In the last twenty years, the world has moved more and more of its media, shopping, and marketing online. The internet has become the largest marketplace in history, and it literally stretches around the globe. Now, the outbreak of coronavirus has added a new wrinkle. Seeking to slow the spread of the virus, many governments have ordered people to shelter in place and others are severely restricting what were once everyday activities. As a result, we are simultaneously more isolated and, thanks to the internet, more connected than ever before.
Despite claims to the contrary, the world has not stopped for the pandemic. But it has largely moved online. This trend was already occurring, but the coronavirus accelerated this shift at a rapid pace—and the automotive industry has to keep up. This means that car video reviews are evolving from something aimed primarily at enthusiasts to essential components of automotive editorials for a more general audience.
The Value of Car Video Reviews
Informative video car reviews are one of the most powerful tools in the automotive industry. They have far more reach than traditional advertising and can captivate readers in new ways. Video reviews can also be a deciding factor for customers who are well into their purchasing process, as they provide greater insight than is possible via the written word. In fact, a simple video clip can reveal a feature that ends up being the deciding factor for car buyers. The information these videos provide also plays a key role in helping both automakers and car dealerships build brand awareness among their customers.
Despite these strengths, traditional automotive publications have been slow to provide video car reviews for a large proportion of vehicles reviewed. Even now, the majority of car video reviews online are produced by amateur enthusiasts on online streaming sites. Now, that is changing.
The Evolving Role of Car Video Reviews
One of the top 3 automotive marketing trends in 2020 will be an increasing reliance on online car sales. In large part, this due to the coronavirus. However, the shift to an online marketplace was already underway well before the outbreak. The pandemic has merely pressed fast forward on changes that were already coming, and businesses that anticipated these developments are well-positioned during the pandemic. Those who did not, however, will need to rethink.
As car sales increasingly move online, car review videos are vital to both those who have long embraced the online marketplace and those who have stuck to traditional methods. Car reviews and listings typically list power specifications, comfort features like infotainment options, or seating and cargo space, providing a hint at what a vehicle is like. But car video reviews can translate what those features mean in a way enthusiasts and everyday car shoppers can understand. It also helps viewers to compare vehicles by seeing exactly what they have to offer.
Car video reviews provide deeper insight into what the daily driving experience is like. Driver and passenger seating layouts, cargo space, and performance and infotainment controls can all be shown in detail. Particularly when it comes to technology, showing and explaining a vehicle’s features is invaluable to helping customers make decisions that make sense for their lifestyle. After all, features that are standard today were unheard of just a few short years ago, and car video reviews can make new technologies easy to understand.
Leading the Way in a Changing World
In 2020, video car reviews can play a new pivotal role in the automotive industry. In many ways, the industry is just catching up with the way that most consumers have been viewing content and making purchasing decisions for years. Now, however, it’s not simply a matter of preference, but a matter of necessity.
Video car reviews are critical to building and expanding an online presence. For truly forward-thinking businesses, it is also prudent to consider integrating XR features, as these will play a greater role across the industry in the near future. Already, they are transforming how people interact with products online. Virtual reality and augmented reality add new opportunities for engagement and allow automotive publications and dealerships to capitalize on the expanding possibilities of the internet.
Rising to the challenges of the present and the evolving demands of the future mean that the auto industry needs to embrace new technology and find innovative ways to deploy it. In doing so, businesses can set themselves up to thrive in a changing world.