The HubSpot Blog‘s 2024 Video Marketing Report [Data from 500+ Video Marketers]

Video continues to dominate the digital landscape, with the average person predicted to spend a whopping 115 minutes per day watching online videos in 2024. For marketers, the growth of video represents a massive opportunity. But to capture audience attention in an increasingly crowded and competitive space, you need a solid video marketing strategy backed by data and best practices.

To uncover the latest video marketing trends and insights, we surveyed over 500 professional video marketers. This report will dive into our findings and deliver actionable recommendations for supercharging your video marketing results in 2024 and beyond. Get ready to level-up your video strategy as we reveal:

• Benchmark data on video length, formats and performance
• The most popular and effective video types and storylines
• Secrets for distributing videos and growing your reach
• Examples of cutting-edge video campaigns you can learn from
• Predictions on the future of video from industry experts

Whether you‘re just getting started with video or consider yourself a video veteran, this report has valuable insights you can apply to your own video efforts. Let‘s dive into the current state of video marketing.

Video Marketing in 2024: Key Takeaways

• 92% of marketers say video is an important part of their marketing strategy, up from 78% in 2021
• The average business publishes 17 videos per month
• 87% of video marketers say video has a positive ROI, and 78% say it has a higher ROI compared to other marketing content
• The top 3 goals for video are increasing brand awareness, generating leads, and driving product education
• Short-form video continues to rise, with 68% of videos being under 60 seconds long
• TikTok is the leading channel for ROI, followed by Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts
• ‘How-to‘ and ‘behind-the-scenes‘ are the most popular and effective video types

Video is no longer just one component of a wider marketing plan. For many businesses, it is central to their outreach and campaign efforts. And with good reason – 87% of video marketers say video delivers a strong ROI, and over 3 out of 4 say that ROI is higher compared to other formats like text and images.

Audiences are hungry for video content and the bar continues to rise in terms of quality, creativity and entertainment value. Let‘s look at how marketers are meeting those demands and driving real business results with video.

Top Video Marketing Strategies & Formats

When it comes to video formats, short is sweet. 68% of business videos are less than 60 seconds long, compared to just 56% in 2021. This reflects the explosive growth of short-form video platforms like TikTok and the rise of ‘snackable‘ content consumption. However, long-form is not dead; 32% of videos are over 3 minutes long, indicating there is still demand for meatier video content.

The most popular video types are:

1. Explainers and how-tos (72%) – Videos that teach the audience something, often related to your product
2. Behind-the-scenes (58%) – Videos that give a peek into your company culture or processes
3. Interviews and Q&As (48%) – Videos featuring conversations with thought leaders or team members
4. Product demos and reviews (42%) – Videos showcasing how your product works and its benefits
5. User-generated content (36%) – Videos created by your users/customers, often for contests or testimonials

Successful video content educates, entertains, and/or inspires its target audience. The key is knowing what storylines will resonate with your specific audience.

Some popular video storylines include:

• Day in the life – Follow an employee or customer through a typical day
• Problem-solution – Illustrate a problem your audience faces and how to solve it
• Hero‘s journey – Show a character overcoming obstacles to achieve a goal
• Surprising stats – Hook viewers with fascinating data points related to your industry
• Myth-busting – Debunk common misconceptions or assumptions

The most engaging videos typically incorporate multiple storylines and video types. For example, you could have a how-to video teaching a skill that incorporates user-generated examples and surprising stats. Experiment with different formats and narratives to see what works best for your brand and audience.

Video Distribution & Promotion Tips

Creating an awesome video is only half the battle. To drive views and engagement, you need to be strategic about where and how you publish it. Most marketers take a multi-channel approach, sharing their videos across multiple platforms to maximize reach.

The most popular channels for video marketing are:

1. TikTok (78%)
2. Instagram – feed posts and Reels (74%)
3. YouTube (67%)
4. LinkedIn (52%)
5. Facebook (46%)

Short-form video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels are seeing the biggest growth and highest engagement rates. In fact, our survey found that TikTok delivers the best ROI of any social channel, followed closely by Instagram.

To optimize your videos for each channel, pay attention to ideal video lengths, dimensions, and features. For example, while a 30-second vertical video would perform well on TikTok or Reels, a 3-minute landscape video is better suited to YouTube.

Your distribution strategy should be a mix of organic and paid promotion. On the organic side, optimize your titles, descriptions and hashtags for search, and engage with comments to boost the algorithm. You can also embed videos in blog posts, landing pages and emails to drive views from your existing audience.

On the paid side, most social channels offer video ad formats to help you expand your reach and target specific audience segments. According to our survey, 68% of video marketers say paid ads are effective for lead generation compared to organic posting.

Lastly, don‘t forget about earned media. Encourage your audience to share your videos and consider doing influencer partnerships to tap into new audiences. User-generated video contests can be an effective way to drive shares and attract new eyeballs to your brand.

Viral Video Secrets & Best Practices

Every marketer dreams of creating a viral video hit, but virality is more art than science. That said, there are some common elements among videos that inspire massive shares and engagement:

1. Elicits an emotional reaction – Videos that make people laugh, cry, or say "wow!" get shared more
2. Features a relatable storyline – Audiences engage more with tales and characters they identify with
3. Includes an element of surprise – Videos with unexpected twists or information spark intrigue
4. Offers clear value – The best videos are entertaining and educational, teaching the viewer something new
5. Has high production values – Polished editing, graphics and sound create a strong brand impression

The first 3-5 seconds are crucial for hooking the viewer. Use an intriguing opening image or statement that compels people to keep watching. Consider adding text overlays or captions, as many people view social media videos with the sound off.

Close your video with a clear call-to-action encouraging viewers to like, comment, share and/or visit a link to learn more. Use YouTube cards and end screens, Instagram swipe-ups, and TikTok link stickers to drive traffic from your videos.

Optimize your posting times for when your audience is most active online. For many brands, this means publishing in the evenings or on weekends. Also take advantage of trending hashtags, sounds and filters on platforms like TikTok and Reels to increase your video‘s discoverability.

Video Marketing Examples to Be Inspired By

To help you brainstorm your next video campaign, here are some examples of brands pushing the boundaries of video marketing:

• Starbucks‘ "What‘s Your Name?" series on YouTube shares inspiring stories of customers from diverse backgrounds, supporting the company‘s commitment to inclusivity.

• Adobe‘s "Create Your Story" TikTok contest encourages users to share videos about their creative journeys for a chance to win prizes and be featured on Adobe‘s channels. The videos are a creative way to showcase Adobe‘s products being used by real people.

• Mailchimp‘s "Bloom Season" mockumentary series spoofs the docuseries genre to highlight the challenges of running a small business. The humorous, episodic videos position Mailchimp as the go-to marketing platform for SMBs.

• Peloton‘s "Stories" video series shares emotional tales of how Peloton has impacted real customers‘ lives. By spotlighting actual users, the videos inspire trust and encourage new customers to imagine how Peloton would fit into their own lifestyle.

Draw inspiration from these examples and think about how you can spotlight your customers, offer an entertaining twist on a popular video trend, or use video to reinforce your brand values. When brainstorming video ideas, always put your target audience first and aim to create videos that will leave them feeling entertained, inspired and enlightened.

The Future of Video Marketing

Video‘s dominance in the marketing world shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, 78% of marketers predict video will become even more important to their business in the next 5-10 years.

Emerging technologies like interactive video, AR/VR, and AI will enable even more creative and immersive video experiences. We can expect videos to become more personalized, with brands using data to serve up customized video content in real-time.

Shoppable videos, which allow viewers to make purchases without leaving the video, are expected to explode in popularity as social commerce continues to grow. And with the rise of 5G, videos will load faster and stream more smoothly, opening up more mobile marketing opportunities.

To future-proof your video strategy, stay on top of the latest trends and be willing to experiment with new formats and technologies as they emerge. But don‘t forget the fundamentals – no matter what video looks like in the future, storytelling is still king. The brands that win will be those that understand their audience and use video to authentically connect with them.

As video continues to eat up more of our collective attention, it‘s crucial for marketers to treat it as a central part of their strategy rather than an add-on. By leveraging the insights and inspiration in this report, you‘ll be poised to create thumb-stopping video content that delights your audience and drives real business impact. Now get out there and press record!