There’s no denying that we love videos. Videos of adorable puppies, funny pranks, food recipes, fitness exercises, product reviews, or travel vlogs – you name it, we love it!

And when it comes to social media marketing, this still rings true. Recent data shows that video content is one of the most influential forms of marketing out there. A 2020 study by Wyzowl reported that people share videos at twice the rate than any other form of content. It also found that 84% of people were convinced to buy a product or service based on the brand’s video.

With audiences consuming more and more video content, it is critical for brands to capitalize on this emerging medium and understand where the future of video is going. Whether you’re a digital marketer, content creator, or business owner, here are the top video trends to watch for in 2021-2023:

#1 Silent Video & Captions Gain Momentum
It’s estimated that 85% of short videos viewed on Facebook are watched without sound. As users view more content on the go, this accessibility is becoming increasingly important. Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, are all starting to embrace and offer audio transcription features. We can expect to see more video marketers using captions and other “no-audio” tactics to provide a more user-friendly experience for viewers.

Fun fact: Captioning your videos is also helpful for search engine ranking and visibility. When uploading a video, the captions are indexed and used for keywords, which make the video more searchable on search engines.

#2 Social Media Goes Video-First
Video on social media is having a major moment right now. In a recent Instagram Live, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri shared that video is “driving an immense amount of growth online for all major platforms” and stated that video will be a key focus area for Instagram over the coming months.

The takeaway: If you want to grow online, it’s time to start creating video content. By 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic — 15 times higher than it was in 2017.

Prioritizing video content and testing different video formats across YouTube Watch, Shorts, TikTok, Reels, IGTV, and Snapchat will be critical to stay ahead of the game.

You can also expect to see more and more brands exploring ways to convert static pieces of content, like photos, into compelling video animations using tools like Adobe’s After Effects, Canva, Moovly, Mojo, or Animaker.

#3 Short-Form Video Dominates
The growth of social media is causing the human attention span to become shorter and shorter, so leveraging the power of short-form content will give you a leg up on your competition and help engage your audience. TikTok is the leading platform of today’s short-form video movement, along with YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, and Snapchat.

Aside from length, one thing that sets short-form videos apart is the trend culture. TikTok, for instance, is run by dances, sounds and social challenges. So, to get on the “For You” page on TikTok — which is equal to the “Explore” page on Instagram — brands must often join in on the fun.

You can expect to see companies take on a more authentic/human approach to video marketing and leveraging short-form video content to engage, educate, and inspire consumers.

#4 User-Generated Content is on the Rise
User generated content and advocacy marketing can provide the one-two punch your marketing strategy needs to succeed in 2021 and beyond. More than 86% of businesses are utilizing UGC as part of their marketing strategy and 75% of brands feel that adding UGC to their marketing mix makes their brand content more authentic.

Not only do user-generated videos provide more value in terms of authenticity, they also drive higher engagement! Videos created by (and featuring) users get 10x more views on YouTube than content created by brands.

In conclusion, UGC works! Whether it’s employees taking selfies at work, running an influencer campaign, or happy customers sharing their love for your product in a short video, UGC is a powerful medium for driving consideration, awareness, and sales.

#5 Brand Building through Social Video Marketing
Video is one of the most effective ways to transmit information. Viewers retain 95% of a message presented to them in the video as compared to 10% when reading text. And for marketers trying to optimize for ROI, videos have long proven to be effective. Branded video campaigns can promote brand awareness and recognition while also helping define what your brand is and what makes you different.

Some popular types of brand videos include:
• Product videos, which showcase specific products and what makes them unique
• Tutorials and how-to content, which may or may not involve your product or service directly and serve to offer value to your audience
• Behind-the-scenes content, which can vary from showing how things are made to the set up before an event
• Brand story videos, which focus on telling the brand’s story, mission, or the stories of those who started the business
• Interview videos, which often include interviews with prominent influencers, employees, or important executives

Relevant, well-crafted videos will grab users’ attention, and by knowing each platform and using some of the techniques above, you can interact with your audience on a more personal (and fun) level—ending in more impressions, higher engagement and, hopefully, more customers.

At MassMedia, we strive to help our clients stay at the forefront of emerging trends and are well-versed in the latest video platforms. For support with integrating short-form video content into your overall marketing strategy, contact us today.

Sources: Hubspot, Exploding Topics