How Video Engagement is Changing in 2017

The way in which we consume content is changing. As recently as five years ago, a huge majority of the content consumed on the internet was text. Be it news articles, early tweets or Facebook statues, the internet was built on a foundation of text.

But things are changing.

With platforms such as YouTube continuing to grow, with more content and more creators flooding to the platform every day, video is becoming the most popular way consumers get their fix of content. Facebook’s massive push for video content in the past year has also played a huge role in how people now prefer to consume content.

Because of this, it’s expected that next year, 74% of all web traffic will be video. Put in perspective, that’s billions of hours of video being consumed in every corner of the world.

For content creators, that means two things. Firstly, the opportunity to have messages seen by more people than ever before is just around the corner. The explosion in online video is a chance for those producing the best content to get reach not before seen on a scale like this. Because of this, however, it means that quality is going to be more important than ever before. With more and more content hitting the internet, only the very best is going to rise to the top and be seen.

When undertaking content marketing, the best policy with video is to create the most engaging, shareable piece of content possible. Video content is often more effective when it’s in a shorter, more digestible size. This means that keeping you video content is clear as possible is essential: long intros and outros, border information that isn’t particularly important and the over detailing of points are all things that negatively effect the engagement on a video.

One way of making the most of your budget and resources is to convert existing text-based content into videos. Typically, long-form editorial content and guides are the perfect basis for short explainer videos, and most of the scripting work is already done. Turning content into microcontent also allows for it to be shared a lot more easily across different platforms, making the most of what you’ve already invested into content.

As video continues to grow, the companies who get their foot in the door now and act fast have the best chance of growing a meaningful following on video platforms.

Engaged viewers mean engaged customers.