5 video content trends we’ll see in 2024
We love making video content; it's kind of our thing.
And with the digital landscape constantly evolving, there are more opportunities than ever to build meaningful connections with audiences. It's a no-brainer then to fully embrace video this year.
But what makes effective video content? Well, we need to understand what people will genuinely connect with first.
As an agency working with brands worldwide, we've seen a new wave of trends shaping the world of video. Here, we’ll look at five of them, how we harness them at Cut Media, and what you should consider when planning for 2024.
Let’s dive in.
Vertical-specific
Ok, so it's not exactly groundbreaking to talk about the growth of TikTok or Reels; they're everywhere and engaging bigger and bigger audiences. But the critical shift we're seeing is marketers happy to focus entirely on vertical content.
In the past, brands would hesitate to put all their eggs in the short-form vertical basket, this format being supporting content, repurposed 16:9 footage, or a "would like to have" bolted on to the end of a shoot as an afterthought. However, we now see this content lead the way in brand thinking.
Yet, while production costs can be significantly lower, the success lies in two aspects: understanding the ins and outs of the format and getting creative in a way that clicks with your audience. Insight-led ideation is where it's at!
The social-first studio
In the past 18 months, we've seen the trend of broadcast sports shows become highly successful by taking a social-first approach, becoming less strictly formatted, having big personalities as hosts, and encouraging a wee bit of chaos. This has worked to tremendous effect, perhaps none more so than the CBS football show Goalzalo.
Podcasts are on this wave, too. The most successful ones are no longer just audio—they've become increasingly driven by short-form video promotion, with Instagram Reels and TikTok home to funny moments, inspiring quotes, or unique soundbites that gain massive traction.
We will see this filtering into the brand space even further to activate sponsorship investments and talent or create engaging content that drives value for the audience. The bonus is that it delivers across multiple channels, with mashups between studio shows and podcast formats that succeed on social, too.
We recently pitched and produced a show format like this for Red Bull to activate their partnership with the Dakar Rally. We created a 30-minute show called 'In the Dust', recorded as live but with a social-first creative approach for the perfect blend of entertainment and fan engagement across short-form channels.
User-gen style
The continued explosion of short-form vertical content will be followed by a renewed development in user-generated brand campaigns. With all the data pointing to the most successful content having an authentic, self-filmed style captured on a smartphone, brands can tap into the magic to produce user-generated campaigns. Authenticity wins.
UGC style doesn’t always mean just Joe Public creating your content; it’s that your audience relates to a UGC style of filming. So even for a brand, putting the camera in the hand of their big name athlete can be more relatable than filming an interview with them. It feels more personable, like better access, and audiences love it! We wrote a blog on this style over here.
User-generated campaigns themselves can also be hugely effective (and cost-effective, too). However, we also know that to generate widespread UGC, the initial callout must be highly effective. Brands with a limited following or low engagement will struggle without compelling creative, and in all cases, the campaign launch and call to action must be incredibly well planned.
Overall, though, well-planned and well-executed campaigns that adopt a self-shot style of filmmaking are a big hit with audiences.
Data led
While not strictly a visible trend for the audience, the use of data and insights is a trend we fully buy into at Cut Media. With increased focus, importance, and budget placed on video content campaigns, brands are becoming less willing to roll the dice on ideas alone.
Our approach now? We deep dive into the audience, dissecting the platform, viewing habits and trends to understand what's working and what isn't. Then, bring that data to our ideation. Don't get us wrong; creativity is crucial; however, informing that creative is key in a saturated world of sports content.
If your video agency isn't fluent in the audience's language, the nuances of platforms, and what content is clicking—from concepts and talent to filming and edit styles—then brands should be asking questions.
TikTok as a search platform
Yep, you got it: TikTok is becoming a home for SEO.
Search is becoming a hugely valuable feature on TikTok and an often underutilised medium for brands. From shopping to educational and "how-to" content, we'll see this grow and become more and more on a brand's radar for video content. A recent study from Adobe showed that one in ten Gen Z participants say they're more likely to rely on TikTok than Google as a search engine, with the most common reasons being the distinct storytelling aspect and that the short video format is more informative and digestible.
Makes sense when the platform is designed around the user's more natural browsing habits.
If you thought TikTok was just a dancefloor, think again.
Check out our work here, and get in touch if you want to take video to the next level in 2024.
Featured image by Jered Gruber 📸
