If you’ve noticed video marketing steadily creeping into your social feeds in the last few years, you’re not alone. Video content is on the rise. More and more marketers are using videos to reach their goals, and for a very good reason: it works.
At Biteable, we know a thing or two about video marketing. We spend our days making videos, talking about videos, and watching our customers use videos to help their brands thrive. You can check this free video editor. It has an easy way to create stunning videos, add subtitles and grow your audience.
How are they doing it? We asked them.
Biteable surveyed 694 marketers and small business owners to gauge their perception of video marketing in 2021, and the results gave us a bunch of juicy insights into the current state of video marketing.
We’ve collated and compared the data to bring you the most important video marketing trends your brand should know about, including some insider scoops for putting those trends into action.
Read on to discover the biggest video marketing trends of 2021 and learn how to turn these trends into actionable success for your brand.
The stats you need to know about video marketing
Full disclosure: Biteable is an online video maker — more people making more videos is great news for us. We have seen the rise of video marketing from our front-row seat, and we’ve been yelling from the rooftops at anyone who will listen: video marketing is marketing magic, and your brand should be using it.
We’ve witnessed the results of video marketing time, and again, so we were pretty confident we weren’t just seeing things through rose-colored glasses. But we wanted to be sure. We let the data speak for itself.
All of the statistics included in this article come from Biteable’s State of Video Marketing survey. Find even more stats, trends, and insights in the full run-down.
Video marketing is here for the long haul
- 94% of marketers who use video plan to continue
- 74% say video has a better ROI than static images
The results are in, and the video is here to stay. 94% of marketers who currently use video intend to continue doing so. That’s mighty close to 100%. Marketers and small business owners are busy people. They don’t have a lot of patience for things that don’t work. Ergo, video marketing must be doing some pretty heavy lifting for them, pulling those conversions and enticing those clicks.
Don’t believe us? 74% of marketers say video has a better return on investment than static images. See, we told you marketers are a clever bunch.
What this means for you: If you want to keep up with your brand’s competitors, jump aboard the video marketing train. It’s a one-way ticket to more engaging content and a better ROI. If video is already part of your marketing strategy, give it an even bigger role to play.
Video ideas to try: Worried you’ll run out of video content? Don’t be. There’s more variety in the video than you might think.
Here are some video ideas to get you started:
- Get to the core of your brand or product with an explainer video
- Promote your product or service with an ad or promo video
- Explain something shareable with an infographic video
- Turn your blog content into a listicle video
- Launch something new with a launch video
- Demand attention with an announcement video
- Create best memes and Instagram story videos
The pros prefer Facebook, YouTube & Instagram
- YouTube has the best ROI for video content, followed by Facebook and Instagram
- Facebook is the most popular (75%) social channel for marketers
It’s not just a fluke that Facebook outranks newer, trendier platforms to remain the most popular social channel for marketers. Facebook values video. Facebook users prefer video, so the algorithm rewards video. We ran our own experiment to find out just how much better videos performed on Facebook vs. images, and the answer was… a whole lot better.
As for YouTube, it’s the most video-savvy platform of the bunch. Its whole thing is video, and YouTube audiences are on the platform for one reason: to watch. YouTube probably isn’t the place to post 5-second-long Instagram Stories videos, but it’s the perfect place to host videos you want to embed on your website or videos you want your audience to see and share with ease.
You can create these videos using a YouTube video maker to streamline the process and achieve creative and engaging videos for your audience.”
What this means for you: Consider the platforms you are posting to. Most platforms are video-first these days, but some reward video content more than others (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram). Gear your content toward these channels, and you are all but guaranteed increased engagement and conversions.
Video ideas to try: If you’re looking to thrive on a particular platform, pay attention to what types of video content that platform prioritizes. Most platforms have preferred video sizes, specifications, and guidelines — create content that is optimized for your platforms.
“You might also want to use a good background as people pay attention to that too. Try to use a background like a styrofoam board while recording. If you forget to add it, you can use a video background removing tool to change it while editing.”
Here are some video content ideas perfect for our marketers’ preferred platforms:
- YouTube: channel trailers, YouTube intros, brand explainers, tutorials. Make your video landscape (16:9).
- Facebook: ads and promos, listicles, infographics. Facebook prefers square or vertical videos optimized for mobile users (1:1 or 4:5)
- Instagram: Stories, infographics, behind-the-scenes video content, how-to videos. Classic square (1:1) videos are best for feeds and tall (9:16) for Stories.
Use video to raise awareness and build relationships
- 55% of marketers say video helps them raise awareness
- 52% say that video helps them build trust with potential customers
- 49% say that video helps them engage their audience
Is there anything video can’t do? Sure. But if you’re looking to target any part of the marketing funnel, video can help you do it. Our survey respondents said video was most useful for getting their brand name out there and raising awareness of what they’re all about. Awareness not your aim? No worries. Hit your consideration goals with videos that build trust and engage potential customers as well.
What this means for you: Video isn’t just for selling things. Video is engaging enough to make people who have never heard of your brand hit the play button. If you’re only using video for sales, ads, and promos, there’s a well of untapped potential just waiting to help you reach your awareness and consideration goals.
Video ideas to try:
- Use video to humanize your brand. Show your faces, be authentic, and build trust through the business content you post.
- Create a video all about the story of your brand. People love a good story, and it will raise awareness about who you are, what your mission is, and why your audience should care.
- Ask your audience questions. The “social” part of social media is a two-way street. Create meaningful video content that engages your audience by asking them a question, or go live and chat with them like you’re old pals.
Don’t make audiences read your videos
- 78% of marketers say their videos perform better with less text
- 66% say their videos perform better with a voiceover
Text is still a necessary part of most videos — it helps you get the key information across to the viewer. But less is clearly more when it comes to text in videos.
What this means for you: Be cautious of overwhelming your video with too much text. Big blocks of text aren’t engaging for viewers and they’re not effective at communicating your message. Choose your words wisely and ensure only the most important ones make it into the final product.
If your content is information-heavy, consider a voiceover or an on-screen speaker. Just make sure you provide captions for sound-off viewers. There are tons of video marketing tools available that are coupled with advanced artificial intelligence solutions which can perform this task well.
Video ideas to try:
- Use animation and motion graphics to convey your message
- Use animated effects to make the text you do use more engaging
- Put a smiling face in your videos, and let them do the talking
- Incorporate more voiceovers into your content
- Try to only use text to summarize your main points
- Use video templates — they reduce production time considerably
Use sound but optimize for sound-off viewing
- 81% of marketers say their videos perform better with music
- 64% say their videos perform better with captions
Music makes everything better. It can turn a music-less ad into a heartfelt story that tugs at the heartstrings. Our surveyees agreed — 81% said their videos perform better with music.
That said, most people watch videos on social media with the sound off. Talk about mixed signals.
What this means for you: Use sound, but assume people will have to actively choose to listen to it. Include captions or on-screen text and graphics to cover any info sound-off viewers are missing, and make sure your video is interesting to watch without its stellar soundtrack.
Of course, captions also make your content more accessible to people without hearing, so it’s a win/win all around.
Video ideas to try:
- Add music to your already engaging videos to make them even better
- Caption all your videos with audio for audiences watching without sound
- Avoid unwanted copyright concerns by using royalty-free music or music you have a license for
- Translate your video’s audio or captions into multiple languages using a video translator to make your content more inclusive
Make room in your content calendar for more video
To leave you with one final stat: 50% of marketers use a social media calendar to generate video ideas. If you’re feeling overwhelmed at the prospect of amping up your video content, consider making the most of a content calendar to ease yourself into it.
Whatever you do, don’t ignore the stats: video marketing delivers results. Take the wisdom of 694 collective marketing brains and put it to use in your own work. Try a video content idea or two and see the magic of video marketing for yourself. We have a good feeling you’ll be glad you did.
