Video advertising: top 5 trends for 2023

From silent video to augmented reality to the ability to buy directly into videos: here are the 5 video advertising trends that show how video will transform in 2023!

In these couple of years, the pandemic has left its mark on everything, including the video advertising trends that will impact your business in the next year.

In this article we will look at the top video advertising trends for 2023:

• live broadcast
• shoppable videos
• testimonial videos
• silent videos
• virtual reality videos

This is the consequence of broader transformations that have already been observed: social distancing, the greater diffusion of digital tools, the increasing use of mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets, etc.

Nevertheless, these elements are very important and should be taken into consideration when building a video marketing strategy, especially since the elements that must be intercepted are the people whose behaviors inevitably influence the trends that companies must follow.

Why are videos so important in a marketing strategy?

Let’s start with a premise: talking about video advertising trends for 2023 implies one thing: that videos have reached a fundamental importance for every marketing strategy. Why?

The answer is simple: because everyone watches videos and, above all, they watch them for longer and longer periods of time.

This trend was also confirmed by Adnkronos, which pointed out that:

“There is a 52% Y/Y increase on digital video compared to + 11% on traditional TV […] viewing frequency has also increased, with 39% of heavy users watching digital videos several times a day and 25% doing so at least once a day.”

In addition to this, the use of videos is closely linked to the use of mobile devices. In fact, these are the tools of choice for watching content of this type (after all, most of us use our smartphones for an average of 3.7 hours every day).

Not to mention the link with social networks.

Social media platforms are increasingly where users are watching videos and, on the other hand, social networks are increasingly using this type of content to keep people glued to the screen.

Just think how Instagram and Facebook have quickly implemented the “Stories” function, giving users the opportunity to enjoy video content, which is by far the preferred content for the majority of those on social media.

Or think of Tik Tok. The rise of this social network can be explained in light of the fact that the platform is based on video content that is constantly offered based on user preferences, which are tracked by the algorithm.

The basic idea is to replace traditional entertainment, especially among younger people, so as to increase how long they stay on the platform.

First video advertising trend: live broadcast are on the rise!

One of the most relevant video advertising trends for 2023 is definitely the one related to live broadcasts, and this is undoubtedly a trend that has been imposed by the pandemic.

During the lockdown period, in fact, many influencers started to use social platforms to broadcast live video content, perhaps collaborating with other celebrities or regular users.

For the sake of completeness, it must be said that live feeds were certainly not invented in 2021 (indeed, such content was already being made back in 2016), however, only recently have brands begun to consider them as interesting communication tools.

It’s no coincidence, then, that branded live streams have multiplied, where users have the opportunity to meet influencers or even professionals in certain fields to get tips and instruction (for example, make-up or skin care advice from dermatologists, etc.).

Precisely in this wake, the number of live feeds has literally “exploded.” Since 2020, there has been a 300% increase in this type of video content on every digital platform.

And if you look closely, the reasons are obvious: on average, 25% of users who follow a live broadcast are inclined to stay up to date by following all subsequent broadcasts, returning to visit the profile.

In addition, live videos allow brands to increase their engagement rate, since the number of comments and interactions with a live video is about 6 times higher than in a normal video format.

On the other hand, live videos also allow brands to add a warmer and more human touch to their page, giving them the chance to create a greater empathy with the people watching.

Second video advertising trend: shoppable videos

The second video advertising trend concerns the growing use of video in the lower part of the funnel, i.e. the part related to conversion.

In fact, it is expected that more and more videos will be used to send simple and immediate CTAs to users related to purchase or product testing.

After all, since Google has announced the gradual elimination of cookie tracking by 2023, it’s logical to think that advertising will increasingly move to social.

In the same way, it’s also logical to think that video will be the “main” format. However, you can’t use just any video. You have to find the right ones for social networks, or in any case within a digital ecosystem.

From this point of view, the most interesting solution are the so-called shoppable videos, a type of video where users can see the products, click on the ones they prefer, and be redirected to the relevant ecommerce page.

Thanks to this specific structure, shoppable videos are perfect for companies, since they accentuate the persuasive capacity of the format, increase the conversion rate of any platform and, above all, support the transformation of social into sales channels through purchasing solutions directly in the app.

Third video advertising trend: creative power into the hands of users

The third video advertising trend does not directly concern brands, but users.

Videos are the most consumed content on the web, but one aspect has been overlooked: most of these videos are not made by brands or companies, but by other users, who become “entertainers” or, in general, content creators.

We can imagine that this type of content will continue to be present and indeed that in 2023, it will become increasingly popular and used by brands (which voluntarily take a back seat), as they perfectly satisfy the need for authenticity and reliability on the part of users.

In fact, 85% of people consider UGC videos to be more truthful and authentic, and about 70% consider them to be more captivating. This is why companies should push people to create video content more and more frequently in order to use it on their own channels.

In this way, not only can communication be “warmed up” and made more human, but at the same time, customers can feel more involved and protagonists, even becoming ambassadors of their favorite brands.

Fourth video advertising trend: videos no longer make noise

In recent years, the constant use of videos on social networks has gradually defined the characteristics that they must have.

For example, it is now clear that Facebook favors short videos, since they are easier to use, more entertaining for the viewer, and, above all, allow a rapid succession of different content, so as to keep people constantly entertained.

Another example is Instagram, which in a short time has imposed the vertical format for video content, thanks to the great popularity of stories, which exist through the smartphone screen in a vertical dimension.

Social networks are also imposing another feature on video content, which has now acquired the force of a trend: the so-called silent videos.

By now, about 85% of videos on Facebook are watched without audio, in preview mode; audio that is too loud is actually an annoying element for 80% of users.

On the other hand, we are all used to watching videos everywhere (on the subway, in a waiting room, at a bus stop) and knowing that others are hearing what we see can be annoying.

This means that companies must immediately adopt a variety of solutions to make videos understandable even without sound, such as using the gif format, inserting captions, providing subtitles, and so on.

Interestingly, the inclusion of these elements doesn’t seem to negatively affect the effectiveness of the content, on the contrary: people watch video ads with captions for longer than those without captions (about 12% longer).

Fifth video advertising trend: videos are getting bigger

Another relevant trend for the next few years will be linked to virtual reality.

As videos become shoppable, and therefore tools for immediate conversion, in the same way we can imagine that the “engagement” part of this content will be further developed and amplified thanks to augmented reality.

Although it’s still a fledgling market, the signs of constant and potentially explosive growth are already there. Just think of the recent discussion that arose after Mark Zuckerberg’s speech, which launched the metaverse and the need to go “beyond the screens.”

The involvement of users therefore becomes even more central and video ceases to be a passive fruition, becoming instead an immersive experience in all senses.

Among other things, augmented reality makes video a decidedly more versatile tool, even going beyond the pure sphere of social and communication.

It’s no coincidence, from this point of view, that the sector is increasing its investments in augmented reality, which can be used to make production more efficient and precise, thanks to the possibility of remote testing, or to improve the performance of projects, in order to give a more precise and realistic idea of the finished product.

The advantages of the video format

This makes it clear why video has become such an important digital content and why it has an undoubtedly central role in any marketing strategy that wants to be truly effective.

But this importance is also understandable in light of something else: the great advantages that video content is able to ensure if it is integrated correctly into your communications.

On average, a video is able to attract attention much better than any other type of content that can be used on social networks.

In addition, videos are much more effective in conveying specific messages or information. On average, a user remembers 95% of the content of a video he has seen on the internet, compared to 10% of a text he has read.

Moreover, videos have an extraordinary persuasive capacity.

For example, it was found that, on average, a site with video content is not only easier to find on the web (since it is rewarded by the SEO algorithm in the context of search), it also has a higher conversion rate: 4.8% compared to 2.9% for sites that do not have video.

This persuasive ability manifests itself with users in other ways as well. According to Forbes, nearly 9 out of 10 people said they get help from videos in their purchasing decisions and 64% confirmed that they are more likely to make purchases after watching video content (such as a review, tutorial, demo video, etc.).

It’s no surprise that video marketing is an essential approach for growing your business.

But that’s not all.

All of the above elements also show that it is important for every brand to be aware of the main video advertising trends in order to exploit them correctly and to make the most of this type of content in its strategy.