Top Video Trends to Watch in 2021
Going forward, 2020 will be known as the year that everything went digital: school, work, hobbies, you name it. Prior to and during 2020, video content became increasingly popular among digital audiences, and we expect video trends in 2021 to continue being shaped by this new digital world we’re living in.
Keeping up with current marketing trends has never been more important than it is today. In 2021, it’s essential that your marketing stays up to date with the preferences of consumers, so here’s what to expect moving forward.
Livestreaming is here to stay.
Without being able to experience concerts, sports, the gym, or even basic in-person social interaction, entertainment of all kinds turned to livestreaming, giving people access to experiences they might not have otherwise had.
Livestreaming allowed introverts who hate public spaces to gain access to infinite home workouts this past year. On top of that, a Travis Scott online Fortnite concert amassed 12.3 million live viewers.
2020 cultivated a new normal of the “interactive audience” and it’s a video trend that will stick around, through COVID-19 and onward.
Continuing the conversation is crucial.
From YouTube’s interactive Culture & Trends Report, you can see that nearly half of content viewers “relied on online videos to show them new perspectives on cultural issues” in 2020. People are actively seeking progress and video content will continue paving the way for audiences from all walks of life to keep up with constantly changing attitudes.
Learning remains cool.
As most in-person entertainment options were restricted or reduced this past year, people turned to learning new hobbies and skills via video tutorials—some 82% of people, according to YouTube’s report.
Videos with titles featuring words like ‘beginner’ earned over 9 billion views globally in 2020. That’s 3 billion more than in 2019. Which videos did you search for: ”bread baking for beginners” or perhaps “novice needle pointing?”
How-to videos for beginners might be one reason why Instagram’s IGTV long-form video platform gained such popularity in 2020.
While people all over the world continue to find themselves with a surplus of free time on their hands, how-to videos are sure to continue their momentum into 2021.
… And attention spans remain short.
By August of 2020, TikTok’s short-form burst videos were so popular that Instagram launched “Reels” as a part of its platform. Most of us know by now that if the audience isn’t engaged within the first few seconds of a video, they won’t stick around to see the rest.
Users know burst videos are short, so they’re more likely to stick around regardless of whether the video is about something they’re truly interested in or not. Additionally, the format forces the creator to think outside the box to pack in as much info as possible in that short amount of time.
This micro-content may start weaving its way into more traditional social platforms, like LinkedIn, where the recommended video length still sits in the 30–90 second time frame.
Video trends in action: Accelity CEO Jackie Hermes shared an 8-second video of what it’s like to work from home and garnered 700 reactions.
High-end production quality isn’t a must-have.
Prior to 2020, it felt like you had to be a professional videographer to put out content that would resonate with your digital audiences. However, the majority of the viral and well-received video content we’ve seen this past year has not been made by professionals but rather by regular people with a decent camera on their smartphone.
Don’t let worries about video quality deter you from creating content: video production quality is not nearly as important as you may think. We have been working remotely and creating video content with our handy-dandy, high-ish quality phones. That leaves you with zero reasons to not post that video like you’ve always wanted!
Ready to start sharing some valuable video content? We can help you plan and create content specifically for your target audience. Get in touch today!
