From marketing campaigns to ardent hobbyists, education boards, and anxious teens, video has become an inextricable part of our lives. In fact, you might even say that in order to be successful in today’s tech-tethered world, video has to be a regular part of your vernacular.
Well, whether you’re embracing this technology to help drive sales or make an ex-boyfriend jealous, videos are inspiring people, moving them to action, and explaining concepts like never before. So, what are some ways you can use videos in 2019? Check out some of the coolest trends you can look forward to this coming year.
Video Trend #1 Vertical Videos
Don’t you hate it when you capture a video the wrong way, and then when you go to watch it, the screen optimizes it into a tiny view? That’s not the way videos were meant to be enjoyed, and fortunately for us, the techies have figured out how to fix this issue. Today, tools like IGTV are enabling people to capture those cool must-see videos in vertical form and view them full screen. This trend is guaranteed to continue as developers tweak and improve the technology. Thanks, techies!
Video Trend #2 Video Podcasts
Most people have a healthy diet of podcasts sprinkled throughout their week. From riveting historical renditions to Dan Carlin to calming meditations like Headspace, we all love to tune into our favorite podcasts while commuting to work, washing the dishes, or winding down at night.
In 2019, you can expect to see this trend continuing, only with an upgrade of sorts. Podcasts will continue as audio files, but now you’ll be seeing a rise in video podcasts as well. The addition of video to a podcast feed is experiential. Instead of just hearing your host, you can now see them, watch their body language, see their facial expressions, and get to know them on a deeper level. MindValley is an excellent example of taking video podcasts and making them golden. These inspirational talks would be great in just audio form, but you can’t compare the experience when you get to watch the speakers excitedly give over their passion to you.
Video Trend #3 SEO Builders
The generation of absent-minded scrolling has been born, and most of society scrolls through pages of content without even batting an eyelash. So, we have to come up with new ways to snap people back to attention, and video is the answer.
From social media to online retailers, everyone is getting on the video bandwagon. Just imagine you’re scrolling through your Instagram feed, hardly even noticing the enticing entrees your friends had for lunch, the adorable pair of boots someone tried on, and that awesome life hack you’ll probably end up messing up. Suddenly, a video pops onto the screen. The motion alone catches your attention. Even if you aren’t interested in watching the full video, you’ll pause from your apathetic scrolling for a few seconds, and maybe even watch a minute or two.
The technique is being adopted now and will be seen more and more in 2019 as the longer someone spends on a video or website, the better Google rankings, Instagram positions, etc. you’ll earn.
Video Trend #4 Dolly Zoom & Other Visual Effects
When video editing first became popular, special effects were all the rage. They took a little hiatus, but with new and improved technologies at their disposal, videographers are embracing the visual effects with new fervor and vim. This coming year you should expect to see some incredible new visual effects as well as a resurgence of some oldies, but goodies (of course with a facelift, tummy tuck, and Botoxed up!), and the dolly zoom is a great example.
This effect, aka push-pull aka vertigo effect, makes the background elements look like they’re changing sizes or moving when in reality they are not. It’s done with the zoom feature on your device or editing tool, and when done properly, it looks amazing. Watch out for this cool video technique, and if you are considering getting a new drone, hold out for one with this as a default setting.
Video Trend #5 Marketing Videos
Businesses are figuring out a neat trick: people love cartoons! If a cartoon pops onto the screen, we almost can’t help but watch. Those adorable animated figures draw our attention like nobody’s business, and that’s why smart companies have started incorporating animated videos into their marketing playbooks.
Take this video from Behalf, for example. You could read about this successful B2B purchase financing solution on its website, but who wants to sit and read paragraph after paragraph about features, tools, and backend? A clever marketing video can tell potential customers all the key information in less than a minute, piquing interest, and inviting them in for more details. Plus, with animation and video, features and implementation are clearer and more understandable than when they are written out in text form.
Video Trend #6 Animated Tutorials
But why stop once you’ve acquired a customer? Videos can help you educate as much as they can help reel you in. Check out this video from Headspace. Whether you’re into meditation or not, you’ll automatically be taken by the smiling, friendly, and somewhat awkward cartoon figure. You’ll watch the one-minute video…and then you’re hooked. Major companies are starting to add animation videos to all aspects of their business from marketing to tutorials, and they’re seeing great results.
Video Trend #7 GIF Explosion
GIFs are not new to the video scene, but they are absolutely exploding in 2019. One reason for the rise in popularity is because GIFs are just so much fun. You get to see a hilarious shot come to life and express exactly what you’re trying to say or feel. The other reason is because today you can convert MP4 to GIF in no time. There are great tools like this one to help you download YouTube videos and convert them into funny animated snippets perfect for saying “You go girl!”, “Happy birthday!”, or “Are you for real?!”. Whatever your message, say it with a GIF.
Video Trend #8 OMG! 360 Degree Videos
It’s hard to say which is the coolest video trend we’ve seen for this coming year, but the 360-degree video rotation is definitely one of the top contenders. After all, who wouldn’t want to see a full view of the entire area they’re checking out? This is an awesome tool being used by many businesses in the hospitality industry.
For example, you can go to a BNB and take a virtual tour around the place you are potentially going to rent to get an idea if it’s right for you. Tourism businesses are using 360-degree videos to show travelers exactly what they can expect from a vacation in the Maldives, Great Barrier Reef, or Bali.
And really, can you say immersive? That’s the best way to explain why this video trend is going viral and will absolutely soar in 2019.
Video Trend #9 Story-Showing, the Ultimate Experience
Just a few decades ago, people sat around listening to a story unfold, enraptured by the details, spellbound by the inflections of the storyteller, the expressions on their face, and the sound of the words.
The storyteller was a magician who could tell their audience that anything was true, and they would really believe it. Today, the power of a good story still holds magical properties, but stories have taken on a new face. From businesses to friends and family, people have shifted fro