If you’re doing digital marketing, the number one thing that you can accomplish is to build trust. Now there are some very good reasons why video is the absolute best way for you to deliver your content. In fact, video has now become “The Next Big Thing.”

Why is video marketing the leading edge of content marketing and social media?

Video marketing is a subject near and dear to my heart. I’ve been producing marketing videos as a self-employed person with my own creative services company for 32 years. In the 1990’s, I wrote the “Video Web” column for Videography Magazine; and just recently, I was delighted to get this testimonial  from Brian McKernan, the editor that I worked with at Videography:

Video content creation and delivery (and magazine publishing!) have changed quite a bit since the mid-1990’s, but one thing that hasn’t changed is Jon Leland’s “ahead-of-the-curve” skills in comprehending the intricacies and power of online interactivity, web video, and social media to enhance marketing communications and message delivery. The “Grand Canyon gap” between people and technology is ever-changing, but thanks to Jon’s expertise today’s “bridges” can be used to deliver wider, faster, and more effective communications than ever before.
— Brian McKernan

Good News and Bad News

Here’s the good news: Social video is just unbelievably powerful.

First of all, with video, you get to make a very personal connection.

When you watch a social video, you get to experience the human being who is at the other end of the video “pipe.” For this reason, when you provide an authentically valuable presentation, you generate real trust.

And, with today’s technologies, video is now remarkably easy to produce. For example, one of my clients from the New Media New Marketing Playground that I held a couple years ago is now doing social video frequently. And, she’s doing it by editing video with iMovie on her iPhone!

What about the delivery of social video?

Social video is the future because of the explosion of social media video delivery. In fact, it’s now “The Next Big Thing” according to Business Insider founder, Henry Blodget.

What do we mean by “The Next Big Thing”?

It wasn’t long ago, roughly only 20 years, when the Internet was “The Next Big Thing.” And, as you know, the Internet changed everything.

Only about 10 years ago, social media became “The Next Big Thing.”

So, why do I think and why does Henry Blodget think that social media video is now becoming “The Next Big Thing”?

I’m going to share just a couple of the highlight slides out of Henry’s slide deck in order to make this point to you. If you want to download Henry’s whole slide deck, click here. You’ll have to give up your email address, but I think it’s worth it.

YouTube Beats CBS Where It Counts

I think this slide is a stunner. To be viable, social media video needs to pay for itself. While social video advertising is only one component of what people and companies are doing with social video, I think it’s a major milestone that YouTube ad revenue has now surpassed CBS ad revenue.

We’re clearly living in a new media world.

Social video is already in the billions of views, and even so, it still growing rapidly. Facebook video, for example, has grown 200% since 2015. This is truly an impressive trend.

And, there’s no doubt that this trend will continue.

Videos on social media are going to continue to take substantial eyeballs away from traditional broadcasting to a degree that many of us would not have believed possible.

What Does It Take to Surf the Social Video Wave?

The bad news (or the truth) about doing online video is that it’s a practice.

Just like when you want to develop a muscle when you go to the gym, you have to do reps. You have to do repetitions. To do social video effectively, you have to practice in order to develop your social video “muscle.” To me, this means that you have to get out there and play and experiment. This takes an authentic commitment.

It also takes courage. Some people are afraid to get in front of the camera. That can be a stretch.

So, social video isn’t necessarily an easy fix; but it may well be the most powerful thing there is.

The other thing that you could call “bad news” is that you can’t just “do” video. Like all content marketing, what you do on social video has got to be valuable.

People aren’t going to watch your videos if they don’t think there’s something that they are going to get out of it.

The Bottom Line is Good News

The bottom line “good news” is that if you lead with value, true authentic value, then your video content will create trust and engagement in a meaningful way. In that case, you will be able to ride the wave of “The Next Big Thing” and it will propel you forward.

There’s never been a distribution platform like we have now with video on social media.

I’m going to continue to offer you support and encouragement with social video.

In fact, I love helping people to do social video. Please go to ComBridges.com/socialvideo and if you are interested in hearing more from me on this subject, please let me know. In the near future, I’m going to be developing a course and an online community oriented around supporting your social video efforts. I would love your participation. Please click here to get early bird savings and learn more with no obligation and no spam. I promise.

One last favor, if you’re so inclined: If you value the video or blog post above, please give me the thumbs up on YouTube, make a comment, and subscribe to my YouTube channel.

I would love to be in touch with you. Thanks so much for watching and reading! Your kind attention is a real gift. Seriously.