VidCon is famous for throngs of screaming teens gathered around internet superstars – but it’s also where some of the biggest platforms come to announce their latest updates and features. 2019 was no exception! From YouTube to Pinterest, every major platform flexed their video muscles, creating many interesting opportunities for influencer marketers.
Take a look!
YOUTUBE
Naturally, it’s not VidCon without a powerhouse keynote from YouTube itself. Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan took to the stage to announce a flurry of new features, punctuated by inspiring guest appearances such as motivational speaker Molly Burke and internet educator Danielle Bainbridge.
Learning Playlists
One of the major reasons people visit YouTube is to learn, a key differentiator in the media landscape. As Mohan states, “Brands have started tapping into this, moving people down the marketing funnel by educating consumers on their products and services.”
While currently limited to a few partners, YouTube introduced a Learning Playlists mode that provides a dedicated learning environment to viewers. When released to the general public, this could be an incredible opportunity for brands to partner with influencers to create informative, engaging playlists – especially for complex topics and services that require more care down the marketing funnel.
YouTube Giving
YouTube Giving was officially moved out of beta and opened to a list of top partners. With Giving, creators can easily and seamlessly raise funds for organizations in need with payment integration on their channels. All it takes is the click of a Donate button! As customers increasingly expect brands to step up their social responsibility efforts, YouTube Giving presents an elegant solution. Perhaps brands can sponsor a influencers fundraisers with a “Match” program, or boost fundraiser visibility?
When you think of Pinterest, one typically pictures vibrant, informative pictures with a touch of flair. But as Pinterest CMO Andrea Mallard demonstrated, Pinterest is quickly becoming a premiere video destination as well!
Pinterest Analytics Tool
Currently available for business and company accounts, creators can now crunch the numbers for their videos, receiving access to data on lifetime views and insights into performance. This tool is especially helpful on Pinterest, where old videos have a tendency to resurface without warning. If there’s two words that make influencer marketers smile, it’s “more data.”
Dedicated Video Tab
Business accounts will also receive a dedicated video tab, which separates video pins from static ones when users explore their homepage. This will make greatly increase video accessibility, as well as allow creators and brands to publish their video content sequentially without static pins interrupted their order.
Pin Scheduling
Scheduling has finally made it to Pinterest! Scheduling is often a huge timesaver when it comes to campaign management, and helps brands and creators work together fluidly. We’re super excited it’s here.
Twitter is most famous for condensing thoughts into 140 characters or less, but it’s also a contender in the video space. A day before VidCOn started, Stacey Minero was announced as Global Head of their new Art House program, an in-house agency that will work directly with brands. Minero took the stage and brought out two prominent creators to demonstrate video’s potential on the text-based platform.
Twitter’s panel demonstrated how videos become supplemented in the Tweet ecosystem. As we saw, Video Tweets can serve as a launchpad for community discussion, such as with WeRateDogs’ collaboration with Disney’s Dumbo. If your next campaign is aiming to foster ongoing participation, Twitter video might be the solution you need.
Everyone knows LinkedIn as the home for all-things business, but the professional-oriented platform is making big strides in the video space too. Video Product Manager Peter Roybal discussed the swift success of LinkedIn Live, which it opened to key partners back in February.
According to Roybal, live video was the most requested feature his team received since first offering video in 2017. Since February, professionals have quickly adopted Live not only to connect with their peers, but take part in real-life conversations. After all, businesses are run by people – and people want to talk to other people!
TIKTOK
If there’s one platform that made its presence felt at VidCon, it was the short-form video giant TikTok. *this industry moves so fast, we were just barely saying that youtubers are the new rockstars. Now we’re in the age of the tiktok star.
General Manager Vanessa Pappas took the stage to discuss the app’s origins and meteoric rise. She also discussed TikTok’s new text-overlay feature, which users had been requesting for some time (allegedly by hand-written letter, in some cases).
As the Atlantic reports, many of the teens interviewed stated they came to VidCon specifically for TikTokers, showing the platform’s growing cultural significance. Marketers would be amiss to ignore this growing phenomenon!
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This year’s conference provided plenty of new toys for marketers to test out, experiment with, and enjoy. Which feature has you the most excited, and which platform are you most eager to dip your toes in? Let us know by reaching out on social media!
