Log into any social platform, and you’ll see that video is now the default format.
It’s so popular that when we surveyed 600 U.S. consumers, 81 percent of them said they watch online videos at least daily. Over half (55.5 percent) watch multiple videos per day.

If you want to boost brand awareness and increase customer engagement, then video marketing needs to be part of your strategy.
In this article, I’ll show why video is so impactful, explore the kinds of videos you can create and give you my best video marketing best practices.
Lights, camera, action.
Key Takeaways
- Video marketing is massive. Nine in 10 companies use video marketing, and 81 percent of U.S. consumers watch at least one online video a day.
- Video boosts brand awareness, improves engagement, builds trust, and increases sales.
- Marketing videos range from product demos and explainer videos to how-to guides, webinars, and live streams.
- A successful video marketing strategy requires a comprehensive plan with clear goals aligned with the conversion funnel, tracked with relevant KPIs.
- There are plenty of platforms to choose from. YouTube is the market leader, but TikTok is fantastic for short-form content, and Facebook is great for broad reach.
- Don’t forget about video ads. Run them on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, keeping them short and engaging to maximize attention and minimize skip rates.
Table of Contents
- Key Takeaways
- What Is Video Marketing?
- Benefits of Video Marketing
- Types of Video Marketing
- Video Marketing Strategies
- 1. Create a Plan, Set Goals, and Measure Them
- 2. Assess Your Video Resources
- 3. Video SEO Matters
- 4. Partner With Influencers
- 5. Use Ads to Their Full Potential
- 6. Find the Platform That Makes Sense For You
- 7. Find Ways to Work AI Into Your Video Creation
- 8. Have A Promotion Plan For Video Marketing Content
- 9. Find the Metrics You Will Track For Success
- 10. Be Ready to Adapt Your Strategy As Needed
- 11. Make Sure Your Branding Is Consistent
- FAQs
- Conclusion
What Is Video Marketing?
Video marketing is the use of video to promote your brand, product, or service. A successful campaign requires you to plan, create, edit, and share videos across different platforms.
It can be as simple as creating a product explainer video and adding it to your homepage or as complex as creating an in-depth mini-series in partnership with influencers and promoted across social media and YouTube.
Video marketing is more popular than ever. Our research shows that 93 percent of companies used video marketing in 2024, compared to just 59 percent in 2016.
The reason? Video comes with a host of killer benefits compared to other content types and strategies.
Benefits of Video Marketing
Videos are incredibly versatile marketing assets. You can use them at every stage of the funnel and for a range of purposes. You can use video to:
- Grow your audience. Video content is highly shareable, helping you boost brand awareness across social media. This can also lead to more website traffic and backlinks.
- Improve engagement. Video is much easier to digest than words or static images, meaning consumers are more likely to engage, like and share it.
- Boost trust. Video is a fantastic storytelling medium, allowing you to meaningfully connect with customers and build trust. Over one-third (35.1 percent) of consumers trust customer video testimonials, highlighting the power of social proof in video marketing.
- Increase sales. Videos sell, according to our research, which found that almost half (49.1 percent) of people are more likely to buy a product after watching product review or unboxing videos. This makes influencer and user-generated content highly effective.
Types of Video Marketing
Marketing videos come in all shapes and sizes, from 30-second product demos to hour-long webinars. Here are some of the most common:
- Product demo videos. In-depth videos that showcase a product or service in action and highlight its features and benefits. They are designed to educate potential customers on how the product works and how it can solve real-world problems.
Here’s an example of Nespresso:
- Explainer videos. Short, engaging clips that explain how a product or service works and why it’s beneficial. They typically focus on solving a problem and are used to capture viewers’ attention with a clear, concise message.
Here’s an example from TripCase:
- How-to videos. Instructional videos that provide step-by-step information on how to use a product, perform a task, or solve a problem. They are designed to educate viewers with practical, actionable advice.
Here’s an example from Hybrid Calisthenics:
- Webinars and livestreams. Pre-recorded or real-time video broadcasts that are often used for specific events, presentations, and lectures.
Here’s one of my webinars as an example:
Typically, these video formats fit into one of the following three categories:
Educational Videos
Educational videos are all about adding value to your audience. They teach them how to complete a task or how a product works.
They’re popular, too, with just under half (49.1 percent) of our respondents watching educational or tutorial videos.
They don’t have to be promotional, though. Like your blog, you can create a library of educational non-sales-focused video content.
The training and education section of NP Digital has dozens of examples.
Inspirational Videos
Inspirational videos aim to motivate and uplift viewers by sharing stories, messages, or experiences that evoke emotions and inspire action. They take many forms and themes, including:
- Success stories. By sharing their journeys and learning experiences, successful individuals, like CEOs, or online marketers, can inspire and motivate others to pursue their goals.
- Giving back. Create a video highlighting individuals or groups who have dedicated their lives to charitable work or helping their communities.
- Personal growth. Make videos discussing personal development, self-improvement, and goal-setting topics.
Check out this channel about personal growth and overcoming challenges from Motiversity.
They’ve built an entire YouTube business based on motivational videos.
Entertaining Videos
Sometimes all your audience really wants is a laugh or to be engaged. Entertainment videos are key here.
Your content should intrigue them to investigate your brand further and create a positive experience they associate with your brand or product. Look at this example from Dollar Shave Club:
Entertainment videos are incredibly popular, with 67.5 percent of our respondents primarily watching them. It’s the most consumed video type.
Video Marketing Strategies
You know what video marketing is and why it’s so effective, now let’s look at developing a video marketing strategy.
Here are 11 best practices I recommend.
1. Create a Plan, Set Goals, and Measure Them
Developing a successful video marketing strategy involves creating a comprehensive plan, setting achievable goals, and measuring their effectiveness.
First, identify your target audience. Use existing buyer personas or create new ones to understand their preferences and behaviors so you can create the most engaging videos possible.
Next, set goals by aligning your video marketing campaign with your conversion funnel. Your videos could:
- Raise awareness at the top of your funnel
- Educate and nurture customers in the middle of your funnel
- Convert customers at the bottom of your funnel
Pick relevant KPIs to track your success. For example, you can use shares or website traffic to measure the success of top-of-funnel videos. Use conversion-related KPIs like conversion rate and average order value to measure the success of bottom-of-funnel videos.
Your goals will also determine the kind of video you’ll create. Product demos are conversion-focused, for example, while explainer videos are a great way to raise awareness of your brand and product.
2. Assess Your Video Resources
It’s never been easier to shoot a video for your brand. You don’t need an expensive budget when the camera on your phone is almost as good as professional equipment.
Nor do you need an expensive studio. A clean, neutral-colored background and consistent lighting create the perfect set.
You don’t even need to put yourself (or anyone else) behind the camera. You can use faceless videos for your YouTube marketing. All you need is some stock video and graphical footage with background music, captions, and a voiceover.
Even editing is quick and cost-effective thanks to online and AI-powered editing tools. For example, you can use InVideo as your one-stop solution for video editing and customization.
That’s all you need to start creating videos, so what are you waiting for?
3. Video SEO Matters
Given the prime position video plays in today’s SERPs, good video SEO is essential. Adding the right keywords to videos can make them more discoverable on Google and YouTube, which is the second biggest search engine.
Carry out keyword research for videos the same way you do for blogs. Head to Ubersuggest and search for your video’s topic. You’ll see data for hundreds of relevant terms, including monthly search volume and a competitiveness score.
Imagine I’m also creating a video about pushup best practices. I’d get the following results, which include dozens more video ideas!
Pick the best keywords for your videos and then add them to the:
- Video file name
- Video title
- Description
- Transcript
- Tags
But video SEO is more than adding keywords to your video. It’s also a great way to uncover new video opportunities, says Jane Javor, SEO Manager at NP Digital:
“When thinking about new videos for your YouTube channel, don’t just look for topics with YouTube search volume, take a look at which keywords trigger videos to appear in Google search results, too. This way you can create a video that can rank in both YouTube and Google search, if the video is appropriately embedded onto a webpage.”
4. Partner With Influencers
It wasn’t long ago that “celebrity endorsement” was something that only the world’s biggest brands could afford.
But social media has evened the playing field. You don’t need to have the budget for an A-lister when micro-influencers are almost as effective.
They have their loyal following and a unique understanding of how to appeal to the people in their industry. Frankly, they can be pretty darn effective.
The best micro-influencers can run with your vision for content and provide you with unique and valuable insight into what would work best for their audience.
Plus, there’s no denying that having your brand presented to a group of anywhere from 100,000 to several million dedicated followers can be massively impactful.
For example, Off The Beaten Track sells women’s travel and casual shoes. It’s achieved significant success and is all down to its micro-influencer strategy. The brand works with 400 micro-influencers, which provides an annual reach of over 750,000 customers.
The company’s Creative Director, Kristina Petrick, says:
“Social media accounts for approximately 44 percent of our gross e-commerce revenue.”
Petrick added that these influencers create most of its content and assist brand exposure.
5. Use Ads to Their Full Potential
Most video assets brands create are for organic marketing purposes. They use them on websites and social media to capture attention and increase engagement.
But videos make for an incredibly powerful ad format, too. Here’s what our research found:
- 34.8 percent skip video ads as soon as possible, indicating that interruptive advertising may struggle to retain attention.
- 29.5 percent watch ads if they are interesting and engaging, emphasizing the need for compelling storytelling.
- 21.6 percent will watch ads if they are short (under 10 seconds), reinforcing the importance of brevity in ad formats.
- 7.8 percent don’t mind ads if they provide value, suggesting that educational or informative ads can still be effective.
As you can see, only around one-third of consumers skip video ads immediately. There’s a huge opportunity to use video ads to raise brand awareness or promote your product.
Where you show video ads will depend on your target audience, but common ad platforms include YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Some platforms, like YouTube, have no limit on how long your ads can be. But I recommend keeping them as short as possible.
Research shows the shorter your ad, the higher the level of engagement.
6. Find the Platform That Makes Sense For You
You don’t need to post your video on every platform. Some will be better than others depending on your goals and target audience. Here are the top platforms that businesses and marketers are leveraging in 2025, and when you should use each one:
YouTube
YouTube is the largest video-sharing platform, offering a vast audience and extensive analytics tools. It supports both long-form and short-form content through YouTube Shorts.
Over half (58.6 percent) of respondents in our survey engage with branded video content on YouTube, making it the dominant platform for marketing videos.
YouTube is arguably the best place to host your video and a great platform for brands looking to create comprehensive video content strategies, from product demos to educational series.
If in doubt, use YouTube.
TikTok
Known for short-form, engaging content, TikTok has become a hub for creative and entertaining videos. It offers high engagement rates and a strong focus on community interaction.
It’s a great choice for brands targeting millennials and Gen Z consumers, or those looking to create viral, short-form content. In fact, 14.8 percent prefer TikTok to any other channel, reinforcing its growing influence in short-form content marketing.
Similar to TikTok, Instagram Reels are short videos that can be used to share behind-the-scenes content, sneak peeks, or product showcases.
Instagram is great for businesses already using Instagram that want to enhance their content strategy with short-form videos. It’s also great for visual storytelling with 8.8 percent of our respondents interacting with branded videos on Instagram Reels.
Facebook incorporates videos directly into its feed and makes them a major part of Meta’s ad platform. It supports both short-form and long-form video content. It even has a livestreaming option, Facebook Live.
Facebook is great if you want to target a wide demographic range and leverage Facebook’s extensive advertising capabilities. Our research finds that 15.5 percent of consumers engage with branded content on Facebook, showing it still holds value for video marketing.
Vimeo
Known for its high-quality video hosting, Vimeo is favored by creative professionals and businesses seeking a more polished video presence.
If you want to host videos online without using YouTube, Vimeo is your best bet. It’s a great choice for small businesses, freelancers, and creative agencies looking for advanced video hosting features.
By leveraging these platforms strategically, businesses can create a robust video marketing strategy that resonates with diverse audiences and supports various marketing objectives.
7. Find Ways to Work AI Into Your Video Creation
Generative AI tools like ChatGPT are revolutionizing the video creation process, streamlining tasks, enhancing efficiency, and reducing production time.
You’ll be glad to hear that you can incorporate AI at almost every part of the video creation workflow:
- Idea Generation. Tools like ChatGPT can help you come up with ideas, providing suggestions based on trends, audience preferences, and brand goals. You can input keywords or themes and receive a list of potential concepts for your video content.
- Scriptwriting. ChatGPT can help create video scripts by transforming ideas into coherent, engaging narratives. You can provide prompts detailing the topic, tone, and style you want, and ChatGPT will generate a script based on those parameters.
- Shot lists. Use AI to generate shot lists based on your storyboard, ensuring that all necessary shots are captured during filming.
- Image creation. Use AI image generators to create custom images based on text prompts. These images can be used as stills or as starting points for video content.
- Editing. There are plenty of AI platforms that let users edit videos using text commands, making it easier to delete scenes, change voiceovers, or mute audio.
There are also plenty of dedicated AI video tools you can leverage, including:
- Vidyard, which allows you to create an hour-long or shorter video. It works through a free Chrome extension and also lets you share videos in emails.
- Idomoo, which lets you hyper-personalize onboarding, sales, and churn prevention videos using your customer data.
- Pictory, which enables you to repurpose long-form content and transform it into videos.
- Magisto, which has video creating and editing features. It’s got a ton of templates, and you can also brand your videos, too.
- Synthesia, which lets you create and edit videos from text. It also enables automated video creation by analyzing your written content.
- Adobe Premiere Pro, which has a range of AI tools to boost your video editing efficiency, like color match and auto reframe.
Next up, it’s time to promote the video marketing content you’ve created.
8. Have A Promotion Plan For Video Marketing Content
The key to a successful promotional plan is to cast a wide net and leverage multiple channels to get your content in front of your ideal audience. With a bit of creativity and persistence, you can create a plan that drives traffic, engagement, and conversions.
Your first step to video marketing promotion is getting social. Ensure you share your videos on all your social media channels, including Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram. If you’re targeting a B2B audience, then try LinkedIn.
But don’t just spam the same video to every platform. You need to optimize videos for each platform. Tweak the video length, add hashtags, and use other platform-specific features to increase reach.
Don’t forget about your other channels, either. Include video links in blog posts and email newsletters. Make sure you embed videos in relevant places on your site.
9. Find the Metrics You Will Track For Success
You don’t know how effective your video marketing is if you’re not tracking it. Here are some metrics to keep a keen eye on:
1. View count. This one is simple. It’s just the number of views your video gets. It’s a good starting point to see how far your video has reached, but don’t get too caught up in it.
2. Engagement. Tracks the likes, comments, shares, and other interactions your video receives. It gives you an idea of how your video resonates with your audience and whether it’s generating a conversation.
3. Conversion rate. Tells you how many people take a specific action after watching your video, like filling out a form or making a purchase.
4. Click-through rate (CTR). Shows how many people click through to your website or another landing page from your video content.
5. Play rate. This metric tracks the percentage of viewers who click play on your video.
6. Watch time. Shows how long viewers spend watching your video. It tells you which parts of your video are most engaging and where people might be dropping off.
7. ROI. This one’s all about the return on investment from your video marketing campaigns. It measures how much revenue your videos generate compared to the cost of producing and promoting them.
By consistently monitoring and analyzing these metrics, you can gain greater insight into the performance of your videos and make data-driven decisions to optimize your video marketing campaigns.
10. Be Ready to Adapt Your Strategy As Needed
Are you looking to keep up with the ever-evolving market and ensure your videos hit the mark with your intended audience? Adapting your video marketing strategy can help you do just that.
Factors such as changes in audience preferences, technological advancements, and market shifts can all impact your videos’ performance. Adapting your video marketing strategy allows you to stay ahead of the competition, respond to emerging trends, and optimize your campaigns to achieve better results.
There isn’t a set rule on when to consider changing your video marketing strategy, as it largely depends on your specific goals and situation. However, here are some scenarios where you might consider changing things up:
1. Poor performance. If your videos aren’t generating the desired results, like engagement or conversions, it’s time to look closely at your strategy.
2. Shifts in target audience. If your audience is shifting, you need to adjust your video content to better suit their interests.
3. Emergence of new technology. If new technology can help boost your video performance, it’s important to consider implementing it into your strategy.
4. Changes in market trends. If your industry experiences significant changes, your videos may no longer be relevant or effective, and you may need to shift your video marketing strategy to stay competitive.
5. Competitor activity. If your competitors are implementing more successful video marketing strategies, it’s time to adapt and adjust your own strategy to stay in the game.
Remember, it’s important to be flexible and willing to change your video marketing strategy to ensure your videos always hit the mark.
By keeping an eye on your metrics, staying up-to-date with trends, and frequently evaluating your strategy, you can stay ahead of the curve and succeed with your video marketing campaigns!
11. Make Sure Your Branding Is Consistent
Creating videos that resonate with your audience while staying true to your brand requires a consistent approach. Use the following tips as a checklist to make sure you present a consistent image to your viewers:
- Brand identity. Use your brand’s logo, color palette, and fonts consistently across all videos. This creates a recognizable visual identity and reinforces brand recognition.
- Messaging. Ensure you communicate your brand’s core values, mission, and unique selling propositions clearly and consistently in your videos.
- Tone of voice. It doesn’t really matter what your tone of voice is as long as you maintain a consistent tone of voice that reflects your brand’s personality. Whether it’s professional, humorous, or empathetic, ensure it aligns with your overall brand identity.
- Product integration. Showcase your products/services naturally within the video content. Avoid overt selling; instead, focus on demonstrating how your offerings solve problems or enhance experiences.
- Call to actions. Include clear and concise calls to action that guide viewers on what to do next, whether it’s visiting your website, subscribing to your channel, or making a purchase.
Pay attention to viewer feedback and engagement metrics to understand how your branding and product messaging are perceived. Adjust your approach based on audience response to maintain relevance and effectiveness.
FAQs
What is video marketing?
Video marketing is using video to promote a product, service, or message. Ideally, when you draw up a video marketing strategy, you want to develop entertaining, engaging, and educational ideas to drive leads and increase engagement.
Why use video marketing?
Video marketing increases engagement, trust, and sales. Videos are naturally more engaging than static images or written words, meaning customers are much more likely to interact and share them. They’re also incredibly versatile. You can use video at every stage of the funnel, from raising brand awareness through an explainer video to converting customers using a product demo.
Why is video marketing so powerful?
Video marketing is powerful because it enhances SEO, it’s versatile, memorable, and a fantastic way to tell your story. These are just some of the benefits of video marketing. I could go on, but that gives you an idea of what makes it such an effective technique.
How effective is video marketing?
Our research shows it’s incredibly effective. Almost everyone watches video, with 81 percent of consumers watching them daily. Almost half (49.1 percent) of them are more likely to buy a product after watching product review or unboxing videos. No wonder, 93 percent of businesses used video marketing in 2024.
Conclusion
Video marketing is an incredible way to increase brand awareness, educate consumers, and turn viewers into buyers.
So make sure you have a clear goal, start brainstorming video ideas, and start filming. You’ll soon be on your way to supercharging your marketing strategy with the power of videos.
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