June Video Marketing Roundup | Safari Blocks Autoplay, Facebook Live Captions & More

The warmth of summer is taking hold and that means Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC). This year saw some interesting news related to video marketing. I'll cover that and more in this month's roundup, including some news about Facebook Live and a great resource for showing the results that video can have on sales. If this is your first time coming to the roundup, I do this once per month. Video as part of marketing has grown exponentially in recent years and this series is an effort to do some of the work for you by curating out key elements I encounter in my research to stay informed - which means less time you have to spend researching!

This month's most interesting story of note comes from Apple. At their recent WWDC they made some announcements about the Safari browser that caused more than a few people in the marketing world to take notice. First, they indicated that new iterations of the browser would block autoplay videos. These videos have been somewhat of a pain point for many users, but marketers (of course) have appreciated the somewhat captive audiences they can create. Obviously there are a ton of examples of poor experience that autoplay videos can create. So it isn't a surprise that Apple would seek to entice additional browser users with this feature set or the related feature to limit the amount of tracking that marketers can do around your browsing history. This will be one to watch for the future, in particular to see how it impacts platforms like Facebook and Twitter, who have moved toward autoplay videos in timelines in an effort to capture attention and ad dollars. 

https://www.recode.net/2017/6/5/15740882/wwdc-2017-need-to-know-apple-ios-watchos-mac-ipad-siri

Speaking of Facebook and video, Facebook Live has made quite the effort since the new year to make sure everyone knows that it's the tool to use to broadcast video to your friends, family, and the world. There have been some unfortunate uses of the platform, so Facebook has made some additional efforts at policing what kind of content can be streamed live. One of the positive results are that videos are now more accessible to hearing-impaired users via partnerships with companies like Telestream - publishers using the Live API that generate CEA-608 standard closed captions or work with a vendor who does will be able to add subtitles. 

https://newsroom.fb.com/news/2017/06/making-facebook-live-more-accessible-with-closed-captions/

You're probably aware that we are pretty big fans of HubSpot around here, so I was very pleased to see this nifty content element come over my feed. It covers some essentials for creating video in these four social platforms: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. If you're considering making video a part of your content strategy, this guide will be super handy since it details native video distinctions.

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/social-video-on-different-platforms#sm.0000vb7w5amb3dn7rnf1fcksnjjo8

I'm also a big fan of MarketingProfs and currently subscribe to email updates from them, as well as follow them on Twitter. I was not surprised at all to see an uptick in mentions about video in my feed from them. The biggest question from many who are thinking about adding video to their content marketing efforts have is: Will the cost be worth it in terms of sales? As they say, the proof is in the pudding. Certainly, there are ways to get involved with video that don't break the bank and we've covered some of those in the past. If you're looking for ammunition to add to your fight to include video in your marketing efforts, don't pass this article up.

https://www.marketingprofs.com/articles/2017/32235/the-future-of-video-in-marketing-proof-that-video-can-drive-sales?adref=nlt060817

Finally, I got a really nice note from these folks below who wanted me to know about a handy post they had put together using advice they had sought out from working professionals about video marketing. They took the time to get some responses from 25 unique individuals and there are some real gems among them. Take a look and let them know I sent you. 

https://www.ngdata.com/video-marketing-tips/

Is there a video marketing resource that you've found that you think should be in our monthly roundup? Let me know in the comments below or via social media. Do you find this information useful? Make sure to SUBSCRIBE to get our weekly newsletter so you don't miss any of the monthly posts.