Throughout 2016 a number of new trends began to emerge in how videos were consumed online. While some of those still haven’t really come into their own, marketers have already begun to experiment with them in the expectation that they will start to grow steadily in 2017.

Assuming you want to stay ahead of the curve, here are the 4 trends that you should be keeping an eye on:

• Live video streams

Over the course of 2016 Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter (via Periscope) all began to support live video – and that caused it to explode onto the scene. While live video streams have existed for some time, its integration with social media expanded its reach. That is likely to grow further in 2017, with more marketers and brands producing live video content to take advantage of its high engagement levels.

• 360-degree videos

The idea of 360-degree video was first debuted in 2015 with both YouTube and then Facebook introducing support for it, and its usage grew steadily over the last year. Because it still requires specialized equipment to shoot omnidirectional recordings its use hasn’t been that widespread, and it is often regarded as a gimmick more than a legitimate form of content. Still it is likely that it will show more growth in 2017 with more omnidirectional cameras and rigs being released.

• Virtual Reality (VR) videos

More and more VR headsets began to enter the market in 2016, and although some were misses it is safe to say that VR is going to expand in the next year too. Essentially VR videos consist of 360-degree videos that have a depth to them (i.e. a 3D component) – and it is something that is definitely on the horizon although the equipment to film it may still be out of reach for many.

• Portrait and square videos

While not exactly ‘groundbreaking’, portrait and square videos started to become more widely consumed – thanks in no small part to the popularity of Snapchat as well as Facebook on mobiles. Considering portrait is a more natural orientation for videos on mobile devices the trend is likely to continue in 2017, while square videos represent a compromise that arguably works on both traditional as well as mobile devices.

As much as there is a lot of new and interesting advancements out there, don’t forget that sometimes the ‘tried and tested’ is just as effective. Content such as video guides, tutorials, webinars and humorous videos are likely to be just as popular as ever in 2017. Assuming you want to produce the former, Movavi Screen Capture is really all you need to do so.

By letting you capture your screen and set up the recording parameters such as the recording area, audio source, frame rate, and so on – Movavi Screen Capture will let you easily record exactly the kind of video you need. It is useful in other ways too, and you can even set it up to capture Netflix stream or other streamed content by configuring it to record the area where it is playing on your screen.

Essentially whether you’re looking to produce videos to publish online, or want a way to save some of the new streaming or live videos that are likely to be widely available – Movavi Screen Capture should be able to help. Be sure to try it out and see how easy it is to record videos with it.

Dive Brief:

• Andrew Bosworth, VP of Advertising and Business Platforms at Facebook, discussed how even industry insiders have been caught off guard by digital video’s quick growth during an interview with C Space Studio at the CES show last week. During the interview, which was broadcast on Facebook Live, the executive said that it is still too early to know exactly where things are headed, but predicted that video will be a much bigger part of the news feed going forward. 
• Facebook Live in particular has been a big success for the social platform, with four times as many people broadcasting live since May. At the same time, the quick success of Instagram Stories, where users can blend text, video and photos, suggests that feeds are evolving into more dynamic mixed media streams. 
• “It is early days,” Bosworth said. “For marketers, in particular, they need to experiment. You can’t just think about video as one thing — it is many things.” 

Dive Insight:

Marketers are clearly enamored with digital video, with ad spending related to digital video expected to grow almost 21.8% in 2017, outpacing overall digital ad spending growth, according to eMarketer. 

At the same time, digital video is evolving quickly, with a number of different formats now available, including a variety of standard lengths — under ten seconds, traditional 15-, 30- and 60-second ads and long-form content. Additionally, there is 360-degree video, virtual reality, augmented reality, live streaming and the most recent addition: live 360. Digital video continues to evolve as well, with new formats expected to emerge as platforms and marketers gain a better understanding of what does and does not work.

For marketers, it is necessary to understand that each type of video has its own set of strengths and weaknesses when it comes to engaging consumers. For example, Live video helps connect in an authentic way around a live event, but requires the right promotional activity to attract an audience. Meanwhile, long-form video challenges brands’ storytelling capabilities but, when successful, can have a long shelf life.

The takeaway for marketers from Bosworth’s interview is that video’s recent growth has caught even industry insiders by surprise, suggesting the potential is bigger and more varied than was previously thought. In order to position themselves to take advantage of video, marketers need to be aggressive in experimenting with the different video offerings to see how their audiences relate to each.  

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — Malaysia’s very own indie zombie film, KL24: Zombies has finally debuted on YouTube.

Directed by three talented Malaysian directors; James Lee, Gavin Yap and Shamaine Othman, the 90 minute feature length film is told from three different perspectives about a terrible zombie outbreak that occurs in Malaysia.

These people are ready to fight off some zombies in ‘KL24: Zombies’. — Pictures by Cinema OnlineDue to the increasing popularity of zombie-genre films and series like Train to Busan and The Walking Dead, Lee decided to take on a new challenge by creating a zombie film with strong Malaysian elements.

“We want to do something that is rarely done in Malaysia, that’s why we chose a zombie genre,” said the independent director James Lee when met at the gala premiere of KL24: Zombies at mmCineplexes, eCurve on Sunday, January 8, 2017.

The film is also the first ever feature film that has been released on YouTube for free-viewing online, aiming to showcase the talents of independent filmmakers and creates public awareness about independent films to encourage people to support them.

The directors of ‘KL24: Zombies’ (from left) Gavin Yap, James Lee and Shamaine Othman pose for a picture.“Because we knew that we were making something for YouTube, the thinking and creative process that goes into it is very different from the input in a commercial project,” said Gavin Yap, who previously directed mystery drama, Take Me to Dinner.

KL24: Zombies tells a story about the first 24 hours of zombie outbreak in Malaysia as seen from three different points of view; the chaos that takes place when the outbreak first began, a story revolving a man with four wives where his youngest wife has been infected, and a Chinese family along with a Malay girl who has to come together to fend off the infection when it arrives at their doorsteps.

“The film is like an anti-zombie film but with zombies in a really bizarre way,” Shamaine Othman commented.

Enabled by Malaysia’s crowdbacking platform, webe, KL24: Zombies stars Sharifah Amani, Azman Hassan, Pete Teo, Joseph Germani, Sue Tan, Fatimah Abu Bakar, Benji Lim, Thor Kah Hoong, and more. — Cinema Online

The full cast of ‘KL24: Zombies’.

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CANBERRA, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) — Rural Australians who have limited access to medical help are set to benefit from a new « telehealth solution » devised by Australian scientists and regional health network Health Team Australia (HTA).

A statement released by the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) on Tuesday said the project, called Coviu, is expected to connect up to 20,000 Australians who previously struggled to receive advice with « online healthcare professionals. »

HTA spokesperson Andrew Mahony said the online, video-based program would increase quality of life in rural areas as it would offer patients « on demand » access to health professionals.

« Coviu gives health professionals direct access to the lives of remote patients so they can prescribe a health plan that is meaningful to their lives and relevant to their situation, » Mahony said.

« It enables us to provide individuals and organizations in rural and remote areas with evidence-based support and on-demand access to allied health experts and it gives people the opportunity to stay in their community for longer as they age and continue to play a meaningful role. »

Meanwhile Coviu’s project director, Silvia Pfeiffer said the platform would not only bridge the gap in face-to-face medical assistance, but would also allow doctors to « live-share medical data and images. »

« Approximately 10 percent of the Australian population is spread across 90 percent of its area, and these people have poor access to medical specialists that’s taken for granted in large metropolitan areas, » Pfeiffer said.

« There is a real need to make video consultations a standard delivery mechanism of health services across Australia. Coviu does so in an affordable manner with the tools that clinicians need. »

Almost half of all Australians suffer chronic diseases such as cancer or diabetes, but many people in rural areas are undiagnosed. The CSIRO believes the platform will « address inequities » faced by regional Australians.

If you’ve paused while scrolling through your Facebook Timeline to watch the making of chicken parmesan stuffed garlic bread or a happy shopper showing off her Chewbaca mask, you’ve contributed to the eight billion video views, which Facebook experiences daily. And that matters — a lot.

A recent Demand Metric survey found that 74 percent of B2B marketers are reporting higher conversion rates from video than any other form of content. But while businesses of all shapes and sizes are blindly boarding the video train, most entrepreneurs still struggle to make sense of marketing’s most influential form of content.

Related: 5 Reasons Businesses Should Focus on Creating Video Content

Video may seem intimidating, expensive and cumbersome, but if you ask yourself the following three questions during the production process, you’ll create something that’s not only watchworthy, but shareworthy.

1. What are my competitors not doing?

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy,” but I beg to differ.

Let’s not kid ourselves. For as much as you want to play your own game, you can’t ignore the competition. You have to pay attention to your rivals; it’s simply smart business. But this time when you watch them, put on a new set of lenses, and notice them not for what they are doing, but for what they are not doing.

There is joy to be found in doing what the competition doesn’t.

When you imagine video in the software industry, your mind zaps quickly to a product walkthrough or generic demo. So when my company decided to make a video, we did something that we noticed no one else had done. None of our competitors were incorporating humor or storytelling into their brand videos so we snagged that whitespace and brought our story to life. We also won a Telly Award.

As video becomes increasingly popular as a medium, consider capitalizing on the spots where you see your competitors aren’t.

Related: 3 Ways Social Video Marketing Can Propel Your Brand

2. Have I checked my ego, info and emo?

Even if you have a beautiful, high-production video, it’s still only as valuable as its number of views. Since views are the offspring of shares, make sure that you’re checking these three boxes that underline people’s motivations for sharing videos.

• Ego: We share proud moments that make us look good to our peers.
  • Delta Airlines, for example, shared its proud support for #EqualPayDay, which it celebrates everyday.
• Info: We share stories that inform others because it makes us feel good.
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center explained a difficult topic – immunotherapy — by using a video.
• Emo: We share stories with high return on emotion that produce a reaction.
  • Think PG’s Thank You, Mom commercials for the Olympics.

If your story contains one of the three elements of engaging storytelling, you’re well on your way. If it contains two of three, you’re really onto something. And if it holds three of three? You’ve got yourself a highly shareable video.

Check your ego, info and emo. It could be the difference between going viral or going unnoticed.

3. Does my opinion matter?

No, but your data does. Data is a powerful tool that should be referenced every step of the way when determining your video strategy.

• Before: If you’re still evaluating whether or not video is for you, ponder this: Video posts on Facebook have 135 percent greater organic reach than photo posts. Use data to understand if video is the right medium to achieve your business and marketing goals.
• During: During production, keep in mind that five percent of viewers will stop watching video after one minute, and 60 percent by two minutes. While 85 percent of Facebook video content is watched without sound. Use data at this stage to make sure you’re incorporating the right ingredients for your audience into your video.
• After: Post production, set opinions aside, and focus on the data to shape your strategy. If your key performance indicator (KPI) was views, did you hit your goal? Did you miss the mark on shares? Or did you exceed your goals, and find that your followers crave witty how-to video content instead? Data at this stage will help you optimize your video efforts in the future.

Knowledge is power, and data helps you understand not what you think your followers want, but rather what it is that they actually want.

Volkswagen recognized this window of opportunity with their audience, and it doubled down on video in the first half of the year. The automotive manufacturer increased its volume of YouTube content by 82 percent, which led to a 182 percent increase in views per day.

Related: 3 Ways to Integrate Video Into Your Marketing Strategy

Today’s social and digital revolution has created the fastest-moving market we’ve ever seen. It’s a challenge to keep up, much less lead. Remembering the things you’ve learned as you carved out success in the past will be essential to driving your success in the new media space.

As you push forward, and experiment with new content mediums, don’t be afraid to fail a few times in pursuit of success. Take chances. Test. Learn. Be brave.

Jim Rudden

Jim is Chief Marketing Officer of Spredfast, where he is responsible for worldwide brand, product and revenue marketing. He has more than 20 years’ experience in technology marketing and implementation in the areas of enterprise softw…

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