Originally published: November 9, 2021. Last updated: Oct 10, 2026.
Marketing never stands still. Trends, technology, and audience behavior keep shifting, and a company that ignores those shifts risks falling behind competitors that adapt. One of the clearest shifts of the past decade is the rise of video: according to Wyzowl‘s State of Video Marketing 2026 report, 91% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool, matching the all-time high, and 93% of video marketers call video an important part of their overall strategy.
Those numbers matter because they tell you what your audience already expects. Video has become the default way people learn about products, compare options, and decide what to buy. If your business is not using video yet, you are not just missing a trend; you are missing the format your customers prefer. This guide breaks down exactly how video marketing helps your business, with current data behind every claim, plus practical guidance on AI tools, platform choice, and measurement.
What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing means using video to promote your company, product, or service on digital channels. When you publish a product demo on social media, answer customer questions in a how-to video, share a customer testimonial, or run a live-streamed event, you are doing video marketing.
It works because it matches how people actually consume information. When Wyzowl asked consumers how they would most like to learn about a product or service in 2026, 63% chose a short video, far ahead of text articles (12%), infographics (7%), and webinars (4%). And 96% of people say they have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service. In other words, your audience is already watching; the question is whether they are watching you or your competitor.
Benefits of Video Marketing for Your Business
Below are the six biggest ways video marketing moves the needle, each backed by 2026 data rather than marketing folklore.
1) Higher Conversion Rates
Video shortens the distance between interest and purchase. In Wyzowl‘s 2026 survey, 85% of people said they had been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a video, and 80% had bought or downloaded an app after watching a demo video. For landing pages, product pages, and email campaigns, a well-placed video gives hesitant buyers the confidence that text alone often cannot.
2) Stronger Customer Connections
People connect with people, not paragraphs. Seeing a face, hearing a voice, and watching a product in action builds familiarity far faster than written copy, and it keeps viewers engaged longer. The demand is clearly there: 84% of consumers say they want to see more videos from brands in 2026, a figure that has stayed consistent for eight years. Businesses that publish regularly, from behind-the-scenes clips to founder stories, turn casual viewers into loyal followers, and brands with well-made video content tend to earn that loyalty faster.
3) Better Search Visibility and Web Traffic
Video keeps visitors on your pages longer and gives search engines positive engagement signals. In 2026, 82% of video marketers told Wyzowl that video had helped increase traffic to their website, and 82% said it kept visitors on their site longer. Embedding videos on key pages, optimizing video titles and descriptions with relevant keywords, and publishing on YouTube (the world’s second-largest search engine) all compound this effect. If you are already reaching customers through digital marketing, video is the format most likely to amplify those efforts.
4) Strong Return on Investment
Video costs time and money, so the ROI question is fair. The 2026 data is encouraging but worth reading honestly: 82% of marketers say video has given them a good ROI, which is a strong majority but a real drop from the all-time high of 93% in 2025. The takeaway is not that video stopped working; it is that competition for attention has intensified, so strategy matters more than ever. Supporting figures remain solid: 85% of video marketers say video helped generate leads, and 83% say it directly increased sales. Notably, 92% plan to spend the same or more on video in 2026, which tells you where experienced marketers are placing their bets.
5) Simpler Product Explanations
Some products are hard to explain in text. Explainer videos, whiteboard animations, and screen recordings compress complex ideas into a few clear minutes: 96% of consumers have watched an explainer video to learn about a product or service, and 93% of marketers say video increased their audience’s understanding of what they sell. This is especially powerful for software, technical equipment, and multi-step services, where showing beats telling. E-commerce brands in particular benefit, since product videos answer the questions shoppers would otherwise ask support; it is one of the smartest marketing goals behind setting up an ecommerce website to plan for from day one.
6) Greater Brand Awareness
Video is built for reach. Short, shareable clips travel across social feeds in ways text posts rarely do, putting your brand in front of cold audiences. In 2026, 93% of video marketers said video had increased their brand awareness. One caution from the same data: 89% of consumers say video quality affects their trust in a brand, so sloppy production can do more harm than good. You do not need a film crew for every clip, but clear audio, decent lighting, and a coherent message are non-negotiable.
The AI Effect on Video Marketing in 2026
The biggest change since this article was first published is artificial intelligence. In 2026, 63% of video marketers told Wyzowl they had used AI tools to help create or edit marketing videos, up from 51% a year earlier. AI now handles the tedious parts: generating captions, cutting highlights from long recordings, creating voiceovers, resizing one video for every platform, and even drafting scripts.
For small businesses, this is the most important development in years. The two biggest reasons companies avoid video, cost and lack of time, are exactly what AI tooling reduces. A founder can now record one straightforward video on a phone and turn it into a week’s worth of platform-ready content. The strategic advice for 2026: use AI to multiply your output, but keep a human in charge of the message, because audiences still reward authenticity over polish.
Choosing the Right Platforms
Not every platform deserves equal effort. Wyzowl‘s 2026 data shows a clear hierarchy. YouTube is both the most widely used platform (82% of video marketers) and the most effective (69%), making it the default home for evergreen content like tutorials and product demos. LinkedIn reaches 70% of video marketers and is the strongest choice for B2B, while Instagram (69%) and Facebook (66%) remain workhorses for consumer brands. TikTok is used by 40% but rated effective by only 29%, so treat it as an experiment, not a foundation, unless your audience clearly lives there.
A practical starting plan: publish searchable, evergreen videos on YouTube; share shorter cuts on one or two social platforms where your customers actually spend time; and use LinkedIn for thought leadership if you sell to businesses. Depth on two platforms beats thin presence on six.
Measuring What Matters
Video marketers measure ROI in different ways, and you should pick metrics that match your goal. In 2026, 67% quantified ROI through views, 63% through engagement (likes, shares, reposts), 52% through leads and clicks, 40% through customer retention, 36% through brand awareness, and 32% through bottom-line sales. A brand-awareness campaign should not be judged on direct sales, and a product launch should not be judged on views alone.
Two practical benchmarks from the data: most marketers (71%) find videos between 30 seconds and 2 minutes most effective, so front-load your message; and you do not need a huge budget, since 46% of marketers allocate a third of their marketing budget or less to video, and 59% create videos in-house. Start small, measure against one clear goal, and scale what works.
Get a Competitive Edge in Business Using Video Marketing
The evidence for video marketing in 2026 is about as clear as marketing evidence gets: 91% of businesses use it, 85% of consumers have bought after watching, and 84% want more of it. The businesses gaining an edge are not the ones with the biggest production budgets; they are the ones publishing consistently, using AI to keep output sustainable, choosing platforms deliberately, and measuring against real goals.
Start with one explainer video that answers your customers’ most common question, publish it where your audience already watches, and build from there. Once you are convinced of the business case, make sure you execute it well: our companion guide on brand video marketing dos and don’ts covers the production and strategy practices that separate videos that convert from videos that get ignored.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is video marketing?
Video marketing is the use of video content to promote a business, product, or service on digital channels such as YouTube, social media, and your own website. It includes product demos, explainer videos, testimonials, live streams, and short social clips.
How effective is video marketing in 2026?
Very. According to Wyzowl’s 2026 survey, 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, 82% of marketers report a good ROI, 85% say it generated leads, and 85% of consumers say a video has convinced them to buy a product or service.
How much does video marketing cost?
Less than most businesses assume. In 2026, 46% of marketers allocate a third of their marketing budget or less to video, 59% create videos in-house, and 63% use AI tools to cut production time and cost. A smartphone, decent lighting, and clear audio are enough to start.
Which platform is best for video marketing?
YouTube is the safest default: it is the most widely used platform (82% of video marketers) and rated the most effective (69%). Choose LinkedIn for B2B audiences, Instagram or Facebook for consumer brands, and treat TikTok as an experiment unless your audience is clearly there.
What is the ideal length for a marketing video?
Most marketers (71%) say videos between 30 seconds and 2 minutes are most effective. Put your key message in the first few seconds, since many viewers decide whether to keep watching almost immediately.
Do I need professional production for marketing videos?
Not necessarily, but quality matters: 89% of consumers say video quality affects their trust in a brand. Clear audio, good lighting, and a coherent message matter more than expensive equipment, and 59% of businesses now create their videos in-house.
