In the grand scheme of things, video marketing on the Internet is still a new phenomenon. After all, YouTube was only founded in February 2005. Twitch officially launched its public beta in June 2011. Facebook introduced live streaming through Facebook Live only in January 2016. And lest we forget TikTok, an extremely young company which is one of the hottest video-sharing apps on the Internet today.

Even though it feels like online video has been around for several decades, we are still in the very early innings. Part of the reason that online video feels like such a mainstay in our lives may be because digital video has experienced such rapid change. Just a decade ago, it was difficult to download a lengthy video (like a movie) on your phone. Now, anyone can do it in just a few minutes. 

As a video marketer, it is important to track the constant evolution of digital video. This doesn’t mean that you have to read every report on the topic. Rather, it is helpful to constantly check-in and sees how other businesses (and even your competitors) are using online video in their marketing efforts. By having a good grasp of the current and future landscape, you can design video marketing strategies that are more effective.

That said, while it’s important for you to do your homework, I have compiled a snapshot of trends in video marketing for 2019. Whether you choose to leverage some of these trends or not, it is helpful to understand where we are and where we are going with video marketing.

Video Marketing Trends for 2019

First, one video marketing trend that you have likely noticed in your personal life is the rise of portrait and square videos. In other words, creators from the solo entrepreneur to the large corporation are heavily investing in mobile-first videos. 

This makes intuitive sense. The growth of mobile video has been explosive. According to one recent survey, more than 75 percent of worldwide video viewing is on a mobile device. Whether the user is viewing a video on YouTube, Twitter, or even your company website, he or she wants to be entertained wherever they are. And with the rise of 5G technology, it will be even easier and quicker to view video while you are on-the-go.

This has significant ramifications for businesses of all sizes. As a video marketer, you must cater to your audience’s desire to watch video on their mobile device. This means shooting mobile-first video content. It is in your financial interest to do so. According to one study by Buffer, square video (1:1) results in a 30 to 35 percent more video views and an 80 to 100 percent increase in engagement compared to landscape video (16:9). Portrait or square videos are perfect for some of the world’s most popular social networks—like Instagram and Snapchat. If you are shooting a landscape video and intend to upload that video to these social networks, the result will be an awkward looking video that will distract your audience. 

So don’t forget the importance of portrait and square videos when planning your video marketing content. While it may seem like a hassle to shoot several types of video for different platforms, your audience will thank you. 

“No Sound” Optimization

First of the trends, video marketers are also creating videos that optimize for “no-sound.” What this means is that your video should be able to convey its message or story without forcing the viewer to listen to audio. 

Users watching video on their mobile devices may be in situations where they aren’t able to listen to audio, whether it is because they lost their headphones or because they are in a crowded place. Even though they may not be able to listen, those users may still desperately want to consume your content. 

As a creator, you need to respond to these user behaviors. Therefore, when shooting your videos, you want to make sure that your audience can understand your story and message without needing to actually listen to your video. While you can (and should) include audio so that your viewers can listen in if they can, not having headphones shouldn’t be a reason why a particular audience member cannot consume your content. 

This may be easier said than done. It requires some planning. But by doing this, you and your team not only make life easier for your users, but you create better videos. 

Live Videos

From no-sound videos, video marketers today are taking advantage of live videos and videos that have less production quality. Going live on social networks like Facebook or Instagram is a great way to get the immediate attention of your audience. You can leverage this feature in a variety of ways. For example, you can go live and speak to your audience when you are at an exciting industry conference. You can even go live and show your audience some hacks or tips to more effectively use your product. As with all video marketing, you are only limited by your imagination.

While the Facebook and Instagram algorithms gave added preference to users who went live, the effect seems to have diminished. Nevertheless, going live is another tool in your marketing toolkit.

Whether you choose to go live or release a recorded video, it is becoming more common for video marketers to embrace more authentic filmmaking. By this, I mean that small and large businesses aren’t necessarily spending thousands of dollars for the most polished video content. Instead, they are happy to embrace low-cost cameras and editing tools. Video marketing in 2019 focuses more on the story and message rather than how the video actually looks.

Granted, you don’t want to release a grainy, poorly-shot video. This trend doesn’t mean you can be haphazard when you are shooting and editing. But having said this, if you had to spend more time on video quality or polishing up your story, I would absolutely recommend the latter. Doing so will overcome most—if not all—concerns about your production quality.

Vlogging

Next of the video marketing trends for 2019 is that small and large businesses are embracing vlogging. Vlogging, if you don’t yet know, is essentially a blog in video form. While you may or may not have a company blog, vlogging offers a great opportunity to give your audience a

behind-the-scenes look at your organization. Again, vlogging taps into this larger theme of producing authentic, real content that your users love.

You can do almost anything with a vlog. For example, if you are about to release a new product, you can show your audience all of the work and time that goes into this process. If you want to show something lighter, you can give your viewers an inside look at your company moving offices. 

One of the best vloggers on the Internet today is Gary Vaynerchuk. He isn’t afraid to open his entire life to viewers, as he records himself speaking at conferences, traveling around the world, and meeting with influencers and other interesting people. While you don’t need to be as open or transparent as Gary, he can provide some great ideas that you can incorporate into your own vlogs.

Ad Options

Finally, in 2019, video marketers are taking advantage of a plethora of ad options. To this point, I haven’t yet talked about whether (and how) you should leverage advertisements in your video marketing strategy. The short answer is that social media ads should be part of your distribution strategy in conjunction with organically sharing your video content.

But beyond this question of whether you should purchase online video ads, video marketing in 2019 allows creators to leverage a long list of advertising options. Decades ago, businesses were forced to market their products in newspapers, on the radio, or on television. With the rise of social media, however, creators and businesses can take advantage of different types of advertising. From advertising on Instagram Stories to YouTube’s skippable TrueView ads, you are sure to find an advertising format that fits your objectives. 

Instead of indiscriminately buying ads across all of the major social media platforms, however, you will need to do your homework. Understand the benefits and drawbacks of your targeted ad formats and select the ones that will give you the most return on investment. All of the major social media companies continue to experiment with their advertising offerings, so you will want to keep an eye out for any new ad options. 

Watch These Trends

Video marketing in 2019 is exciting and ever-changing. Whether you work for a large or small business, it is in your best interest to watch these trends. Yes, we are all busy. It is easy to put this task to the bottom of your to-do list. But I urge you to reconsider.

Some of these trends may last for many years. Others may disappear quicker than we would expect. Whatever the case, your videos will be much more effective if you pay attention to the video marketing landscape. This is an exercise that is absolutely worth your time. 

If you are looking for an all-in-one video marketing solution, consider getting a free trial on Dubb.