The Rise of Temporary Video Content: An Innovative Marketing Strategy

temporary video content social media

As the name suggests, temporary video refers to videos that are short-lived. Usually, they last mere seconds after being initially viewed, or up to a day on some temporary video hosting platforms. With a lot of attention being turned towards this fascinating twist to photos and videos, it is the time for you to get in on this trending innovative form of video marketing.

Certainly you can use temporary video to your advantage to promote your business and boost product popularity. So what exactly are temporary videos? How do they work and how can they help promote you and your business? Luckily for you, all the essentials are outlined below to help you understand what this craze can mean for your business. Keep reading and find out how to take the first steps towards creating temporary video content.

The Basics of Temporary Video Content

Not only do temporary videos last only for a specified length of time, but the videos will actually disappear forever. And all traces of its existence are taken with it. The usual life span of these videos is a few seconds, although they can last longer depending on the hosting platform.

When you think of temporary video content and temporary video hosting platforms, the first thing that probably comes to mind is Snapchat. Another relevant platform is Instagram, so let’s take a look at both.

Snapchat introduced temporary video via their feature called a “snap,” which is used to describe photos and videos that have an expiration time period. Snapchat users can create a ‘snap’ and share it with any of their followers. This feature allows users to post videos that are temporary. Specifically, videos are available to view anywhere between one to ten seconds to a day before they disappear completely, becoming unavailable to viewers.

Learn more about Snapchat features by reading through this complete Snapchat guide.

Instagram, on the other hand, introduced a feature in August of 2016 titled, ‘stories,’ which is their own take on temporary content. Similar to its Snapchat predecessor, Instagram’s feature allows users to share a bunch of photos and videos throughout the day, only to have them disappear into thin air at the end of that day. Also available are an assortment of riveting filters, bursting colors, and fun stickers and doodles to personalize your videos or photos.

Here is a guide on how to use the ‘stories’ feature.

temporary video hosting

Why Temporary Videos Are Causing Buzz

One of the reasons temporary videos are causing such frenzy among its users is the privacy protection it offers. Most of the information we put on the Internet is made to stay. Temporary content offers a more exciting and natural way to express our ideas and thoughts. They appear to be less calculated, and instead appear more spontaneous and sincere.

Additionally, they save users from any posts in the past they may have come to regret. Surely there’s a status update, photo or video you have posted on some social media platform that had you asking yourself – “what was I thinking?” Well, to avoid such online bloopers, temporary video content is here to save the day, literally. Most temporary videos last seconds or up to a day or two. So you can go to bed with a clear consciousness: you’ll know that you will not live to regret any post shared to the world wide web.

temporary video contentHow to Use Temporary Videos as a Marketing Strategy

The power of temporary video content lies in its short lived nature. It adds value to your business by promoting your product name concisely and authentically. People like things short, clear and simple. That is why it is important to take up temporary videos as a marketing strategy for your business. Interestingly, Snapchat videos have increased 400% from 2015 to 2016. They have also gone from 2 billion to 10 billion daily views per day. At this growth rate, we can expect to see Snapchat daily video views to surpass 18 billion by May 2017.

Instagram, on the other hand, has 400 million active daily users. 60% log in daily, making it the most engaged network, second only to Facebook, according to statistical research. Posting a temporary video to any of these two temporary video hosting platforms is beneficial for product exposure. Imagine if you could aim a tiny fraction of these views towards your video. Do the math. These types of numbers can boost interest for your product or services.

Some celebrities, such as Selena Gomez, have already taken to this trend:

An Added Benefit for Your Business

These two major temporary video hosting platforms offer an additional benefit. You can see how many views your video accumulates and see you who your audience is. This will allow you to plan your marketing strategy to better understand what works for your business. This is specifically helpful in determining which types of temporary video content generate the most views and who your viewers are. This will then allow you to adapt your marketing strategy for a specific market.

Interestingly, 60% of Snapchat users are between the ages of 18 to 34 years old. Keeping this in mind, it is important to understand your audience and do some research about how to grab their attention and maintain interest. So, don’t be afraid to show off your creative and spontaneous side and make a video that viewers will remember. You want them to come back to watch future posts made by you. Make a strong impression by changing content regularly.

Succeeding With Temporary Video

Although using the temporary video features offered by Snapchat and Instagram seem easy enough, it is the actual video content that matters. That is why it is important to have a video that will appeal to your viewers and get them talking about your product.

For that reason, I would suggest investing in some professional video help and guidance along the way. At Valoso, we have a great team of professionals that offer their video editing services. There advice and expertise will help you navigate the entire video production process. Don’t underestimate the power that a bit of video editing can have for your temporary video. Contact our team today, post your project and start creating your temporary video.