Prediction Series 2019: Interview with Shirin Shahin, Director of Product Marketing, Brightcove

How will video be leveraged this year?

In 2018, there was yet another turning point in the video marketing landscape as video continues to be one of the most leveraged forms of content. In fact, 87 percent of online marketers today use video in their content strategies.

In 2019, we can not only expect another year full of new developments and video trends such as interactive video, shoppable content, GIFs, and more, but we’ll also see video leveraged for better communications both inside and outside the enterprise.

Who will be the primary buyers in 2019?

Millennials, once deemed the “younger generation,” are now the ones holding most of the buying power today, and that’ll continue through 2019. This means that in the B2B and B2C world, millennials will be marketing their content to other millennials, which naturally puts themselves in their prospects’ shoes to create content that is engaging and attention-grabbing.

This impacts video in a few ways. First, marketers will have a better grasp on what type of videos audiences want to consume, for example, shorter, more attention-grabbing videos. While many argue whether millennials’ attention spans are, in fact, as short as we think they are, the reality of today is that there is so much content online that millennials have become even more selective of what they want to watch. This means marketers need to continue creating videos that they themselves would enjoy and actually watch.

Additionally, because millennials have a better grasp of modern technology than many of their peers in older generations do, they’ll be more heavily relied on for their expertise and experience. A decade ago, C-level marketers were the ones in charge of all marketing-related decisions, and while they may still be the ones giving their final stamp of approval, they’ll turn to their entire marketing team for input, regardless of level. This means in 2019 we’ll see more videos that millennials like to engage with — interactive content, 360 videos, live videos, shoppable content, and more.

What are your predictions on Artificial Intelligence?

There’s no doubt that technologies like Artificial Intelligence have raised the bar for marketing content. When consumers are online today, they expect all content they’re consuming to be personalized to their unique preferences. For example, let’s say a consumer is browsing for a new pair of shoes. They expect to not only see the pair of shoes they want to buy, but other similar recommendations as well.

What’s even more crazy today — and some may argue creepy — is that our devices are always monitoring our behavior and location, so devices and browsers know our preferences before we even start searching.

This also applies to videos as the data that lies within video content offers marketers an abundance of insights into consumer preferences. Marketers can see topics watched, time at which they stopped watching, parts they replayed, and more. In 2019, we’ll continue to see marketers leveraging this type of data in order to meet consumers’ personalization expectations.

What is the future of video content?

When video first emerged in Content Marketing, there was a large emphasis on the production and ensuring the video was well-produced and planned. Now that video has become a marketing staple, we’re seeing more engagement on videos that are more authentic and that show some personality.

One way marketers are enhancing authenticity is through live videos as they give mass audiences a real-time perspective. Social media was the catalyst of live-streamed video because of its large audience reach, but now we’re seeing live streaming being leveraged for marketing purposes because of its more casual, conversation-like feel.

In 2019, I believe we’ll see scripted, professionally produced videos on the decline and impromptu, unscripted content — like live-streamed videos  — being leveraged more for marketing content. This type of content not only gives audiences a better sense of authenticity, but it enables anyone to become content creators in their own right, helping them reach a large mass of people without having to hire a production team.

What will be the focal point of videos?

While video is a strong focus for marketers, we’ll see businesses also leveraging it more internally to help employees better communicate. A great example of this is a recent study by Brightcove which found that 94 percent of enterprise employees enjoy at least one aspect of their workday to be live streamed. In today’s workplace, remote work environments have become more popular, therefore video formats like live streaming allow everyone to feel like they’re in the same place, regardless of their location.

Another great example of internal video use is leveraging it for onboarding and new employee training. Because much of the onboarding is similar when an employee first starts at a new company, videos are a great way to teach a new hire the ins and the outs of the company. For example, giving them a virtual tour around the office or introducing the executives to make them feel welcome. The possibilities are endless when it comes to internal video, and in 2019, we’ll certainly see more companies leveraging it to streamline employee communication.

While the video landscape looks different than it may have five years ago, we’re still finding that it is one of the most engaging forms of content online today. This means more change, more innovation, and more to look forward to in the year ahead as we continue to leverage video and all it has to offer.

Whether it be an increase in interactive video, Artificial Intelligence, or more short-form casual videos to please younger audiences, 2019 will be a pivotal year in how we create and engage with videos, so marketers need to enjoy the ride.