Video-driven content marketing is all the rage.
On Facebook alone, according to the platform’s own data, people are watching more than 100 million hours of video content every day. Cisco estimates that video will account for over 80% of all consumer internet traffic at some point within the next four years.
And according to eMarketer, over the course of 2017, the digital video audience is projected to grow by 8.2%, meaning more than 62% of the world's internet users will be digital video viewers. Although the same report projects only marginal growth, to the tune of 63.4%, by 2020, video consumers are expected to spend more time watching video content.
Amid all of this growth, software companies are having a hard time keeping up with demand. The tech tools available to marketers who want to get into video are often prohibitively expensive and time-consuming – especially if you don't already come from some kind of video or visual background. But there are some noteworthy exceptions.
Here are some companies that are making solid inroads with new video solutions.
1. Promo by Slidely
Promo by Slidely gives businesses access to a large library of licensed video and music clips. With this platform, people can make their own promotional videos in just a few clicks, adding custom logos and text titles as necessary.
Slidely offers additional products, such as the ability to create photo galleries, slideshows and collages. The organization has been able to achieve massive growth relatively quickly, largely as a result of a partnership with Getty to offer a rich library of 2.5 million professionally shot video footage clips. The company has been gaining significant momentum in recent months, accelerating the development of new features, onboarding paying users in masses and setting up integrations with other platforms.
In its first year since initially rolling out, Promo alone has lifted Slidely to annual run rates exceeding $9 million. The idea behind the product, according to Slidely’s executive leadership, is that it removes the barrier of entry for video marketing, since there's no need to invest in equipment to shoot your own material, or to hire a video production company.
2. SlingStudio
SlingStudio is a professional multi-camera production tool designed to make it easier for SMB marketers to create professional-quality live video broadcasts for Facebook and YouTube. The system is available for about 20% of what competing solutions cost, and it can all be controlled via an iPad app. The software allows producers to record, edit and monitor feeds from four cameras, though it is possible to connect up to 10 cameras and smartphones to the hardware unit at the same time.
Released just two months ago, SlingStudio is a product of Sling Media, a subsidiary of Dish Network, a publicly traded company. While Sling Media hasn’t technically been a startup since 2007, when it was acquired by EchoStar, the company is newly challenged to find its place in the market, and SlingStudio represents a pivot that’s true to the company’s agile startup roots. Sling Media’s initial flagship product, the SlingBox, is now largely irrelevant, thanks to audience migration away from TV in favor of streaming media.
Live video is taking the internet by storm right now, and while many brands have been successful simply using their smartphones, using more professional-quality equipment produces a better video experience for the audience.
3. Stories Ads
Stories Ads allows you to quickly and easily create short business videos optimized for use as ads that run within Instagram Stories. In less than two minutes, you can have a professional quality video ad, ready to run. Simply choose the template you want, provide your email address, and you’ll receive an invite to the free editor.
Approximately 200 million people use Instagram Stories every day, so giving marketers a viable, free option for creating Stories ads is a shrewd business move on the part of Shakr, a video software startup based in Korea. A badged Facebook marketing partner, Shakr created Stories Ads as part of a partnership with the publicly traded inbound marketing platform HubSpot.
Creating video specifically for Stories can be difficult for many small businesses, particularly those that don't have a lot of interesting behind-the-scenes material to share with their audiences.
4. Wistia
Wistia is a video hosting platform similar to YouTube. The main difference is, it's made for companies to control their own video assets, allowing for white labeled streaming player embeds, as well as integrations with a variety of other products and services you're using as a marketer. For example, as of earlier this month, Wistia allows for Marketo-powered lead capture forms to be embedded directly into videos, as well as video playback directly in email.
Launched in the Boston area back in 2006, Wistia has helped more than 300,000 businesses grow using video – with under $2 million in venture capital. Clients include Starbucks, Squarespace, Samuel Adams and MailChimp.
YouTube can be a great video hosting and marketing platform, but it’s more of a video-centric content delivery network than a business platform. Wistia, on the other hand, puts the power in the hands of marketers when it comes to hosting, distribution, UX and video’s role in the cross-channel buyer’s journey.
5. Delmondo
Delmondo offers a video analytics software platform, along with a creative studio to help brands produce, measure, and monetize their social media videos. With these tools, marketers can analyze how well live and on-demand video is performing across various social networks including YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Facebook, and even in custom video players and OTT boxes.
Delmondo is the first official partner with Facebook Media Solutions for video and Facebook Live analytics. As such, the information you get about your Facebook Live viewership, such as live vs. replay numbers, click to play, who watched with the sound on vs. who watched with the sound off, all comes from Delmondo. With its VISI product, marketers can access rich data about social video viewership and engagement, making it easier to know how to adjust creative strategies, monetization and distribution solutions moving forward. This past spring, the company announced the rollout of additional tools for creating dynamic audience measurement segments, even offering free access to influencers.
The New York startup, which boasts Gary Vaynerchuk as an investor, was wise to partner with Facebook, as this has opened the door for several lucrative deals, though partnerships with other major brands such as Walmart, AT&T, McDonald's, MTV and Chipotle.
6. Filmoria
Filmora is a robust and yet simple and affordable video creation desktop app, aimed at penetrating the YouTube creator community. To this end, the brand has invested heavily in its community forums and educational resources, offering significant value to aspiring video content creators.
Inside the Filmora community, people can find a blog with tips, how to articles, and news from YouTube. There’s also a huge variety of videos that help people learn how to create and promote any kind of video. Together, the app, effects marketplace and community makes it easier for novices to learn what they need to know to turn their video marketing efforts into something bigger, better and stronger.
Filmora is a product of Wondershare, a global company with offices in Shenzen, Vancouver, and Tokyo. The company itself was founded in 2003, but didn't bring the Filmora brand to life until 2015. Using well-established relationships they'd forged, and relying on the reputation they'd built as a company prior to its release, has enabled Wondershare to break into the market. Wondershare offers a diverse line of media-focused products for Windows, Mac and mobile, so they can reach nearly everyone regardless of device.
Breaking the Barrier of Entry
Many small businesses find video marketing highly intimidating. Thanks to these six video startups, even SMBs and solopreneurs can take advantage of video marketing with ease. As video consumption online continues to grow, we expect video to become an absolute necessity in marketing plans, so why not do what you can to make it easier for you?