Video and live streamed content have continued their ascent of the statistical charts for ROI and audience engagement in the digital marketing strategy arena. After a booming year in 2015, and with the maturation of new platforms like Periscope for live stream and growth of video content on established platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook and Vine, fluency in this medium has become a core element in digital marketing jobs.

Video content has the highest rates of click-through for any digital medium and YouTube is now an essential platform for brand content and audience engagement, particularly with younger and female audiences. Video has proven most effective for lifestyle and entertainment brands, where trust and consistency are key to winning followers.

Reaching out to an audience through personalised communication builds a relationship which has a far greater power to engage brand loyalty and product purchase than written blogs or other advertising channels. Anyone looking for digital marketing jobs in the current marketplace should be focusing on exploring the full potential of these channels through video SEO, built-in actionable responses and complimentary channels, such as live streams and subscriber video content.

So what makes for successful video content?

• Quality is really important. Bright, well designed and professionally recorded content enhances credibility for your brand and message, allowing your content to stand out in an increasingly noisy marketplace.

• Consistent uploading schedules will get the YouTube and Facebook algorithms on your side and ensure your digital marketing content reaches your audience and gains traction and the potential to go viral.

• Make sure there is a clear, actionable invitation for viewers to click through to your e-commerce site and to further content. Statistics show that the time after watching a video is prime in terms of capturing a sale or a mailing list sign up, so think carefully about what happens once your audience is engaged.

• Shareable content travels far, so ensure strategic distribution of video links across your main distribution channels, such as Twitter and Facebook.