Video as an advertising medium is going from strength to strength.  It simply cannot be ignored as THE best way to get information to consumers in an entertaining, succinct way.  It is so much easier to ask a consumer to watch a 1 – 2 minute video than to read text for the same amount of time.  Especially as so much of this content is consumed on mobile devices, and away from the home or office.  So what are my Video Marketing Predictions for 2016?

During 2015, we have seen a big increase in the use of video in marketing.  Unfortunately, very few video creators also have the skills to get a video to page 1 of Google, so clients (the business owners who are having these videos made) are often disillusioned about the effectiveness of the videos.  And the videos that do get a lot of views are often poorly set up, with rookie mistakes like not making a link in the description clickable, very common.  So again, they are not getting their clients the traffic they could be.

Video Marketing Predictions

So what for the future?  What are my video marketing predictions for 2016?

I predict a big shift in the relative power of the various platforms.  YouTube has clamped down hard on marketing videos, and the ease with which competitors can flag a video and have it removed is making it less and less attractive for marketers.  Since early November 2015, the frequency with which channels are being shut down for previously-overlooked “breaches” of the TOS has greatly increased, in something I then dubbed YouTube-ageddon.  Even empty channels are being flagged as “inappropriate” and shut down on occasion.

However, the lure of money to be made by YouTube “celebrities” such as video bloggers will make it a more attractive platform for that purpose.  Therefore I predict marketers will get more “smart” and stop producing blatant low-content-quality advertisement videos, and start producing much more content-rich blog-style videos that happen to have a product recommendation at the end.

This will mean less of the whiteboard / Explaindio / cartoon style of video, and more professionally-produced high-quality information pieces and more unique product reviews, with real people talking and showing the product.  Or better, talking about a problem, and then showing the product that resolved that problem for them.  Think mini-infomercials, but with real people not flashy presenters.

In addition, I see the “traditional” marketing crowd moving to Facebook for advertising.  Facebook has shown it is super-keen to get marketing engagement on this platform.  As the marketers shift their efforts from YouTube to Facebook, I foresee Facebook becoming more expensive to advertise on.  But there will come a time (late 2016?), when the increase in the cost to advertise on Facebook will start to outweigh the benefits for small advertisers, so they will be looking (again) for alternatives.

I also predict that the “other” video platforms, such as Vimeo, DailyMotion, etc will have a tussle among themselves to be seen as the best viable alternative.  One will rise to the fore.  Due to Google owning YouTube, and therefore giving prominence to videos hosted on YouTube, it will be hard for one of these other video platforms to get a foothold.  But perhaps there will be a merger/acquisition at some point that will make one of these a lot more attractive to marketers.

How To Prepare?

So what can video marketers do to prepare for the shift in power in video marketing?  First, I recommend getting into a top-level course, such as Speed Rankers by Anthony Aires.  This is accompanied by a very active Facebook group, that has some top video marketers right at the coal-face of what is working, and not working, right now.

Second, I recommend all video marketers brush up on the YouTube TOS, especially the Community Guidelines.  If you want to continue to use YouTube, you need to make sure that everything you do is well within these guidelines.  Also keep an eye on YouTube’s excellent Test Tube page.  This is where YouTube announces new features that are coming up, and you can get an idea of where they are headed.

Over on Facebook, become a regular reader of their Facebook Business Blog.  This is always packed full of information about doing business (i.e. advertising/giving them money) on Facebook.  And the parent page Facebook For Business is the first stop for your “How do I…” questions.

But the most important thing that pretty much all video creators and marketers can do immediately to improve engagement for their clients’ videos is learn the basic steps of video ranking.  My video ranking checklist is geared towards YouTube, but since that is the main platform most are using right now, it is a good place to start.

I’m looking forward to 2016.  For the well-prepared and educated, there will be great opportunities to greatly increase traffic to their clients’ sites.  And, happy client = happy marketer.

What do you think?

What do you think of my video marketing predictions for 2016?  I would love to hear your feedback in the comments below!