It’s been a volatile year for media and marketing professionals. With industry threats like Facebook’s privacy issues, fake news running rampant and a new emphasis on copyright and IP law in the EU, 2018 has been anything but predictable.
Even in an age filled with constant digital disruption, one trend remains clear: Content is here to stay. Almost 5 billion videos are watched on YouTube each day, and podcast listening continues to increase each year. With such a large market for views and listens, social channels and content distribution platforms have been and will continue to battle it out to stay top-of-mind and fight for valuable space on our devices.
We’ve identified clear trends that will dominate content creation in 2019. There’s no doubt that the move toward more video content and more authentic media will continue, but it’s important to dig deeper to understand how these certainties will impact the industry. The marketing world will continue to face challenges centered around getting as many views as possible with limited resources. This year will be about finding ways to save time and money on video production to spend more time using these videos to develop genuine connections that will improve ROI and brand loyalty.
The world is asking for more video, and media professionals have been listening. Instagram released its IGTV feature, streaming services have begun to self-produce to stake their claim in the market and creators from a wider range of backgrounds are entering the space. The demand for more video will inevitably result in more video beginners entering the market, and these beginners will be looking for simpler video editors that will diminish the learning curve.
This means there’s room in the industry for a simple low-cost video editor, and companies will be duking it out in 2019 to fill that role. Therefore, try out more than one to find the best tool for your team. With so many tools fighting for first place, there’s likely one with the perfect features to meet your needs.
Higher demand for video content will also lead to large-scale template use. I’m willing to bet that the demand for more video will also result in creatives and marketers of all skill levels using templates to optimize their workflows. The industry saw higher-quality data visualization when infographic templates were made accessible.
While some creators see templates and stock media as amateur, they are actually an essential part of any creator’s toolkit. Regardless of whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned pro, we’ve all got budgets and deadlines. Use templates as tools just the same as the software to help you improve production quality, decrease your production cycle and tell more stories in 2019.
Additionally, independent media will climb the ranks as new generations search for authenticity. Gen Z is here, and it’s unwilling to settle for the status quo. Independent media personalities like podcasters and YouTubers will thrive in 2019 within a world craving more authenticity and inclusivity. The media world will become much more interesting as more doors open for the artists expressing diverging opinions and less-common stories.
To stay relevant in a world that is fighting for more genuine connections, companies will need to put a stake in the ground and show their support for causes relevant to their audiences. Use community engagement channels to listen to your customers, further develop your personas and cater your company to the causes they care about. By doing so, you’ll develop loyal brand promoters.
Brands that integrate with the real world will come out ahead. For too long, art and media have lacked the most basic level of authenticity and inclusivity required to imitate our lives. Brands need to get real not just with their messaging and imagery but also with their placement in order to get in front of the right audiences.
Your ad on Facebook isn’t fooling anyone. Audiences are aware of the ad placements being served in their feeds, and they’ve become increasingly aware (and afraid) of how they’re being targeted. Whether its avoidance or ad blockers, it’s going to be more difficult to get your ads seen. Influencer partnerships provide marketers with a not-so-new way of getting in front of consumers. By integrating your brand into social channels through real people with a real following, you’ll have a much higher chance of getting the right ROI from your marketing budget.
In a world filled with constant disruption and reinvention, no one can be sure of what will happen in 2019. No matter what happens in the media, it’s safe to bet on our innate need for connection. If you haven’t already been doing so, it’s time to put your resources into developing a genuine relationship between your brand and your audience.
