Consumer Insights from Pandemic that Video Marketers Must Know

The pandemic gave rise to many new trends. One among them is that it has changed the way people consume online video content.

Even before the pandemic, the popularity of video content displayed a rising trend, but the onset of the pandemic led users to consume more video content as they spent more time indoors.

It clearly indicates that the pandemic has given a push to the appetite of users in consuming content, especially regarding video content.

How pandemic changed online video content and consumption

As per a study, an average consumer in the US has taken up to 4 different subscriptions for streaming video platforms. About 23% of consumers in the US have added one paid video streaming service post-pandemic.

Not just the well-established streaming platforms gained the interest of users, but platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram Reels have also gained a lot of traction. TikTok has more than 1 billion active users globally. There is a rise in the demand for relatable video content.

When the pandemic unfolded, users felt more comfortable creating video content. As per research by Global Web Index, about 42% of users expressed that during the pandemic they found less pressure of portraying an unrealistic image of themselves while creating online video content, which made them comfortable creating new videos. Users are creating and uploading video content more than ever before.

Consumer Behaviour Shaped By the Pandemic

Like the creation of video content has surged, the same is the case with the consumption of content online. Consumers indulged more in their passions and felt a need to share their lives more than ever before.

The coronavirus pandemic came at a time when the world was more connected in history than ever. To cope with social isolation, video sharing has become a great way out for users. Consumer behavior can be segregated into three different types.

1. Self Care

It refers to all needs concerning sustaining a consumer. The pandemic encouraged people to find new ways to satiate their anxious minds.

For example, on YouTube, users searched for videos like nature sounds, and music that helped them cope with stress. Consumers also started looking for videos that helped them learn new skills in their free time.

Another example of a self-care trend was that users started watching a lot of food-related content.

1. Social Connection

Social connection is another behavior which has increased with the help of online channels. People started engaging with each other using videos, either directly or indirectly.

1. Identity

Under this category of consumer behavior, people felt the need to learn skills that help them find new meaning in their lives. No matter how big or small, skills people started watching tutorials for learning skills they think they could learn and use in life. People even watched religious services online.

3 post-pandemic video content trends

The video landscape is changing at a rapid pace. New developments and trends affect the whole video ecosystem that makes up video creators, artists, advertisers, and viewers.

Though trends have been shaping for the past many years, the onset of the pandemic accelerated them. We are mentioning below three significant trends that have been quite noticeable in recent times.

• Video streaming & Connected TV are on Rise

1. Users started abandoning traditional TV and switched to connected TV.
2. People like the freedom to stream content where they want and when they want
3. Users are streaming more content than before
4. Advertisers are now more interested in reaching users via new streaming platforms and connected TV

• E-commerce is Accelerating

1. E-commerce is getting fueled by digital video
2. There is an almost 44% increase in the share of online shopping of total sales in retail
3. Creators are playing an important role in shaping this trend.
4. Innovations are being done by creators and brands to engage with consumers

• Short-form content is a Hit

1. Mobile devices are making the creation of content easy, and they are proving their worth for both creators and consumers.
2. There is huge creation and demand for short video content

What does this mean for video marketers?

There are major takeaways for video marketers. Here are a few of them:

• Video has to remain a key priority, as usage and spending both have increased substantially in the last 2 years.
• As people adapt to the new normal, there are major learnings for video marketers from the period the pandemic started and eased out in recent times.
• The amount of video content being watched has almost doubled in the last 4 years. This is a major thing to notice for marketers, advertisers, and creators.
• ROI on video has increased, and this impacts the entire digital marketing plan for various stakeholders.

Video is now an inseparable part of a consumer’s journey with brands.