4 Truths About Video: The King of Marketing 2017

We know what you may be thinking: “not another 2017 marketing predictions article!” Don’t worry, here on #GCAiPlanet, we won’t be predicting anything about 2017 in this article — we’re going to let the facts speak for themselves. We’ll show why video was crowned king of marketing in 2016 and why it will continue to reign throughout 2017. Darcy Fortune, SEO Public Relations Analyst and GCAi In-House Video Expert, shares four truths about what happened with video this year:

1.) Social media platforms evolved for video.

In 2016, almost every social media marketing platform from Facebook to Twitter improved their functionality to be able to host more video. In particular, Facebook and Instagram evolved their video advertising formats to be able to deliver more optimized video to highly targeted audiences. Platforms made it easier for us marketers to appeal to consumers by adding options to optimize videos with captioning, titles, URLs, and more.

2.) Video views became a valuable KPI.

Through analytics, we were able to learn more about consumer behavior related to our video content and how it performs on specific platforms. Data told us who viewed our content, how long they viewed it, what device they used, and exactly when they stopped viewing. Armed with this information, we were able to produce more relevant video content and serve it to our audiences.

3.) We created video for the media — and they published it.

With newsrooms still consolidating in 2016 and reporters responsible for covering more and more stories in a day, we decided to help. Along with our pitch, we asked the media if they would be interested in customized videos to accompany stories. Meaning we would get reporters’ questions, conduct interviews, and shoot and edit the videos to their liking. It was a win-win; we were able to add more value to our clients’ coverage, and they were able to include an asset with their stories — a highly engaging visual asset.

4.) iPhones produced videos for us.

Videos became easier to create in 2016. Even iPhones started producing videos for us — taking all the time spent on editing away. Have you looked at the Photos app on your iPhone recently? Open it up and see that videos are available and ready to upload with a tap of your finger. Essentially all the editing is done for you — add the music and length you prefer, and it’s finished. Aside from this, so many more platforms and apps were created to make video production easier and more cost-effective.

So what do you think is the best way to be deemed relevant by your audience in 2017? Give them what they want: video.

Here are 4 more reasons why you should incorporate video into your digital marketing strategy: