It’s been a banner year for video. Many organizations have remained fully remote or explored hybrid work models. And they’ve relied on video to keep employees and customers connected, engaged, and inspired. But we think there’s the potential for so much more. So we asked Socialive founder and CEO David Moricca to share his top predictions for the future of video. The biggest takeaway? In 2022, companies will move from reactive to proactive video strategies, taking their content and experiences to the next level. Read on to see all of David’s predictions, and ring in the new year with fresh ideas worth exploring.

  1. Every company will become its own media and content distribution company.
    Companies now want to be in control of their own content destinies, and as a result, there will be a surge in companies hosting their own video content and virtual experiences on their owned and self-operated properties. While virtual events platforms experienced a massive uptick in adoption at the onset of the pandemic — and even through 2021 — we’re now on the precipice of a different wave of virtual event engagement. In 2022, companies will move away from large-scale virtual conferences and begin investing in shorter-form, video-content-driven experiences. By hosting these more “snackable” videos on their own channels, brands will be able to more easily measure engagement and push leads through their digital marketing funnels. Gone are the days of sending audiences to third-party platforms. In the same way that every business is becoming its own media company, they are simultaneously becoming their own content distribution companies.
  2. Shoppable videos will go mainstream.
    Businesses in 2021 began to experiment with video as a means of driving sales through social media channels like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook. From cosmetics to apparel and beyond, the “shoppable video” is quickly gaining traction in the mainstream. In the year ahead, I predict companies will double down on their video e-commerce initiatives. However, instead of driving traffic to social media platforms, enterprises will seek out ways to host ecommerce experiences on their own channels, enabling them to more easily and effectively scale their video ecommerce operations.
  3. The “citizen video creator” will emerge.
    As technology enables more people to create and distribute video content themselves — without requiring prior video production expertise — we will see the emergence of “citizen video creators” in 2022. As more companies accept the fact that video is now the most effective means of audience engagement, citizen video creators will begin to appear in new industries like real estate, financial services, travel and hospitality, among others. While these industries have dabbled in video content usage in the past year — like real estate agents creating unique, one-to-one videos for prospective home buyers — 2022 will be marked by a better ability to scale video creation as a new standard for engaging with their audiences.
  4. Crowdsourced, peer-based learning will become the standard for learning and development.
    As many companies struggle with employee retention and engagement amid “The Great Resignation,” institutional knowledge will become an essential commodity in 2022, forcing businesses to find better ways to document and distribute this knowledge to their workforce. Employees learn best from their peers, because the training they receive from them is more relatable to their role within the company. As a result, crowdsourced, peer-based learning will become the standard for employee learning and development in the year ahead. Whether through crowdsourced training videos or peer-generated written content, new employees in 2022 will be heavily influenced by their peers’ direct experiences as they learn the on-the-job skills required for their positions.
  5. “Fastvertising” will move from fad to fundamental.
    As brands continue to embrace a digital-first approach to reaching buyers, the speed with which marketers must respond to trending online topics keeps getting faster. In 2022, fast advertising, or “fastvertising,” will evolve from fringe concept to mainstream marketing strategy. The term is attributed to Ryan Reynolds and refers to the creation and distribution of ad content in a rapid and engaging way. In the past year, brands like Aviation Gin and Peloton have used fastvertising to align themselves with trends and even to get ahead of potential crisis situations. As more companies begin adopting this approach, the demand will skyrocket for video content creation tools that enable marketers to more rapidly create a constant stream of fresh assets for use in digital fastvertising campaigns.