaging keywords and hashtags, and building catchy (not clickbait-y!) titles are simple ways to get people to click on video content. Additionally, adding captions to videos can boost engagement, encourage comprehension and make content more accessible. 

It may also be smart to invest in user-generated content (UGC). Throughout the pandemic, UGC has grown in popularity. As content created by users, mostly for social media, but also for things like reviews, forums or otherwise, the benefit of UGC is that it provides viewers with authentic, realistic and downright relatable content. 

For brands who use UGC to promote their business, there’s also a perceived higher level of trust. Sharing reviews of your product, or images of your users using your product or service, can help boost engagement, especially when localised, and help build customer relationships too. Just be cautious in how you do this, make sure you aren’t promoting scam reviews or being disingenuous in how you promote the business. 

All in all, video content is here to stay. As social media use continues to grow, it represents a key tool for marketers and businesses alike. It offers an engaging and fun format to tell a business story. Looking to the future, maybe by 2030, over 90 per cent of all content consumed will be video? Don’t miss the opportunity.

David Fairfull is the CEO and co-founder of Metigy.