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DIGITAL MARKETING: 2025 Developments You Cannot Ignore. Pt.3

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The third of a five part post on the key developments in digital marketing that businesses should be aware of in 2025.

Part 3. Video Marketing Evolution

Video continues to be the most exciting area of digital marketing for creatives. Video Marketing Evolution in 2025 marks a transformative era where traditional video content has evolved into a more dynamic, interactive, and commerce-driven medium. Short-form vertical video continues to dominate social media platforms, with businesses adapting their storytelling to capture attention in seconds through platform-specific formats like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. The integration of interactive elements has revolutionised viewer engagement, allowing audiences to actively participate through clickable hotspots, real-time polls, and personalised viewing paths. Live shopping has emerged as a powerful revenue driver, combining entertainment with immediate purchase opportunities through seamless e-commerce integration. This convergence of social commerce and video content has created new opportunities for authentic brand storytelling and direct sales. Success in this landscape requires brands to master vertical video optimisation across platforms, leverage AI-powered editing tools for efficient content creation, and develop strategies that balance entertainment with commercial intent. The focus has shifted from simply creating video content to crafting immersive, shopable experiences that drive measurable business outcomes while maintaining audience engagement.

So let’s break down each aspect of Video Marketing Evolution in greater detail:

Short-form video continues to dominate social media
– Evolution of TikTok-style content across all major platforms
– Increased focus on vertical video formats optimised for mobile viewing
– Growth of micro-content (15-30 second videos) for attention-grabbing storytelling
– Integration of AI-powered video editing tools for quick content creation
– Rise of user-generated content campaigns leveraging short-form video
– Platform-specific video optimisation (Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok)
– Enhanced analytics for measuring short-form video performance

Interactive video experiences
– Clickable hotspots within videos for product information
– Choose-your-own-adventure style content for increased engagement
– Real-time polls and surveys embedded in video content
– Interactive product demonstrations with multiple viewing angles
– Integration with e-commerce platforms for seamless purchasing
– Gamification elements within video content
– Personalised video paths based on viewer choices

Live shopping and shopable video content
– Real-time product demonstrations with instant purchase options
– Integration of live streaming with e-commerce platforms
– Interactive Q&A sessions during live shopping events
– Virtual try-ons during live streams
– Influencer-led shopping experiences
– Social proof through live customer reviews and demonstrations
– Analytics tracking for live shopping conversion rates

Vertical video optimisation across platforms
– Platform-specific aspect ratios and formatting requirements
– Enhanced mobile-first viewing experiences
– Optimisation for full-screen immersive viewing
– Improved caption and text overlay placement
– Strategic use of vertical space for branding elements
– Mobile-optimised call-to-action placements
– Cross-platform vertical video strategy development

In an incredibly dynamic realm these developments are reshaping how businesses connect with audiences through video, making content more engaging, interactive, and commercially viable.

If you are interested in any particular application or to discuss how these new innovations might specifically benefit your business please contact me.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Video Killed The Literary Star

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The Rise Of Instagram Reels Video & TikTok over static images. The new 2021 Instagram Algortihm.

Earlier today on Clubhouse Social Audio during the 4:13 Leadership forum I was asked to compare marketing online now versus twenty years ago. Categorically I would say it’s far more sophisticated, much lower cost, far more effective and offers high quality metrics to measure your efforts and spend. As they say, you cannot manage what you cannot measure. But as far as some platforms are concerned the writing associated with posts is becoming redundant in favour of video for a generation with very short attention spans.

Where platform leaders go, others follow. So with this in mind we are all going to have to consider how we can promote our businesses within the realms of 30 second short video and longer forms of 5 to 15 minutes of content. Influenced by the success of TikTok amongst it’s key demographic, Instagram are moving towards being more of a video than photography platform and ranking Reels use far greater in the algorithm. Post Likes are being dropped in favour of Saves and Shares so it’s vital you encourage followers to support your efforts by doing this with your posts.

I don’t believe the original developers of Instagram ever envisaged that it would be so heavily used by business marketers and like everything in business we should all have a Plan B ready should Plan A be lost to us. Thus we need to develop our use of video in a market sympathetic way, and find alternatives to support the graphics and photography we use as a lead magnet presently. With this in mind, Pinterest looks like a safe harbour and I’ll be looking into this platform next.
 
Instagram is still a heavily used platform so I would continue to post as you are until your analysis shows a diminished return on your time.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Back To The Futurism 3

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Futurist Preamble Ramble Pt.3:

The Clubhouse app analogy. Like attracts like, people follow those they respect and meet more like minded, all these people invite their friends to join the app and a ripple effect of like minded & a virtuous circle. An app that existed before the pandemic but floundering, came alive when we were stuck at home and realised that interactive podcasting meant you could contribute to the discourse of your pet subjects and interests. Typically, the larger platforms are now on the bandwagon with their own offerings. Speaking and sound was the last of the senses to be properly catered for by Social Media, the effect of hearing tone in someone’s voice is more personal than text creating an unexpected hit. Unexpected seems to be a thread.

At the creator level, ideas from people across the world are disseminated and applied to individual markets. Collaboration is a natural effect.

On a buyer level, obviously influencers are embedded, but micro influencers are targeting a smaller niche audience from subsets of interests. It’s simpler to market a niche product or service than larger.

How many have dyed their own hair during the pandemic and how many have sought reviews online? Some ultra agile smaller brands have capitalised mightily in the last twelve months by creating simple to use products and receiving rave reviews. The rise of the #RavingFan !

Social Media Groups are simple to create and market to. Brands who interact at a quantum level in these forums build trust in a subscriber that they are the most qualified supplier of goods and services (Social Listening). Backed up by encouraging great feedback within these forums and the Internet in general. Your brand’s clean fingerprints have never been more vital in a world where you simply cannot erase a poor review.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Back To The Futurism 2

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Futurist Preamble Ramble Pt.2

Creatives can use Blockchain as a method of dating and copyrighting their output – Intellectual Property is becoming critical when nation states are prepared to steal copy ideas and products. Leading creatives will create a Cryptocoin that reflects any rise in their stock. Imagine investing in designers Johnny Ive, Dieter Rams or architect Frank Lloyd Wright stock at the beginning of their careers.

The development of creator to brand exchanges where creatives will bid for work and brands can pick from the most competitive and creative talent to bring new messages to their customers.

We have only scratched the surface of the effect of Blockchain and Cryptocurrency. There is nothing to prevent well known brands jumping this bandwagon, encouraging investment in their coin generating interest bearing tokens that can be exchanged for limited edition products, uniquely offered sale goods and media launches and cross brand endorsements. Brands expanding outside of the regular economy into the decentralised economy that even countries like the newly independent Great Britain*, a G7 economy are considering entering – maybe tied into Free Port policies.
*I am Remainer lol but we are stuck with Brexit so we have to make it work.

In summary, a new breed of independently funded creators will provide infinite new competitively priced content to brands wishing to personalise their offerings to a savvy consumer.

Convenience
Consumers want Ease, Speed, Reliability & Consistency.

The rise of apps. Expedited delivery. Free Returns

Tribes & Influences
People want advice from like-minded people or people they admire & respect. We all want to belong.

They want to support brands they relate to and admire too. Cont.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA: Back To The Futurism

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More of the brainstorming from last week’s futurist marketing think tank.

Futurist Preamble Ramble Pt.1

The pandemic has enabled work from home and freelance culture. #WFH This was coming down the tracks with inevitable automation of industries but accelerated due to national lockdown policies. Home schooling (Child & Adult) and public service broadcasting was simply enabled to accommodate this. Surely a key to future economic prosperity would be a permanent extension of learning via television and Internet resources.

Millions of people around the world may become or are already unemployed or soon to be laid off when stimulus and furlough ends. Disruptors will radically alter industries like banking and law one by one as the dots are joined between industries to create recombination businesses like Air BnB and Uber. These were unthinkable a decade ago, but technology and the acceptance to use apps on smart phones by the general public plus price competition is fuelling this rise. The more sophisticated the apps become the more personalised and effective the offering will be to sectors of the demographic.

Already AI embedded plug-ins will track your e-commerce website journey and pigeon hole your behaviour then tailor a specific discount or offering to your buyer type. Rather like the person in a store who makes a purchase when an assistant only has to say “Have you tried the orange top with the blue skirt?” Until now sites like Etsy could only offer you a blanket discount across your range, added to their commission this was prohibitive. Imagine how profit can be increased when on an individual basis you offer only what you need to give to gain a sale? Or recognise a re-visitor who wants something no longer in a sale but would buy with a small incentive.

The New Creator Economy means self employed freelance creators will need to be ultra creative and competitive to create content and bandwidth to make an income. I’ve started using the hashtag #ultracreatives

These will be prolific, high quality content creators.

Cont.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Brainstorming The Future

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Apologies for neglecting my weblog posts, reality keeps me from what I love to do. Some unfinished brainstorming for a Clubhouse friend prior to her Digital (Auto) Dealer Conference presentation ‘Digital Dopamine’ in Florida last week. Broken down into four Instagram posts there’s content in here to apply to your overall thinking. I enjoy applying my experience in retailing and retail advertising / marketing and adding in current shifts in buying trends and expectation. Of course also what is state of the art coming down the tracks at us all. If you’d like to add commentary and your own ideas as a collaborator please feel free to do so in the comments. As ever, please Like, Comment, Share & Save especially the latter which are vital to being on the correct side of the altered Instagram Algorithm. Are you aware of this? The brief was to think tank external influence on selling mid pandemic, post pandemic and through the era of disruptive businesses. Feel free to contact me if you would like to add to the discourse, it’s an ongoing project.

1.Path to sale

Tribes & Influences, Restrictions, Budget, World View, Brand Values (fairness, Green, ethical investors etc.) The Big Picture, Media, Contemporaries, Dominating Values, Funding, Research

2.Inspiration & Decision

Brand attitude to staff and customers, Socially Aware, Reaction to newly taboo methods like fast fashion, plastics etc. Personalisation, Greater Purpose, Entertainment, Engagement, Trust,

3.Buying Experience

Convenience, Feeling Appreciated & Valued.

4.The Sale & Follow Up = Path To Next Sale

Serving (Explaining & serving not selling) Simplicity, Speed, Courtesy.

5.The Future

The End Of Pandemic (Withdrawal of stimulus, furlough), The Creator Economy, Blockchain uses. More recombination industry disruptors. Social Funding / Universal Basic Income – impossible to avoid?Security & Intellectual Property, Artificial Intelligence, 5G / Internet of Things, Sensitive to Sustainability, Protection of Employment, Reduce Consumption, Re-Use & Repair, Alt. Energy & Products Yet Unknown, Gamification, Transhumanism.

Icons

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Icon comes to us from the Greek word eikenai, meaning “to seem or to be like.” In certain religions, statues of religious figures are referred to as icons––because they are prayed to as if they were the thing they represent. Icon can also describe a person closely linked to an idea. Mahatma Gandhi is revered as an icon of peace and humanity – an ultimate Personal Brand!

The goal of my agency is to become the go-to person to improve your digital marketing Return On Investment (ROI) your ICON for Great Social Media & Digital Content.

My background is NEITHER agency nor stereotyped. The result of work I produce will be influenced by my diverse employed and self-employed management and sales experience. Be assured your money is my money. By the times I have won, and lost! Resilience is key by the way. Also my inquisitive and knowledge seeking nature where I am building and adding layers to my own knowledge of my passions on an hourly basis. I have been involved with digital since I began tele-selling a sales database in 1990, e-mailing on an Intranet in 1992, built and marketed my own website in 1999 using state of the art (for then) Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – before Google! To the present with my own e-commerce art website where I use all social media and tools to drive traffic.

I’ve also noticed that many people involved in digital are online centric I have many years managing sales businesses with 100% completely satisfied customer service feedback. It’s vital that you are building trust with your evergreen and daily social posts. Social media is not an instant fix, but with regular, interesting and relevant content plus an effort to build relationships with followers will surely lead to an increase in your sales.

If you would like to discuss your business with an icon & how we can increase your sales please contact me today!