Today’s consumers spend a huge amount of time on their personal devices—and there to greet them is an ever-burgeoning volume of content. Thus, the Web presents your company with plenty of chances to stand out, but also great difficulty in rising above the noise and claiming your customers’ attention. Studies show that one of the best ways to grab attention is with video content.

As we head into 2019, you can expect to see more and more businesses adopting a video-centric strategy—and here are some of the specific forms that strategy will take.

More Brands Will Start Vlogging

Video blogging, or vlogging, is an increasingly big deal. Basically, vloggers film themselves doing all manner of mundane tasks; for example, a book vlogger might post a video of them unwrapping a new order from Amazon, or simply speaking extemporaneously about their favorite recent reads. Lifestyle vloggers may film their daily make-up routine, their breakfast preparations, or whatever else.

The appeal of vlogging, from the viewer’s standpoint, is that it allows for an unvarnished and off-the-cuff look into someone else’s life. It’s casual and down to earth, and that’s the point. But vlogging is also something you can do at your business—posting brief videos of behind-the-scenes tasks, or simply taking a few minutes to speak casually to your viewers about industry news and developments.

Vlogging presents a compelling way for you to “humanize” your brand—to help viewers feel like they know you and have an emotional connection with you. And, it’s incredibly cost-effective. All you really need to succeed in vlogging is a phone and a video delivery system, like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.

More Brands Will Go LIVE!

Something else we think you’ll see a lot more of in 2019 is businesses airing live videos—not just on YouTube, but also on Instagram and Facebook.

As with vlogging, live videos create an emotional connection—the sense that you are speaking directly to the customer. And likewise, live streaming can create a trust-based bond between brand and consumer.

An added bonus of going live is that you can not only talk to your customers, but you can also interact with them in real time—for example, you can take questions in the “comments” section of your video, allowing your customers to voice their FAQs in real time.

Because live videos allow for some added personalization, viewers tend to stick around for longer periods of time—one of many advantages your business will find if it gets into live video streaming. (And once again, the cost for entry is extremely low here.)

More Brands Will Try 360-Degree Videos

Speaking of audience interaction, something else we expect to see a lot more of in coming months is experimentation with 360-degee videos.

Ever since these videos were introduced, they have provided a unique way to make video content immersive and interactive. You can drop your audience members straight into a particular experience and allow them to truly feel like they are there.

This technology can have a number of uses for businesses and brands—for example, you can offer a tour of your facilities, show off the opening of a new location, or take your audience behind-the-scenes of a special event.

And it’s not as difficult to make these videos as you might think—though a good camera, like a GoPro, is definitely needed, as is some decent video editing software.

More Brands Will Shift Their Ad Dollars to Video Advertising

We’ve been seeing this happen for a few years now, and it’s only going to continue in years to come. Where companies used to sink all their advertising dollars into broadcast and cable TV, you can expect to see more and more of them buying digital ads—and specifically ads on YouTube, Pre-Roll, and other Advanced TV tactics.

There are various reasons for this, including the fact that digital video ads allow for more precise targeting and more robust personalization. Most simply, however, video ads are taking off because more and more people get their entertainment on their devices—not on their traditional TV channels.

As you consider ways to adapt to the new video-centric ecosystem, make sure you are updating your ad budget, in kind.

It’s Your Turn to Embrace Video Advertising

Video Advertising has been a gamechanger for marketers, and the revolution is very much still unfolding. It’s never been more important for your company to consider the immense value that video advertising can deliver.

We’d love to talk with you more about the merits both of video advertising and of video ad buys. Video is something we’ve been passionate about for years, and we’re standing by to discuss it with you further. Reach out to enCOMPASS to learn more.