I recently spent a week in sunny Anaheim, Calif., where I attended VidCon 2019 -- a leading multi-genre video conference featuring YouTube sensations and industry trailblazers who have successfully broken into the world of video marketing. Here’s a peek at the top lessons I learned.
What Is Vidcon?
VidCon gathers thousands of online video viewers, creators and industry representatives across three events in southern California, London and Sydney, Australia. Vidcon has steadily grown to become one of the world’s largest events for fans, creators, executives, and brands that are passionate about online video.
VidCon Continues To Be A Great Tool for Online Video Marketers
VidCon offers three tracks to their conference: Community Track, Creator Track and Industry Track. I did a ton of research as to which one would be the best “bang for our buck” and finally settled on the Industry Track, which promised unparalleled access to digital creators and top leading industry actors.
I was thirsty for all the video marketing information I could get, since at Marketing Essentials, we're a) video nerds and b) always wanting to stay ahead of the competition.
That’s not to say the other two tracks aren’t valuable -- I saw many Community and Creator track badges while mingling on the pavilion, where there was a giant rainbow slide presented by Invisalign, a candy machine and tons of staged photo opportunities.
I had a great time modeling for the VidCon cameras, but I learned a lot, too!
With my Industry Track pass, I was given access to the results of countless video study results and was able to learn why video marketing is so important for our clients. I also learned how to “crack” into YouTube (a seemingly scary beast!) as well as the psychology behind video marketing.
Related read: See our top five AI takeaways from MAICON 2019 >>
Breaking Into Video Marketing
Video marketing is a strategy that incorporates video into marketing campaigns. It’s no secret that online video-watching is spreading like wildfire -- but did you know that half of U.S. adults watch online video daily? Among the 18-34 market, 67 percent consume online video daily, which is incredibly important when considering your persona.
Not only is your persona more than likely watching video every single day, they’re consuming it whenever they possibly can, with 61percent of total consumption happening through smartphones. That means they can watch video content anywhere at any time.
However, smartphones better watch out: WiFi-connected television in vehicles is in the near future, allowing passengers one more way to consume content during long trips.
Video Tips and Tricks from VidCon 2019
Another huge takeaway from VidCon was consumers’ desire for a more authentic viewing experience.
- Be authentic: Ditch the script! Your audience will know if you’re reading word for word or if your video is overly scripted. Be yourself. Your audience can recognize your authenticity. Visual content drives retention. Most viewers aren’t looking for the perfect experience; rather, they’re looking for an informative, entertaining one.
- A low-scale production is OK: You don’t have to have the latest and greatest video equipment. You can do a lot of damage with an iPhone. Don't be afraid to flip your phone horizontally (or vertically on IGTV) and try recording video content.
- Don’t be afraid to go live: Live videos get much more engagement than pre-recorded content. Most consumers say that live-streaming feels authentic and also makes them feel updated and informed. Among all the platforms, Facebook Live, YouTube Live and Instagram are all in stiff competition to snag the top spot.
- Quality over quantity: There is so much video content online today -- but is it quality video? Instead of pumping out as many videos as possible, focus on creating a video with the quality content you want to promote and what will mean the most to your audience.
- People don’t have 30 seconds to be interrupted, but they do have 30 minutes to watch great content: This was one of the big takeaways from my time at VidCon. Many video marketers get caught up in the length of their video, but instead, they need to focus on the content of the video.
Related: Get more leads with eye-catching video content >>
So, How Can You Get Started With Video Marketing?
Luckily for brands, viewers’ desire to see authenticity means you can create video on the fly without worrying about perfection. The easiest way to take the plunge into video marketing is by creating a live video on Facebook or Instagram with a topic you think would provide value to your persona.
The bottom line is this: Video is taking over the world. It’s already taking over the top spot in terms of consumption and it will very quickly be difficult to avoid for your marketing plan.
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