Video production continues to grow at an exponential rate! And in the year that has been 2021, plagued by lockdowns and restrictions due to the ongoing pandemic, more and more businesses are turning to video production to get their message, product, or service out there.
In fact, last November we shared a blog titled ‘5 Surprising Predictions for Video Production in 2021’ and we’re proud to say that several of our predictions unsurprisingly came true – check them out for yourself.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into what’s been driving sales and discover what videos have been trending so far for 2021.
Short Form Video Content
You might remember towards the back end of 2020, when a viral TikTok video was making the rounds of a guy, named Doggface, skateboarding along a highway, while drinking Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice and listening to Dreams by Fleetwood Mac. We’re going to assume you’re nodding away.
The success of this totally unscripted and random short video cannot be understated. It’s garnered millions of plays, over 12 million likes, 680K shares, countless copycat videos from thousands of people globally, including Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac, and caused Dreams to shoot up the streaming charts – keep in mind this is a song from 1993.
It even helped transform a 90 year old company overnight with over 15 billion media impressions, record sales and caused their share price to rise from $11.75 to $25 USD in just one week.
It’s no wonder why companies have adopted TikTok and Instagram Reels as part of their marketing strategies for 2021.
With an average time spent of 13.3 hours a month on TikTok and 10.3 hours a month on Instagram, across their entire user base, plus the binge-watching behaviour and the fact that short-form video content encourages 49% more engagement than still imagery.
Not including one of the hottest trends for videos in 2021 in your marketing strategy could be detrimental to your business.
Interactive Video
You may have heard of the term ‘Interactive Video’, and if you haven’t, chances are you’ve actually used it before. Largely used as a tool for real estate companies to showcase a property in the past, businesses have now realised the potential interactive videos can have when it comes to eCommerce.
Clothing brands, banks, universities, sporting codes, and even the Australian government have all adopted interactive video to get their message across and turn watching videos from a passive moment into an active one. And the visionaries behind this interactive video software? Well, they just happen to be a close personal friend of ours and an ongoing partner. Say hello to Vudoo.
Thanks to Vudoo’s revolutionary interactive video software, businesses can now include call-to-action buttons and links as an overlay that drives viewers to their website, custom pop-ups that easily embed in a video to present dynamic information and content, and our personal favourite, creating shoppable videos that enable quick add-to-cart features and in-video catalogs to drive direct sales.
We think our CEO Renece Brewster said it best when it comes to this revolutionary approach to video marketing stating, “interactivity in video content places your viewers in the driver’s seat, empowering them to control their own video experience, while you unlock deep behavioural insights to gain a true perspective of your video ROI.”
And that’s another driving factor. Rather than waiting months or an entire year, it provides businesses with real-time and easily measurable ROI analytics. This is a trend that has really just started to gain traction this year but it's one that we think is going to ascend to the top of business marketing strategies as we go into 2022.
TVCs
TVCs. Yes, you’re reading that right. Despite the explosion of advertising on social media, TVCs have actually boomed in popularity! With more and more people across the country stuck at home and a plethora of digital channels available, traditional television commercials have never been more popular.
In Nielsen’s 2021 annual report, Tracking the Evolution of Global TV Viewing, they found that global TVC investment has actually bounced back stronger than spending across all media following the global ad pullback last year. This revitalized commitment speaks to the enduring influence of TVCs and shows no signs of slowing down despite the ongoing pandemic.
Australia’s production industry has also largely benefited from an influx of international projects, including feature films, TV series, SVOD projects, and TVCs, thanks largely to Australia’s COVID-safe protocols.
Last October, we actually predicted this rise as more and more Australians were plugged in, and viewing times of TV and OTT continued to skyrocket with a 60% increase in video consumption on a global scale. And it’s this increased demand and accessibility that has also created a lower barrier for entry for businesses to adopt TVCs in their marketing strategies.
Animation
As we step away from the eCommerce sector for a moment, let’s turn our attention towards businesses and see how they have been using video throughout 2021.
With sporadic lockdowns, limited staff on-site, and the challenge of remote employee management, companies have turned to animation as a unique way they can communicate with their staff. Trying to elaborate on a complex subject via email or phone leaves too much room for error, and a PowerPoint presentation over Zoom just doesn’t quite have the same effect and can often lead to passive listening.
In fact, a study by Microsoft found that the average human attention span has dropped to just 8 seconds – that doesn’t leave a lot of room for grabbing and retaining someone’s attention does it? Fortunately, animated videos allow businesses to control the narrative of what’s being portrayed and simplify convoluted topics into small bites of information at a time.
Drab and dreary topics such as onboarding or training are now being conveyed in engrossing animated videos, resulting in fewer human resource inquiries and management requirements. And with working from home here to stay, expect to see this video trend continue to rise.
Product Videos
Online retail has been on an upward trajectory for the past decade thanks to its convenience, ability to shop around, and, now with frequent lockdowns and forced click & collect services, the only way many of us can currently shop, it experienced an unprecedented boom in 2021.
Australia Post’s eCommerce Industry Report 2021, released in August, showed a whopping 9 million households shopped online in 2021, including 1.3 million households that did not shop online in 2019, for a total of $52.1 billion - 57% more than the same time last year.
And the biggest winners? Ironically it was the businesses who chose to adopt product videos as a storytelling device. A way to educate customers and clarify any questions, whilst building a level of trust and proof the product could do as advertised. Basically, these businesses chose to use product videos to fill the void left behind due to the absence of retail staff.
In fact, Australia’s largest home electronics store JB Hi-Fi actually reported a 12.6% increase in annual revenue despite almost all of their stores resorting to online trading!
Funnily enough, the majority of JB Hi-Fi’s website is littered with product videos, ranging from how-to’s to explainers, while their performance marketing on Instagram and Facebook utilises product videos to showcase sale events and bring more users to their site.
Video Marketing in 2021 and beyond
With remote working and sporadic lockdowns here to stay for some time, and more and more of us are consuming more media than ever before, video marketing continues to remain one of the best ways to engage and entice your audience.
Lag behind no longer. Get in touch with your video productions experts at Visual Domain to capitalise on the video trends for 2021 and set yourself up for success as we approach 2022. For more information on how we can help you enhance your video production game, get in touch with us today.