If a picture can tell a thousand words, does that mean a video can tell a million words? Is that the reason why online videos are so popular these days? Oh well, the actual numbers don’t matter. What matters now is how important is online video today and what is the future of online video?
Live Video Streaming Will Thrive
With high-speed internet getting more and more readily available across the globe, streaming is going to grow even bigger. Once a novelty, video streaming is a common thing, especially among the younger audience. Teens can use Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitch, and many more to stream whatever it is they have on mind.
The Battle Of Vertical vs. Horizontal Continues
While we prefer taking videos horizontally we can somewhat understand when people choose to record vertically. Just have a look around you. Do most people use video calls while holding their phones vertically or horizontally?
“But which one is better?”
Facebook asked the same question and decided to test it for themselves. Their findings show that vertical videos encourage people to engage more actively.
Their findings, however, do not mean you should switch and start all your videos vertically from now on. Just think what your content is about and what your viewers expect from it. For most sports actions, horizontal videos take the cake. Take recording a car race as an example. Vertical videos are counter-intuitive as the cars are not moving in a vertical fashion.
Companies Will Continue To Profit From Videos
There are a couple of ways for companies to profit off of online video trend. One is to make a video sharing site like YouTube.
The potential of ads revenue from online videos is staggering. While YouTube is keeping its revenue a secret, analysts say it’s around the $15 billion mark. It’s no wonder Instagram and Facebook are also putting a lot more focus on their video sharing features.
Many countries have also started their own version of video site to tap into the lucrative video niche. China has Youku Tudou, which already broke the 500 million users milestone. That’s an incredible number for a site that caters to a single market.
Japan also has its equivalent of YouTube called Nico Nico Douga. This one, unfortunately, is losing its popularity to Japanese YouTube.
Another way for companies to make money through online videos is branding. You don’t need to look far for this. Just watch YouTube videos and you will see that companies are getting smarter with their video ads. They tailor their ads to appeal to their target market so well, people actually enjoy watching ads that are more than two minutes long.
Content Creators Care Not About The Platforms
Just like anything else in life, platforms come and go.
Anyone here still remembers the prime of Vine? We’re sure some of you do. The content creators who flourished during the prime of Vine surely remember it. However, good content creators don’t dwell on Vine’s continuous downward spiral to oblivion. When Instagram released their version of video sharing, smart content creators just went with the flow and start posting more on Instagram. After all, converting your video to whatever format is so easy these days.
Will Instagram rule the online video landscape in the future? No one can be 100% sure about it. One day, Instagram may face a stiff competition from a platform yet to be heard today. The only sure thing is that content creators will continue to adapt and overcome. Platforms must practice constant vigilance and do their utmost to keep content creators from packing up and go with the next best thing.
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