Things to Consider for Your Video Content Marketing Strategy in 2019

By Raflin Sarkisyan on January 11, 2019

 

On the dawn of a new year, we’ve rounded up some tips for marketers that want to do something different with their video content marketing strategy in 2019.

January is always a busy time for marketers. Given the speed at which change revolves around their profession - and the number of potential changes available to them - their task is to deliver on a new vision with all the gusto of someone tackling a new year’s resolution.

Content marketing is one area that is throwing up a range of different questions around approach and strategy. For instance, is it best to focus on delivering a high volume of short but succinct pieces, or are you better off taking the time to produce something longer and more impactful?

If there’s one subject that’s really causing marketers to think, it’s video. The format has grown exponentially in recent years thanks to a wave of adoption, investment and a positive response from consumers. HubSpot reveals that 85% of businesses now have the capability to produce video content in some form and 54% of consumers want to see even more of the format in 2019 and beyond.

So, what can you do to make 2019 a groundbreaking year for your own video content marketing strategy? Ahead of what could be a busy 12 months, here are some considerations that’ll have you moving in the right direction.

Create assets for audiences

First on your video content agenda for 2019 should be a customized approach towards posting on popular channels.

Research from Hubspot shows that Facebook users will engage the most with clips lasting one minute, while Twitter’s prefer a much snappier 45 seconds. The ideal time length goes all the way up to two minutes for YouTube and down to 30 seconds for Instagram users. We’ll add that these are readings from 2018 and should be treated as some of the most up-to-date guidance around.

Whether you post on every social platform or just one, there is definitely some value in adapting your approach to meet expectations on each channel. While Twitter users won’t be offended by the occasional one-minute clip, you should be mindful of what’s likely to give you an added lift in engagement.

Hit them with nostalgia

Content marketers are always under pressure to produce something new and exciting. The fact is, audiences respond well to moments, regardless of when they originally happened. Amid the era of “ throwback Thursdays” and the popularity of shows like ESPN’s “30 for 30”, marketers are getting clever by repurposing old footage to pay homage to historic events.

Basketball on autumn leaves

 

We’re seeing this everywhere at the minute, most commonly via the articles shedding new light on old films, music or TV programs. An equivalent in video content would be something like this feature from the NBA on Kevin Garnett’s top dunks. Every one of these moments will have already blessed our TV screens in the 1990s and 2000s but they’re being fed into social media for an entirely new spin.

Of course, you don’t have to rewind the tape as far back as the 90s to capitalize on the trend of repurposing. Condensing highlights from a year or even a few months ago will serve the same purpose.

The best thing about this approach is that you’re focusing on something that is already produced. So long as you have the rights to the footage, you can prolong its impact by reshaping it for another channel.

Loosen the reins

Today’s rights holders are naturally protective of what they own and who should view the broadcasts they pay hundreds of millions of dollars for. It’s why the subscription model proves so popular in helping businesses monetize the content they provide.

What some fail to understand is that ring-fencing the action may hamper its ability to create a buzz around key platforms. Online audiences love to talk about live events when they happen - as proven over the 2014 World Cup, where 74% of viewers were found to be on social media during matches. Combine that with the appeal of video, which is 1200% more likely to be shared than standard text and links, and you have a recipe for building hype around a big event.

Broadcasters are always on the lookout for new audiences, if not for themselves, then for their sponsors. With that in mind, small actions like sharing highlights, complete with branding from an advertiser, make good commercial sense.

The NFL does a great job at appeasing both casual fans and hardcore users of Game Pass - its paid-for online content service. Head to @NFL on Twitter for game day and enjoy video highlights like this from the 2018 playoff between the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys. Each viewer has the option of migrating to the NFL’s official site in order to watch the action as it happens, but their views and shares help to build interest and portray a sense of community around the sport.

If you’re looking at ways of generating a response for your own broadcasts, why not incorporate some free-to-view coverage into your video content marketing strategy for a bigger global appeal?

Find a purpose (or an even better one...)

Video content marketing in 2019 is very different to how it was 10 years ago. While it used to be enough to start sharing content and getting involved with what was perceived as something new, the channel has matured and its stakeholders must mature with it. That means setting hard goals for what the content needs to do.

Screen showing video metrics

For some, video is a game of views and engagement; the numbers they see on their social media posts are evidence of a good performance. That said, advancements in analytics make it possible to see what happened after a user watched a clip or clicked a link. With 83% of brands declaring a good ROI from their video content strategy, you have to ask: what does that return look like for you?

If your focus was on views in 2018, maybe it’s time to go a little deeper into areas like sales, brand awareness and content monetization to see how video can demonstrate an even clearer ROI.

Stick to the script

One of the biggest considerations for marketers when producing, publishing and positioning video content in 2019 is storytelling. Videos help marketers tell a story like no other format. However, rather than aimlessly uploading a series of clips to a place where your audience can be found, it pays to consider the wider narrative.

We’ve heard so many analysts talking about how channels like social media are positioning themselves as storytelling platforms. Celebrities, athletes and other popular figures use these services to shed light on their daily lives and features like Instagram Stories have made it easier for them to produce chronological accounts of their biggest moments. Brands can adopt a similar approach by keeping audiences updated on a key event or building the interest around one that’s set to take place.

Storytelling can be done in lots of ways, though, and there is no single answer around how it works. Our advice for 2019 would be to start small by thinking about the time at which you publish video clips and how this suits the overall story. From here, you can drill down into the ways you capture and project the energy around it.

New year - new approach?

Don’t sleepwalk into adopting the same strategies that failed to hit the mark in 2018. Invest in the kind of technology that can push your video content marketing forward and into exciting new realms.

 

Connect your video with viewers, everywhere.