How Short-form, Live Videos are Transforming The Digital Publishing Experience

With 60% of internet traffic revolving around video format, video content is the reigning king of all content formats! Remember the days when a catchy image and a snappy blog were enough to get a user to click on your content? Unfortunately, those days are long gone.The digital publishing 'experience' has truly evolved in the last decade. A text + image-based content format is no longer enough to hold your viewer's attention. The unchallenged dominance of short-form video content on social media platforms makes digital publishers leverage these vertical videos to secure more significant site traffic and improve customer retention. Are you not part of this digital revolution yet? Don't worry; you won't be left behind! We have all the information you need about the elevation of the online customer experience and what it means for the digital publishing industry.

Digital Publishing Industry Today: What's Lacking?

The digital publisher experience today is more challenging than ever. The competition for customer attention is fierce, given the sheer number of platforms, marketing channels, brands, and content out there. Generating a high site traffic volume is the number one priority for most digital publishers.To present their website as a lucrative platform for advertisers, publishers need to display their site metrics and add value to the advertiser. The higher the site traffic, the more likely the advertiser will choose that website over its competitors.Unfortunately, digital publishers are noticing a considerable decline in their site traffic.

A study was conducted by the International News Media Association in 2021 on 20 national and metro publishers in the United States. The results showed that, on average, there was a 24% decline in site traffic for national publishers and a 19% decline for metro publishers.

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"In the United States, global traffic is declining on average by 24% for national publishers and 19% for metro publishers." Source: INMA One of the primary reasons for this negative trend is the rise of short-form video content, which diverts a large segment of the viewer base from digital publishers to social media platforms. With more advertisers demanding visibility of their ads, publishers are feeling the pressure to make their websites stand out and grab more eyeballs. This is perhaps why we notice traditional digital publishers' willingness to experiment with video formats. As per German-based market association Bitkom, 72% of all media companies adopt new strategies and change their current business models to cope with digital transformation. So if you are finding yourself struggling with generating high site traffic and maintaining user retention, you should ask yourself –- "What should I do differently?"

Why Include Short Form Videos in Your Content Strategy?

Short videos, web stories, and live videos are currently the most popular digital content formats. According to Responsify, the average conversion rate for websites that use videos is 4.8%, instead of 2.9% for those who don't. The rise of this content format has taken the world by storm. Think of all the biggest brands in the market; they are all leveraging this crucial format of content creation and integrating it into their business model. So, if your website has not adapted to the new digital order, then it is time for you to think about making the switch.

Source: Qallann

As a traditional digital publisher, you are in the business of storytelling. Here's how adapting to the short-form video or web story form of content creation can benefit your brand:

1. Convert Blogs to Videos for Impactful Storytelling -

In a recent survey conducted by Databox, 74% of their respondents believed videos are more effective at generating leads than blogs. With the attention span of online users shortening,  it is more likely that a user will watch a short video instead of reading a full-length blog. To capture your user's attention and maintain it, adopting a short video or web story style of storytelling can be more impactful for your brand.  

2. Craft an Immersive User Experience for Your Audience

To better engage your target audience with your content, an immersive experience is proving to be crucial. Social media platforms rank high on user engagement simply because they can deliver a high-quality, immersive experience to their users. Using technology will also draw in your users and ensure they stick around.

3. Leverage Live-streaming for Ecommerce Revenue

As per McKinsey, live commerce has transformed the shopping experience for users. Consider, for example, China, whose live-commerce market reached an estimated $171 billion in 2020. When it comes to e-commerce, we highly recommend offering your users an enhanced and interactive shopping experience on your website with the help of live-streaming.

How Can You Upgrade Your Digital Publishing Experience with Firework?

Did you know that 68% of people would gladly view the business video if it's under a minute? (Vidyard) This is a clear indication of the power and popularity of short-form videos, which provide the best Return on Investment (RoI) out of any other content format. At Firework, we help brands leverage the power of short-form videos and seamlessly integrate it into their brand narrative. To demonstrate this transformation process, we would like to share the story of one of our clients, Narcity.

Source: Firework

As one of Canada's top digital publishing companies, Narcity was still relying on a combination of text, image, and horizontal video formats for its content publishing. We leveraged our advanced technology to help them switch to an impactful, video-powered 'story' experience. The outcome? Narcity recorded a remarkable 48x increase in video plays, and they also witnessed a 52% uptick in average time spent on their site. Impressed? There's more! Here's how Firework can help boost your brand and upgrade your user experience:

1. Engaging User Experience

Our compelling, vertical short-form videos get across your brand messaging in an interactive and immersive fashion. With the deployment of this format, you will automatically notice improved engagement metrics on your site.

2. Swipeable Format For Modern Users

Our Storybook video units allow us to deliver a 'swipeable' experience for users optimized for mobile viewing. The modern consumer highly prefers this format of content consumption.

3. Increased Traffic Monetization

By tweaking your content publishing format in line with the latest trends, we increase your site traffic, enabling you to monetize this traffic to its fullest potential.

Conclusion

In a constantly evolving digital landscape, you either adapt or perish. By helping brands adapt to the digital revolution of short-form video-driven storytelling, we assist traditional digital publishers in maximizing their growth potential.

To know more about what we can do for your brand, we encourage you to schedule a demo with us and allow us to showcase how Firework can enhance your website experience and increase your customer engagement.