As video becomes an ever more essential part of the digital marketing landscape, YouTube continues to establish itself as a leader in the world of online video and marketing.
While seamlessly adapting to changes brought by newer competitors like TikTok, YouTube has managed to maintain its status as both a source of innovation and an early pioneer in the video world. It’s for this reason that consumers trust YouTube more than any other video platform, according to Insider Intelligence.
It’s no surprise that as we approach 2024, the landscape of YouTube marketing is set to undergo significant transformations. Presenting challenges and opportunities for content creators, brands, and marketers alike.
Keep reading to learn five YouTube marketing trends to watch out for in the new year.
1. Short-form video content continues to climb in popularity.
When capturing the short attention spans of today’s busy consumers, quick video content continues to reign supreme across all video platforms.
According to a recent report by Hubspot, 83% of video marketers say marketing videos perform best when kept under 60 seconds. More generally, over half of respondents say the best length for any video is under three minutes, demonstrating a more significant trend toward shorter and snappier content.
In keeping with other popular video platforms like TikTok, YouTube is expected to continue its push toward short-form content in 2024. So marketers shouldn’t expect platforms to return to long-form video content anytime soon.
2. Generative artificial intelligence unlocks new tools and endless possibilities.
Generative AI is a subset of Artificial Intelligence that can create original, creative content. This differs from Traditional AI, which provides predictions based on already existing data but can’t create any new data independently.
So, what does this mean for marketers? Generative AI is currently used to aid in brainstorming content, outlining and writing scripts, and more.
It can also be used in various post-production applications, like video editing, VFX, color correction, and text-to-audio for voice-overs.
Marketers can use Generative AI to save time and money without sacrificing content quality.
In addition to unlocking innovation through this boundless new resource, YouTube is committed to building community guidelines for responsible Generative AI. These challenges will be addressed with a two-pronged approach using people and machine learning. You can read more about how AI can improve your marketing strategy in our SCNG blog post.
3. Vertical video makes multi-channel promotion a breeze.
Since Tiktok came onto the scene as a platform exclusively for vertical video designed to fill a phone screen perfectly, other social media platforms have followed suit.
Algorithmic feeds for vertical videos have taken the form of Instagram Reels and YouTube shorts. There are whispers of similar developments on the way from other platforms like LinkedIn and X (Twitter).
For marketers, this allows cross-posting the same vertical video to multiple platforms. Instead of making different videos for YouTube Shorts, Instagram, and Tikok, you’re killing multiple birds with one stone… so to speak.
While cross-posting has the potential to streamline your content marketing strategy, don’t forget to optimize this content for each platform’s unique algorithm.
4. Live content makes for more meaningful interactions.
In 2024, YouTube will follow the likes of TikTok, Instagram, and multiple international platforms by adding live stream to their vertical video feed.
The mobile-first feature is still in test mode and includes an alternative live stream feed similar to TikTok’s LIVE feed.
As mentioned earlier, these video strategies are all part of a more significant trend toward more interactive content. Interactive content is valuable for marketers, allowing brands to build stronger connections with customers and clients.
This type of marketing is nothing new in China, where livestream e-commerce is extremely popular on video platforms like Douyin. Predictions that this type of content will make its way to the United States soared when NBA star James Harden sold 10,000 bottles of his wine in less than ten seconds on a Douyin livestream this August.
According to a 2023 report by Wyzowl, only 36% of marketers reported publishing ‘live’ video content as part of their marketing strategy.
Marketers can get ahead of the curb by adding live video to their 2024 digital strategy.
5. User-generated content is making its way to YouTube.
Trust is a commodity in the age of brand deals and influencer marketing. That’s why user-generated content can be a valuable interactive tool for your brand.
So what is it? User-generated content (UGC) is content that customers or clients voluntarily create.
This content can take many forms, for example:
- A testimonial for an eye serum (45 million views on Tiktok)
@trinidad1967 ♬ original sound – Trinidad1967
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- The trending hashtag #WayfairatHome (60K posts on Instagram)
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- The Starbucks #RedCupContest (36K posts on Instagram)
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UGC is a powerful tool for building trust and credibility among potential customers. It also enhances brand visibility to reach a broader audience.
It’s also a great way to increase your visibility through SEO. UGC is budget-friendly, saving marketers from spending large amounts of money on production costs.
As this type of content becomes popular on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram, we predict that we’ll see more and more of this type of content on YouTube in 2024.
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Video marketing is becoming a B2B marketer favorite.
Video continues to grow as a powerful tool for marketers. Emerging technology is making it easier and less expensive for brands to adopt video as part of their digital marketing strategy.
With a wide demographic range of potential viewers, YouTube is a perfect platform to reach a large audience and increase ROI. More than 75% of Fortune 500 executives watch work-related videos weekly, with over half of that being on YouTube, according to Forbes.
From the surge of short-form content and the revolutionary impact of Generative AI to the seamless integration of vertical videos across platforms—the video giant is reshaping how content creators, brands, and marketers engage with audiences. So, gear up for a year of innovation, connection, and strategic marketing on YouTube.
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