The Top Video Marketing Tactics Brands are Investing In [+Which Are Losing Steam]

Video marketing is becoming more and more integral to a brand's success. If you're a marketer trying to craft the best video marketing strategy for your brand, it helps to know the top video marketing tactics brands are investing their time and money in.

Fortunately, the HubSpot Blog recently surveyed over 500 marketers across the globe about their video marketing tactics, what seems to be working, and which tactics are worth reconsidering.

Most Used Video Marketing Tactics

Here is a breakdown of the kinds of videos and platforms marketers are continuing to leverage and why:

Short-Form Video

In our survey, we found short-form video leads in usage with it being leveraged by 58% of marketers. Short-form videos also lead on ROI, engagement, and lead generation. Nearly half (46%) of marketers will plan to use short-form videos for the first time in 2022 and 36% will invest in short-form videos more than any other format.

These numbers aren't surprising when you consider short-form videos are more likely to go viral, according to 47% of video marketers. With HubSpot's Clip Creator, you can create an engaging short-form video in just a few minutes. 

Long-Form Video

Long-form videos come in second when it comes to usage with 37% of marketers leveraging the format. This format also places second in terms of ROI, lead generation, and engagement. According to our survey, 36% of marketers plan to leverage long-form videos for the first time in 2022, and 18% will invest in the format more than any other kind of video.

The optimal length of a long-form video is between three to six minutes, according to 36% of marketers. Even platforms like TikTok are starting to embrace long-form videos, in fact, the app is now allowing 10-minute videos. This could be because long-form videos still receive significant engagement.

In our survey, we found 38% of long-form marketing videos have an average watch percentage between 41% and 60%. We also found 25% of long-form videos have an average watch time between 61% and 80%. Finally, 22% have an average watch time between 21% and 40%.

Video Marketing on Social Media

Social media is the top channel used to share marketing video, with it being used by 76% of marketers in our survey. It also has the biggest ROI by far, according to 67% of marketers who use it. Our survey revealed 66% of marketers also say it's the most effective for generating leads. We also found 63% of marketers will use social media for the first time in 2022, and 61% will invest more in sharing videos on social media than any other channel.

Regarding specific social media platforms, Instagram is the top platform for ROI, lead generation, and engagement. According to our survey, 42% of marketers who don’t use Instagram for sharing videos will do so for the first time in 2022, and 24% will invest more into sharing videos on the platform than any other.

Facebook is also a common tool for marketers with 60% of those in our survey sharing videos on the platform. However, Facebook also comes in fourth place for ROI, engagement, and lead generation. We found 35% of marketers will invest in videos on Facebook for the first time in 2022.

Coming in second place in terms of engagement is TikTok, however, only 35% marketers share videos on the platform and 20% plan on doing so for the first time in 2022.

Video Marketing on YouTube

YouTube has the highest usage among marketers with 70% leveraging the platform. It will also see the most investment from video marketers in 2022. Over half the marketers who do not use YouTube will do so for the first time in 2022, according to our survey.

No matter which tactic you choose to leverage for your brand, it's important to remember the most important factors when creating effective video content, according the marketers we surveyed are:

• Adequately promoting your video
• Capturing viewers’ attention in the first few seconds
• Keeping your videos short/concise

Least Used Video Marketing Tactics

Here are the platforms, formats, and concepts that seem to be losing steam among marketers.

Reddit, Tumblr, Twitch, Snapchat, and Pinterest

While social media plays a vital role in video marketing, not every platform ensures success. Marketers told us Reddit, Tumblr, Twitch, Snapchat, and Pinterest have not provided favorable ROI or engagement when it comes to marketing videos, therefore these platforms will likely see the least investment from video marketers in 2022.

Nostalgic Content and UGC

Despite the resurgence of TV shows, films, and music trends rooted in nostalgia, marketers say nostalgic content consistently underperforms in terms of engagement, ROI, and lead generation.

We found similar findings when we asked marketers about user-generated content (UGC). Our survey found just 19% of video marketers will leverage nostalgic content in 2022 for the first time and only 3% will use UGC.

Screen-Capture video

Screen-capture videos have the lowest ROI when compared to other video styles like live action and animation. They are also much less effective in generating leads and engagement, according to our survey. With that said, 52% of video marketers plan on leveraging screen-capture video for the first time in 2022, and 21% plan to invest in this video style more than any other.

Video content is continuing to gain importance as more and more platforms prioritize video sharing. Now that you know what investments are working for marketers—and which aren't—you can begin brainstorming the best video marketing campaign that will ensure success for your brand.