1) Video is becoming the dominant format for online content as technologies have advanced to allow live streaming and interactive video experiences. 2) In the future, video will become more interactive, with users able to participate in videos and make purchases directly from video content. Video conversations will also become more common through platforms like Snapchat and WhatsApp. 3) Personalized, targeted video using individual user data will enable highly customized video advertisements and experiences for each viewer. Influencer marketing through video celebrities will also grow in importance.

1. “Live and Targeted” - The Future
of Digital Video
The Digital Video revolution is here and brands are struggling to keep pace
with the changing technologies and the tactics required to execute video in
an effective way.
I remember businesses flocking to Twitter in 2009/2010 as it became this
amazing platform to communicate with their target market in “real time”. We
were able to “follow” and consume content from celebrities and influencers
and get to know them in a more intimate way than we ever could. I remember
feeling like I got to know Britney Spears in a weird virtual way by reading her
tweets prior to a concert performance in the US or reading her rant at
recording studio. Twitter allowed us to reach and connect with an audience in
a way we had been unable to do on the likes of Facebook or LinkedIn.
In many ways, I see similarities between Twitter back in 2009/2010 and the
digital revolution, which is happening now.
What do I mean? Well in a nutshell video is the most powerful, impactful way
to demonstrate one’s expertise, passion and personality online. It is the
quickest way to build a relationship with your target audience. Also, thanks to
the likes of Periscope, Facebook Live and YouTube, we can now
broadcast in real time. So, a viewer can witness and experience what is
happening elsewhere in a way they never could before.
The big difference of course is that video is now popping up in different
formats on all platforms and, in many ways, is changing the way we
consume and communicate online. It seems silly typing this as I say it…….I
will have to create a video version.
Despite the opportunity that video offers businesses and marketers, many
have been slow to adopt and execute video effectively. Maybe they are
waiting for the bandwagon to fill up before they feel comfortable enough to
jump on.
The key to success with Digital Video is to be “interesting” and brands need
to make their video content stand out from the pack: So it amazes me how
many Accountants are still producing “boring” Accountancy videos that people
do not want to watch. A safe approach……...maybe……. but those 23
YouTube views are not really going to generate any ROI for your video
efforts.

2. Still not convinced about the Video Revolution? No article is truly complete
without a few stats:
• 96% of shoppers find videos helpful when making purchase decisions
online. - Animoto
• Social Video generates 1200% more shares than text and images
combined – Brightcove
• Companies using video enjoy 41% more web traffic than non users –
Aberdeen
• 70% of marketers claim video produces more conversations than any
other content - Vidyard
• Facebook is fast becoming a video social network with100 million
hours of video being watched on Facebook every day.
• 80% of Millennials use online videos when researching a purchasing
decision - Annimoto
• Snapchat Users Now Watch Ten Billion Videos Per Day! .
So it appears the internet is going video, so much so that Cisco claim that by
2019 80% of World’s Internet traffic will be video.
So how will the current YouTube/Facebook type video evolve in the future?
1. Video will become interactive: Not only will be able to view video
content we will be able to participate in it.
A great example of such an interactive video is Deloiite’s – Will you Fit
Into Deloitte recruitment video. The video essentially tells the story of
Deloitte’s values and ethics and challenges the viewer to make
decisions throughout the video. The decisions you make help idenify
whether you are a good fit for their organisation. These interactive
type videos generate far more engagement than a regular video
and a greater viewing time.

3. View the full video here or should I say participate in the video here -
http://www.raptmedia.com/fov/#/deloitte
Other great examples include Heineken’s Go Places Campaign -
http://goplaces.theheinekencompany.com/en/age-gate
Very soon we will be watching videos or video ads that showcase a product or
service and be able click and purchase the item with one click direct from
the video. Trust me it’s coming……YouTube Cards are the first step towards
making this a reality.

4. 2. Video conversations become the norm. Snapchat and WhatsApp
have developed the ability to make one to one and group video calls
on their platforms and the young audience are lapping the feature up. I
only need to look at my eldest son and his mates to see the impact of
video chat. In the past I feared that the world was getting very
impersonal brands and staff members were hiding behind emails and
tweets. However, thanks to video brands will be forced to communicate
with customers through video.
Let me think into the future and give you an example of how instant
video could work. Imagine it is 1 year from now and I am looking to
purchase a home and I am looking at a property on Daft.ie. With one
touch on the screen I have a video conversation with a Mortgage agent
who gives me advice. No appointments needed and conversations are
able to take place at the time and place I want. This instant video will
revolutionize communication and make websites and social media
more personal and interactive.
There have been a number of attempts to do this already with
healthcare. Virtual GP visits are now a reality through video.

5. 3. Customized and targeted video I have been talking about this for
ages and it is coming. With all the data that is on the web and the
personal information we leave on the web (such as our age, our
interests, where we live, who our friends, what our buying habits are
etc.) we are going to be targeted with highly customized personal
video. In the near future we could all be watching the same sporting
event on TV and see completely different ads. The ads that would be
served up during a break would be totally customized for me. The data
about us all is already here and with automation getting smarter
generating multiple messages for multiple audiences is no longer an
expensive and impossible feat.

6. 4. Influencer Marketing – Video may have killed the radio star, but it is
making some serious celebrities out of people who have adopted and
built large audiences on platforms such as YouTube, Snapchat and
Periscope. Brands are realizing that teaming up with new “Video
celebrities” is a marketing necessity and a far greater way to reach a
large targeted audience than traditional marketing efforts. Brands that
team up and associate with “video stars” are not only reaching a
large audience, but enhance they brand image and “likeability”. Whilst
this is not a cheap form of marketing it is typically cheaper than
traditional channels (TV, Radio and Print) that have dwindling reach.
In many sense this concept is not different from Pepsi getting Britney
Spears to hold their drink in a TV advert years ago. So ask yourself
who is your target audience and who are the “internet/video celebs”
they watch and/or engage with online?
Brands in Ireland are already using internet celebs for Snapchat account
takeovers and YouTube videos.

7. 5. Crowd Sourced Video - Always remember video works both ways. As
brands video should not just be about broadcasting it should also be
about collaborating. Or even listening. Snapchat has looked at this
functionality already. For example when watching the latest Conor
McGregor fight I could send my Snapchat video to my story or to a
collaborative Congor McGregor story that was made up of all the
content shared by all the other fans around the world. This type of
video content is hugely popular as the viewers are also the
participators. A great Irish App to create crowdsourced video content
is Shotclip - https://www.shotclip.com/.
The ultimate Crowd Sourced Video campaign. One third of the Irish population
participated by uploading a video in a 2 week period.

8. 6. Drones and 360o Video - 2016 has been the year for drones and
360o images and video on Facebook, however I don’t believe
companies have mastered the true art of using either effectively yet. In
the near future you will see the cost of producing drone footage and
create 360o video plummet and more people will adopt these video
formats. The key to successful drone videos will probably be a
“blended approach” a mix of regular and aerial footage.
I think less will be more. Currently most drone footage (in my opinion)
is shot too high and lacks integration with traditional video. I think
where 360o video will become more normal is the viewers ability to
watch/experience content from different angles. I think we will see
videos giving viewers several different viewing options. Jamie Oliver’s
YouTube channel already has videos were I can watch his recipe being
cooked from an aerial view, face on or side angle.

9. 7. Live Streaming – Facebook Live has taken the Internet by storm this
year and it is clear that Mark Zuckerberg believes video is paramount
to Facebook’s continued dominance. Technology is changing daily and
brands are struggling to figure out how they can become broadcasters
and build “live TV” type channels on Facebook, Twitter and
YouTube. We are going to see companies getting better at creating
more “valuable” relevant content and use tools that give
broadcasters a slick branded appearance. One big development we
will see with live streaming over the next year is better analytics and
data on who exactly is viewing our live video content. Some of the
tools you may want to consider for live streaming are:
Open Broadcast Software (OBS) – https://obsproject.com/ - Free
software that allows you broadcast directly from a desktop computer. It
allows you to add your logo to your screen, add text, and share your
screen and more. You can broadcast live to YouTube, Facebook
(pages, groups and personal accounts) and Periscope.
There are lots of other similar tools out there. Including Wirecast -
http://www.telestream.net/wirecast, Blue Jeans - https://bluejeans.com
and LiveLeap - https://liveleap.com. If you were a fan of the recently
deceased Blab you may want to look at Huzza.io or Firetalk.
So get on the Live Streaming bandwagon because it is only going to
get bigger. Instagram have just jumped on and are allowing their

10. community broadcast live to their followers via their stories feature.
Clever companies will plan and promote their live broadcasts in
advance, create “valuable” and relevant content and broadcast on a
schedule (much like a television network).
8. Search engines will index video better - At present the use of srt
files are great to add to your video. Thus files add captions or subtitles
to your video that not only the viewer can read, but also the search
engine can see. This helps search engines and Social Media
algorithms understand and index your video. (A tool to create and add
srt files to your video is Aegisub - http://www.aegisub.org/)
I believe that very soon we won’t need these and that the search
engines and social media sites will be able to understand our video
content, where it was shot and who it is aimed at.
9. Finally, brace yourselves for a VR revolution. We will start to see and
experience video that brings us into a virtual world. We got a great
insight into the near future this year when Mark Zuckerberg used
Facebook’s Oculus Rift to virtulally go home and check on his dog
and whilst there call his wife and snap a selfie. All from a stage at a
packed conference.
https://www.facebook.com/zuck/videos/10103154531425531/
Eg. Travel agents in the future can show their customer that hotel in
Thailand in a way never even imagined before.
Quite frankly, my brain hurts when I think of the possibilities for brands
using video and VR.

11. Can you think of a 10th
Point?
How do you think video will evolve in the coming years? There is no doubt it is
changing the way the internet looks and I firmly believe it is helping the
internet to become more real again.
I firmly believe that other than face-to-face contact video builds
relationships and “likeability “ faster than any other digital medium out
there.
Do you agree?