Marketing has, time and again, proved to be one of the most volatile aspects of a business. What works today may longer be effectual on its first anniversary.

Think of it in the following way:

Text-based content had its fair share of marketing before still images emerged and turned things around. But textual content didn’t completely disappear. So, both had a grip on marketing until recently, when video surfaced and overturned the space.

In the past, video was mostly a preserve of broadcast media, but thanks to social media, emerging tech, and devices and changing consumer behavior, its consumption has been revolutionized. Video consumption is now on the rise.

Video marketing itself continues to evolve as well. Discoveries and improvements are made now and then that makes it more effective, powerful, and relevant.

Today, we expose top video marketing trends that have demonstrated exceptional ability to increase sales and conversions.

Personalized Videos

A one-size-fits-all kind of video had its place in the past and it sort of worked, but it is just not as good as personalized videos. Today’s personalized videos pack data such as name, image, titles, and email (you name it), and uses it to deliver a viewing experience unique to each viewer.

This technique creates a connection between the brand and the targeted person and results in an impact that increases conversions. Hubspot reports that in-house marketers who personalize their web experience and quantify the improvement can experience, on average, a 19% rise in sales.

There are a lot of things already competing for our attention today and scattering a person’s details across the video is a sure way to pique their interest and call them to action.

Personalized videos can be placed on landing pages, social media, websites, and emails amongst many other places for marketing purposes. And they are perfect not just for large but small and medium businesses, plus startups as well.

If done well, expect a rise in conversions and sales.

360 Videos

Hong Kong Airlines is among the first companies that put out a 360-degree video ad, and the results were beyond the expectations of many. Its effectiveness was rated 35 times better than that of the traditional 2D ad.

Recognized brands across the world have since expressed interest in 360 videos. This is because it’s not only innovative but exceptional and, more importantly, exhilarating.  As such, it makes it easy to capture the attention of your audience and raise their engagement levels.

With 360-degree video content, users control the perspective either with a VR headset or through other devices, such as phone and tablet. Tests were done by Google on the effectiveness of this 360 videos in comparison to the standard format exposed incredible results that included higher click-through rates, shares, views, and subscribers.

Reputable camera manufacturers such as Kodak and GoPro are already manufacturing 360-degree cameras. Known platforms that support 360 videos today include Facebook, YouTube, and Google.

Video Storytelling

We all (at least many of us) relish a good story. Good stories make us thirsty for books and TV shows. Millions of people watch Netflix today, and millions of others continue to buy Amazon Kindles. The majority of them keep doing so because of how they feel when they read or watch something.

When something is emotionally compelling, we hardly want to let it go. The details stick to our minds. Good storytelling has the same effect. So, the art of storytelling is a craft every marketer should master.

Loading a bunch of data or info on a video won’t achieve the same thing video storytelling can. If not building excitement and motivating your audience, video storytelling will create stronger bonds when done right.

Animoto reports that four times as many consumers prefer to watch a video than reading about the product. If you can leverage this through good storytelling, then you can get as many people as possible to buy your product or service.

Make the story about the customer, use context, and, of course, show some conflict, and offer a solution. Testimonials are another great example of great storytelling.

Bonus Point: Video in Email

Despite there being an influx of new trends in online marketing, email marketing has weathered their influence. Proof of this is in the fact that it still delivers a comparatively higher ROI.

Even in the wake of high video consumption, the majority of people still hold on to their emails accounts for different reasons.

Combining the two is like taking the best of both worlds. For many, the result has always been a rise in click-through rates, increased sharing, and time spent checking out the email.

So, the bottom line is, no matter the trend, you can always expand your video’s reach by sharing the video with your email subscribers.

Final Thoughts

If your business or brand has not adopted video marketing, much less the trends we’ve mentioned, time is running out. Your competition is probably leveraging video in their marketing campaigns and enjoying the pie alone.

Nonetheless, you still have a chance to make the most out of video, and incorporating these up-to-date trends into your marketing strategy is a sure way to take your business or brand to the next level.