Although we may be watching slightly less television per day than we did in 2000, our eyes, in the words of our mothers, are definitely still getting squarer. According to We Are Social 2015, South Africans are now spending twice as much time again on web-based media as they do viewing television. Online video views are growing at a tremendous rate, now accounting for a quarter of our web activity, a close second to social media activity. Apart from watching traditional 2D video recordings, viewers can now easily dip into live streaming video content as it is being recorded, as well as watch interactive video, 3D video, and immersive content such as VR (Virtual Reality) video and 360 degree video.
Some of the key drivers of this increased video consumption include cheaper data rates, faster connections, and improved entry-level devices; in terms of screen resolution, graphics rendering and size. Improved video recording and user-friendly video editing capabilities of handsets are also encouraging amateur video uploads and live streaming. Other technical innovations include cheaper VR headsets and 360 cameras. In 2015, the first mobile phones capable of recording 4K Ultra HD video reached the market. In April 2016, YouTube announced that it is launching live-streamed 360 degree video that can be viewed direct from an app, without the need for bulky hardware such as VR headsets.
YouTube now has over a billion users, with over four billion videos viewed daily. Growth in watch time has exceeded 50% per year for the last three years, with over 80% of viewers residing outside the U.S. More than half of the total views are from mobile devices, and mobile users are now spending more than 40 minutes per session watching videos.
Video views on Facebook have doubled in one year to 8 billion views in April 2016. Facebook has been working hard to satisfy user appetites for video, not only by introducing direct video upload, but also by experimenting with video newsfeeds, suggesting videos to users, providing users with an option to change their profile picture to a video and introducing live video streaming.
Care should be taken when comparing stats between different channels, such as comparing YouTube stats with Facebook stats. YouTube counts a view after 30 seconds, whilst Facebook counts a view after just 3 seconds. On Instagram, a view is counted after 3 seconds and video loops are not counted.
There is no doubt that video could form a valuable part of your content marketing strategy. Like all media, it is best to tailor and optimise your video content to the appropriate channel and audience. Below are some ways you could approach using video on various channels.
Facebook: It is possible to share links to video content that has been uploaded to YouTube or hosted elsewhere. Video content that is uploaded directly to Facebook (native video content) will play automatically in the Facebook news feed. The volume remains muted, unless the user opens the video content. Facebook users are quickly adapting to this new feature, snacking on silent movie content as opposed to opening the full movie files. This implies that your Facebook video content should make sense without sound to be effective, or sufficiently motivate users to open the full version. Currently Facebook supports video file uploads of up to 1.75GB and up to 45 minutes long. In practice however Facebook users currently heavily favour entertaining, informative video content that is not much more than two minutes long. Facebook’s inbuilt analytics now includes video stats, and charges are higher for promoted video content.
Twitter: Twitter arguably does not have as developed a video offering as other major channels. File sizes are limited to 512MB and restricted to 30 seconds in length – but this is more likely a reflection of its micro-blogging heritage than any apathy towards video. Videos (and animated GIFs) will autoplay in a user’s timeline only if they have enabled that feature (or in Twitter Moments). This means choosing a compelling thumbnail and supporting text is important if you wish to obtain views. Because of the thirty second restriction, consider uploading teaser content or a movie trailer style short video with a link to the full video that is located elsewhere online (e.g. embedded on your blog/news page).
YouTube: Specialising as it does in the medium of video content, we can be certain that its users wish to watch video content. YouTube viewers are likely to remain engaged with longer videos or to watch a series of videos. (They may also be far more discerning as regards audio, video and post production quality.) By default, you can upload videos up to 15 minutes in length – longer if you verify your account. The maximum file size is 128GB. YouTube channels allow for your video content to be uploaded into specific playlists – very useful for creating series of videos applicable to different target audiences. The channel makes it easy to share videos and even playlists, to embed players of different sizes, to specify start times, to include captions, cards (e.g. polls, donations, weblinks), captions and subtitles, subscription options, and also offers excellent discoverability features powered in part by Google, as well as valuable analytics. Bear in mind that you can build a great channel out of curated third party content. Verified accounts can also use Live Streaming, and Live Events.
Instagram: At the end of March 2016, Instagram extended its maximum video length from 15 to 60 seconds for all users, not just advertisers. The maximum file size for Instagram video is 1.75GB. A fanatically visual platform, Instagram’s discerning users look for high quality images and movies. As with Facebook’s offering, Instagram movies autoplay in silent mode until pressed. Instagram apps such as Cinemagraph blur the line between photos and film, whilst the Hyperlapse app allows you to create highly engaging time-lapse recordings. Informed use of hashtags is key to effective discovery on this channel. It is not possible to include a link in your posts (only the link contained in your profile) so uploaded content should ideally stand on its own, and not be reliant on linking to expanded content.
Periscope: This is a live video streaming app for Android and iOS that incorporates social media functionality such as follows, likes and trending, regional discovery, a chat feed and link to Twitter. Video feeds can be made public or private, and it is possible to view past broadcasts. Businesses are still experimenting with potential uses for Periscope. Its user friendly interface certainly makes this very easy, and one can see live events (such as an author talk) gaining extended audiences.
These are a few of the options available to content marketers. Challenges remain in creating content that is at once timely, cost-effective, relevant and of sufficient quality for the channel on which it is to be deployed. Nevertheless, with a reasonable microphone, good camera phone, small tripod, and a location offering decent lighting and acoustics, it is possible to put together valuable, usable content that can be edited using readily-available video editing software.
Lights, camera action!
Alan Vesty
