It’s that time of year, time for all the “trends for 2019” articles. I came across this one, “Content Marketing Trends that Will Dominate 2019” from EContentMag. The article talks about content marketing in general, not just video, and covers case studies, using video for lead generation, tapping into emotions with new tech, intelligent delivery, and collaboration.

The point about case studies caught my eye.

Case Studies – The Power of Storytelling

The article says:

Get Personal with Case Studies
If your case studies aren’t telling a story, then you’re making a mistake. Case studies are more than an accessory for a campaign—they’re evolving from focusing on product specifics to putting the buyer at the heart of the narrative. Marketers need to trigger emotional connections to drive broader engagements and purchasing decisions. Walk readers through a journey, connect to their imaginations to address audience motivations, and engage buyers through the purchase journey.   

– EContentMag.com

I agree, case studies absolutely must tell a story. That’s what they are after all! Think about it from your readers’, or in the case of a video case study, your viewers’ perspective. They’re interested in the story but only because they have a problem that’s similar to the one that’s being presented. They aren’t reading or watching simply because a video appeared in their newsfeeds; they want to know how THEY can solve their own problems.

Through storytelling, you can help them to see themselves working with you to solve their own problems.

Here’s a storytelling technique that could be effective in a case study: raising the stakes. Show viewers just how much was at stake for the study’s subject before your solution was ultimately discovered and implemented. This adds tension and emotion to the case study, helping to hook your audience members and reinforcing just how much they also have at stake.

Of course, you’ll want your story to have a happy ending — one that ends with your product or service solving the problem!

Wistia’s Video Trends for 2019

Wistia also published its own list of video trends for 2019. Some of my favorites include:

  • Video Thought Leadership — This involves talking directly to the camera, and not necessarily in a studio. In fact, random environments add a touch of authenticity to the video.
  • Mobile First Videos — Love ’em or hate ’em, vertical and square videos are here to stay. They look awful on a traditional television or computer monitor but look great on smartphones (which is the point).
  • Video in Email — Wistia suggests putting the word “video” in your subject line and a thumbnail of the video in the body of the email. You’ll want to link the thumbnail to your hosted video. You can also do the same for your email signature, or, if the video is short enough, create a GIF version of it and embed it instead.

The EContentMag article talked about collaboration as a content trend for 2019. I agree. If you need help on any of your video projects this year, let me know. I’m happy to help. You can contact me here for a quote.