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Online Video Trends for 2022

Videos are a vital part of an online marketing strategy for every brand or business. But the challenging part, as digital marketing speaker Hong Kong says, is content creation. For a social media agency Hong Kong, three major platforms lead as video-centric networks. As a video marketing agency Hong Kong notes, it is best to know the online video trends for 2022.

THE TOP 3 SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS FOR VIDEO (2022)

YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are the top 3 social media platforms for video in 2022.

YouTube remains number 1 as the largest video-sharing network with 2.6 billion monthly active users.

People watched a total of 1 billion hours of video on the platform daily. Around 500 hours of videos are uploaded every minute. Users can navigate videos on YouTube in 80 different languages. Being the 2nd most visited website, next to Google, YouTube is also the second most-used social media platform.

TikTok is a platform for creating, sharing, and watching 15-second short music clips. Currently, it has 1 billion users and is available in 150 countries. TikTok is a big hit among millennials. So, if the target audience of a brand or business is between 13 to 60 years old, it should be on TikTok right now.

After it shifted to a photo-and-video sharing app last July 2021, Instagram users now stand at 1.5 billion. Around 6 out of every 10 Instagrammers log in at least once daily. More than 500 million Instagrammers watch Stories every day. Thanks to Reels (TikTok’s clone), the Instagram engagement rate rise to 0.83%.

ONLINE VIDEO TRENDS for 2022

The year 2021 is a big year for video marketing. Below, let’s discover the online video trends for 2022:

Animated explainer videos are one of the online video trends for 2022. It is a great way to capture the audience’s attention and hold them throughout the video length. By putting some kind of creativity and humor, they can make videos more engaging and informative. They are also a good choice to show off brand personality as they are well-optimized for smaller screens.

AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality) will make videos unique this 2022. By giving customers a creative, interactive, and real-life feel, they can be very effective in driving sales. An example of these online video trends for 2022 is allowing a customer to explore or try on a product or service.

Short-form videos are here to stay. Many social media platforms enabled sharing of short, vertical videos that last between 15 seconds to 60 seconds. Unlike traditional videos, short-form clips can be recorded, shared, and watched on mobile devices. YouTube has Shorts, and Instagram has Reels as the counterpart of TikTok music clips.

Smartphones are getting smarter. Their cameras are getting more functional, too. That is why unedited smartphone videos will be one of the dominant online video trends for 2022. Unedited smartphone videos give viewers a glimpse of their own life online. They are authentic and unscripted, making them more appealing to viewers.

Vlogging is, no doubt, one of the biggest online video trends for 2022. Creators and influencers consistently post events, updates, and what’s happening to their lives through vlogs. Viewers get to know them on a more intimate level, making them loyal advocates and followers.

Reference: https://www.wevideo.com/blog/for-work/11-video-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2022-and-beyond

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8 Social Media Predictions for 2022

No man is an island. This is true as humans are social beings. They cannot strive and thrive without fostering relationships. A social media agency Hong Kong notes that it is also the basis on how social communities evolve. Its root can be traced back to 1844 when the 1st telegraph was sent by Samuel Morse. His code paved the way for international communication. 

In 1969, the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network (ARPANET) allowed experts from different universities to share data, hardware, and software. In 1987 a nationwide digital network powered the US through the NSFNET. After a decade, the first and true social media network was created. It was the short-lived Six Degrees, a model of adding a list of contacts and relationships online. It has recorded 3,500,000 registered contacts until it ceased online in the year 2000. 

Friendster followed in 2001. Then there were LinkedIn and MySpace in 2003. Facebook, the king of social media, was launched in 2004, followed by Twitter in 2006 and Instagram in 2010. In less than a generation, social media quickly evolve as a vital marketing tool of the 21st century. From direct information exchanges, they became a place for virtual gatherings and a platform for online retail. 

With its fast-changing pace, let us now discuss 8 social media predictions for 2022!

Facebook Remains on Top (For Now)

Facebook is still the largest social media network in the world today. With 2.9 billion monthly active users, it covers more than 60% of the 4.48 billion social media users globally. Its large number of followers makes Facebook an ideal platform for advertising and marketing. Around 200 million brands and businesses tap into the power of Facebook marketing today. 

Growing Utilization of User Generated Content (UGC)

A digital marketing speaker Hong Kong defines user-generated content (UGC) as an image, text, or video created by consumers instead of brands. They can be in the form of a review, status update, testimonial, unboxing, etc. Recent studies showed that UGCs influenced the buying habit of 8 out of 10 consumers in the modern world. By 2022, one of the social media predictions is the rise of UGC posts among brands and businesses. They can increase return visits by 20% and the time spent by consumers on a website by 90%. This means better opportunities to convert a prospect into a loyal customer by 81%. 

More Augmented Reality Options

Augmented Reality (AR) is an enhanced version of the physical world. It involves overlaying audio and visual elements to enhance the sensory experience over social media content. One of the social media predictions for 2022 is the growing momentum of AR despite being in the infancy stage. Augmented reality searches grew by 81% in the last 5 years. Today, most social media platforms enabled AR tools for online shopping. Pinterest spearheaded the revolution by introducing AR-try on of makeups, hair pattern search, and online car test drive. Snapchat patented the Bitmoji fashion. With Facebook smart glasses and hats, 2022 maybe a year for AR shopping. 

Shorter Attention Spans Result in More Bite-Sized Content

Recent studies showed that the attention span of people today has shortened to 8 seconds as compared to 12 seconds in the year 2000. This may be the reason why one of the social media predictions for 2022 is the rise of bite-size or snackable content. These can be an article with less than 600 words, GIFs, infographics, memes, or videos that are less than 30 seconds in length. Social media sites are adjusting to such types of content to make it easier for their target audience to digest a brand’s message. With clear messages and simple creatives, they can increase traffic among social media pages and websites daily. 

Social Media Emerges as a Shopping Platform

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly changed the way people shop today. Most brands and businesses transformed from having physical stores to digital shops. Facebook and Instagram have rolled out Shops and live shopping. Twitter enabled product pages. Even Google launched Shoploop, an online shopping experience. As the number of US social buyers reached 80 million today, it is predicted to exceed 100 million by 2023. The same social media prediction for 2022 is expected to happen globally.

Social Media Becomes Part of Daily Life

An average online user spends 2 hours and 25 minutes on social media daily. It is about one hour longer as compared to that in 2012. This figure is expected to rise in the coming years. It is one of the social media predictions for 2022 and can be credited to the rise of mobile devices. 

The Proliferation of Short-Form Video Content

According to a video marketing agency Hong Kong, video ads have convinced 84% of modern consumers to avail a brand, product, or service. With TikTok capturing the spotlight, people became addicted to short-form video content. Facebook and Instagram created Reels. Snapchat enabled Spotlight. YouTube introduced Shorts. All of these video formats last up to only 60 seconds. By 2022, studies showed that short-form videos will cover 81% of social media content.

The “Unbundling” of Reddit

Reddit is a social media forum and platform for discussing and voting news and trending content. Registered members can publish images, links, text, and videos within the platform. All these pieces of content can be voted down or up by other members. Reddit has the potential to become a giant beast among social media platforms. It is because it is now unbundling into different niches. Recently, Discord became the biggest chunk out of Reddit. It became an instant Slack app for gaming. Now valued at $3.5 billion, it became a subreddit among the community of gamers. Expect more subreddits to come in 2022!

Reference: https://blog.red-website-design.co.uk/2021/09/10/social-media-trends-2022/

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Short-Form Video Trends Marketers Should Keep Watch in 2021

Let’s face reality! Everybody loves videos. Videos of babies’ firsts, cute cats, singing stars – name it, and people will love it. The fact is, people shared video 2x more than any form of online content online. According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, around 84% of consumers buy a product or service after watching a branded video content. Today, with the short attention span of people online, short-form videos are becoming a trend. They are commonly used by a social media agency Hong Kong as marketing strategies on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, etc. Yet, video technologies have significantly evolved – so has marketing. Below are short-form video trends that marketers should keep watch of in 2021.

WHAT ARE SHORT-FORM VIDEOS?

There is no universal number to gauge how long short-form videos are. Most often, short-form video ads are 5 to 10 seconds long. An Instagram Reel is 30 seconds long, a TikTok clip is 60 seconds long, while short-form videos on Twitter are commonly 2 minutes and 20 seconds long. Still, any video that lasts for 2 minutes and 30 seconds is still short-form video content. A video marketing agency Hong Kong listed the most popular ways to share short-form videos among social media platforms nowadays. These are the following.

Facebook Stories

Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, was quoted saying that “Stories is a big part of the future of video sharing.” This is why Stories have been a relevant feature among Facebook’s family of apps. Facebook Stories allows users to share animations, photos, or videos that disappear within 24 hours. Videos on Facebook Stories last for about 20 seconds. Unlike regular Facebook posts, Facebook Stories doesn’t have the like and comment features. Whenever a viewer comments or reacts to Facebook Stories, the message or reaction will directly be sent as a message to the profile’s Messenger app. Facebook Stories can be seen on top of a news feed. These make them prominently discoverable by around half a billion people viewing them every day.

Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories are like Facebook Stories. They are photos or videos that disappear within a 24-hour time frame after being posted. Yet, there are some features Instagrammers can use to enhance Instagram Stories that Facebook Stories doesn’t have. These include branded content links, stickers, hashtags, Live Stories, mentions, and reshares.

Instagram Reels

Reels are Instagram’s TikTok clone. They are music video clips that last up to 30 seconds. Unlike Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels don’t disappear within 24 hours. They stay permanently on an Instagram profile unless deleted by the owner. Instagrammers can record Reels either one at a time, all at once, or through their phone galleries. They can be shared via DMs, Stories, or on the Explore Page of Instagram. Reels shared via Instagram Stories disappear after 24 hours unless the owner adds them to an Instagram Reels tab.

TikTok Clips

TikTok Clips are fun and engaging short music clips that last for 60 seconds. Today, there are around 698 million TikTok users globally. People can find videos of almost all interests on TikTok. They can include categories in dancing, DIY, gaming, sports, tricks, tutorial, etc. Users can pick up new skills to connect and share with the TikTok community. TikTok videos are commonly joyful and upbeat. That is why people are really entertained when viewing them.

SHORT-FORM VIDEO TRENDS IN 2021

Short-form videos are engaging and low-commitment ways for brands to connect to their audiences. Through these short clips, people can get a good laugh or learn something new quickly. Yet, short-form videos require more authentic and creative approaches if used in marketing. As such, brands should find out what’s trending and relate it to the brand’s nature of business. Here are some short-form video trends marketers should keep watch in 2021. The best thing is that they don’t require a big budget and a complex production hoopla.

Behind-the-Scene Videos

Consumers today seek out authenticity and transparency among brands. They are very smart to determine whether a video connects to their emotions or is purely for marketing purposes. Behind-the-scene videos are a short-form video trend that captures the emotions of a large part of online viewers today. Brands can feature the team behind their products or connect their CEOs to their target audience. Around 70% of consumers felt more connected to a brand after seeing their CEOS on short-form video content on social media platforms. So, it can pull back the management curtain and engage the viewers on a more personal level.

Educational Content

Think of DIYs, explainer videos, how-tos, and unboxing. These short-form videos can help people learn new things in a matter of seconds or minutes. Studies showed that viewers prefer seeing educational short-form videos from brands. These added-value contents help people in their day-to-day living. Mot short-form videos start with a popular dance or song to grab the viewer’s attention. The content shows a common problem that the viewers might be facing. In the end, a call to action (CTA) rounds up the video to solve the problem. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

While not exactly a trend, FAQs can be great short-form video content. They can be a significant element of the increasing voice search among consumers today. Brands can write a list of FAQs and create a short-form video for each of them. Then, they can upload these short-form videos on a brand’s website, Google My Business page, or YouTube.  

User-Generated Content

UGC short-form videos are created by consumers rather than brands. They are a big trend among brands today because they greatly influence buying decisions. Most people prefer recommendations and referrals from colleagues, family, and friends. Short-form videos of user ratings, reviews, and testimonials are as effective as word-of-mouth advertising. They evoke emotions and promote trust.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Marketers should keep a close watch on short-form video trends. The digital world is changing fast, and the key to marketing success is being up to date.

Reference: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/short-form-video-trends

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The Power of UGC in Video Marketing

Are you a fan of GoPro, the world’s most versatile camera? In November 2015, the company launched the “GoPro of the World Challenge.” Fabio Wibmer, an Australian trail biker, won $1000 on the challenge for capturing the craziest bike ride. Today, Wibmer’s video has 33 million views on YouTube. GoPro continues to solicit user-generated content (UGC) generating 6,000 videos daily. The brand also has a separate webpage that guides users on how to create and upload content to make it on the page of fame. By thinking outside the box and creating a UGC culture, GoPro is a game-changer in video marketing.

What are UGCs?

UGC stands for user-generated content. They are images, posts, reviews, text, or videos created by people, not brands. Typically, these types of content are published on social media platforms. According to a digital marketing speaker Hong Kong, UGCs have been the most compelling form of content. They are 3X more authentic than branded content. They are 35% more memorable than other media. They also influenced the buying decision by 79%. UGCs present unprecedented opportunities for brands to market with people. Among the most famous examples of UGCs today are:

  • Blogs on product reviews
  • Case studies or interviews of customers
  • Customer ratings, reviews, and testimonials
  • Recommendation from forums, groups, or tweets
  • Social media images and videos

UGCs are types of video marketing Hong Kong that no longer need costly photoshoots and high-tech cameras. As such, brands can save money, resources, and time to focus on more important priorities.

The Power of UGC on Video Marketing

Below is some powerful user-generated content that a brand can use to achieve a specific video marketing goal.

  • Contests and promotions are a great way to boost brand engagement. Just like GoPro, generating videos from customers daily sparks conversation and reactions. Today, short-form video content is a favorite of the top social media agency Hong Kong. UGCs in short-form video content may be a live stream, product demos, testimonials, or a vlog (video blog). Brands may run a contest of UGC videos garnering the most likes and shares.  They can also offer freebies among customers who share unique video content promoting a brand.

In 2013, Coca-Cola kicked off the “Ahh Effect.” It called for teenage customers to record a 2-minute video showing what does it feel like when you take a sip of Coke. The result of such a UGC video campaign was phenomenal. Around 5 million consumers visited Coca-Cola’s website. Coke has generated 5x more exposure than their traditional ads shown on TV.

  • Reviews and testimonials promote trust and loyalty among brands. Every buyer wants to see social proof about a product or service. Recently Google launched a video and review platform called Shoploop. It features live videos of product demos and reviews from its customer base. 

Closet Works, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of storage solutions in the United States. Its website houses a video library showing an intercut of customer testimonials with their storage solution results. From its humble beginnings in the 1990s, Closet Works, Inc grew to 40 authorized dealers in 13 states.

  • Unboxing videos from customers, especially influencers, can educate customers about a product or service. Nothing is more exciting than opening a special product that has recently been launched in the market. It’s a great video marketing strategy for new gadgets, games, toys, or tech products. These products are not just everyday purchases. They are special because they are either the latest craze or trends. 

In August 2016, Ryan Kaji, the world’s top YouTube earner from 2018 to 2020, published an unboxing video of a Furby Connect toy on his YouTube channel. Since then, this UGC video has earned more than 8.5 million views. Furby Connect, an electronic robot toy, also became Hasbro’s best-selling toy during that year.

Best Practices in Using UGCs to Video Marketing

UGC in video marketing is indeed powerful. It is a form of word-of-mouth advertising. Happy customers are the most budget-friendly and effective way to boost connection and engagement. Yet, there are three best practices that brands should never forget to gain success when using UGC for video marketing.

  • Know where to share. Brands need to carefully identify where to share the perfect UGC video. They should know where the audience is. Even though marketing means reaching out far and wide, there are times when you need to capture the right audience to thrive. Facebook is a perfect platform for sharing videos of customers engaging in a brand. Instagram is a place for high-impact visuals. So, brands must share well-crafted stories. Tweet a dynamic customer quote with the UGC video link to target retweets. Reflect your brand’s value when sharing user testimonials on LinkedIn.
  • Motivate your followers to share. The best way to have a steady flow of UGCs in video marketing is to motivate customers and followers to share. Incentivize people through fun giveaways. Contests and promotions make way for showcasing high-resolution and curated videos. They are perfect marketing tools. Keep a content library of all UGCs, and carefully plan the right time when to share each. Never forget to thank the owners of the video. Treat them well because they are an extension of the brand’s marketing team.
  • Ask the owner’s permission to share their videos and don’t forget to credit them when posting. Social media platforms make it easier for brands to share content. But it will be good if brands practice respect. This can add up to a good reputation. Always ask permission from the owner of the video to share their content. A simple comment on the post or a direct message in their inbox will do. Send a brief and friendly message noting where you plan to share their content. Once the owner grants you permission, compliment and thank them using mentions or tags.

Reference: https://embedsocial.com/blog/user-generated-content/