Leveraging video content in your brand’s social strategy is more important than ever. It’s an excellent way to drive engagement and brand awareness while humanising your brand and building a deeper connection with your audience.
Whether it’s short and snappy trend-based clips, user-generated videos, or more in-depth product tutorials, videos can help you cut through the noise and capture potential customers’ attention.
Data shows online videos have an audience reach of 92% among internet users worldwide, making video content one of the most influential marketing tools. This is because video content is both highly engaging and easily digestible, capturing attention quickly and conveying messages more effectively.
Video consumption is also soaring globally, with social media users spending an average of 100 minutes watching online videos per day. The growth can be attributed to several factors, including the evolution of video-sharing platforms and increased accessibility to high-speed internet. People can spend hours scrolling through videos on platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, so it’s only natural that brands are weaving video content into their marketing strategies to stay relevant and meet consumers where they already are.
In this blog post, we explain why videos play an integral role in marketing and how to leverage them to their full potential. We’ve also compiled some engaging video ideas to try if you run out of ideas.
What’s in this article:
- The growth of video content
- Leveraging videos in your marketing strategy
- Top video content ideas for marketing
- Key takeaways
The growth of video content
Short videos are taking over - and fast. From TikTok to Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, bite-sized content is dominating feeds and changing how we scroll. With average attention spans down to just eight seconds, users want quick, entertaining videos that deliver value in a flash. Social media’s shifted - and short-form is now the star of the show.
Not only are internet users preferring video content, algorithms prioritise it as well. Because videos drive user engagement, algorithms are also pushing this content at the top of people’s feeds, trying to make users stay on the page and scroll through for as long as possible. This gives video content a higher chance of getting seen, shared and engaged with, ultimately boosting your brand's visibility and reach.
Videos are also more memorable. Data reveals that audiences retain 85% more of a message they saw in a video compared to one delivered through text - making videos great for storytelling and brand awareness.
The best part is that creating showstopping video content has never been easier. Thanks to better tech, faster internet, and simple editing apps, anyone can create scroll-stopping content - no big budget or fancy gear needed. These days, a smartphone and a dose of authenticity go much further than a glossy, over-produced video.
Leveraging videos in your marketing strategy
Surveys have revealed that 92% of businesses are happy with the return on investment of their video marketing strategy and a further nine in ten also leverage video as a key marketing tool. With such strong results, it’s no surprise that 60% of companies are planning to invest more in videos going forward. So if your brand isn’t tapping into the power of video yet, now’s the time to start. The demand is only growing, and the earlier you adapt, the sooner you’ll see the impact on your social media engagement and growth.
Start by doing a bit of homework. Find out where your audience hangs out and tailor your content to match. Want to reach Gen Z? TikTok’s your playground - think fun, trending short-form clips. Targeting 18–24s? Instagram Reels could be where it’s at. And if your audience is 25-34, YouTube’s your best bet. Right platform, right content - that’s the magic formula.
While it may take some time to come up with video content ideas and create them, the good thing is that videos can easily be repurposed. A single video can be adapted for multiple platforms with small changes - for example, a longer how-to video for YouTube can be trimmed down and repurposed on TikTok or Instagram. This not only saves you time and effort but also maximises the reach of your content and creates a more cohesive presence across your social channels.
Remember to optimise your videos to give them the best chance of driving engagement. Make sure to use any relevant captions and hashtags, and create strong thumbnails. If you want to include music in the background, consider using trending sounds, as these are often favoured by algorithms, so they’re more likely to appear on users’ feeds.
Platform algorithms also love consistency. Posting regularly indicates that you're an active creator, which can help build momentum and boost your content’s visibility. Once you have more videos posted, you can also track performance to see what works and what doesn’t. Simple metrics to monitor include views, shares, comments and watch time.
Top video content ideas for marketing
Now that you understand the power of video and how to use it strategically, it’s time to get creative. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refresh your content, here are some effective video ideas that can help you boost brand awareness and connect with your audience.
How-to
How-to videos provide step-by-step instructions on how to do something, whether that’s how to use your company’s product, how to solve common problems or offer practical tips related to your industry. How-to videos are great because they tap into user intent, as people often turn to video platforms for quick tutorials and solutions. They’re also good for keeping attention, as viewers generally watch more than two-thirds of the way through for videos under five minutes.
Behind-the-scenes
Behind-the-scenes videos are great for connecting with your audience as they pull back the curtain and allow viewers to get a glimpse of how your product is made or how your team works. You can demonstrate the processes that go into creating your product, showcase any events or even candid office moments.
Day in the life
These videos offer an authentic look into the everyday routines, successes and hurdles faced by your team members or leadership. Day in the life videos can humanise your brand and showcase your company culture by inviting viewers into your world rather than promoting a product or service to them. These videos should be kept light-hearted and fun to maintain relatability.
Q&A’s
Question and answer content works extremely well as it gives the audience a chance to participate by asking questions that they are genuinely interested in. Giving the answers via a video format rather than a text based response provides a more personal touch and allows viewers to really relate to your brand.
Pack an order
‘Pack an order with me’ videos are really popular online, as they’re usually aesthetically pleasing and showcase the effort that the team put into each order. During packaging, you can also talk about the company’s story or address any common questions.
Unboxing
Unboxing videos are great because you can include your customers in the videos. In these user-generated videos, you can ask your customers to record themselves unboxing the product to showcase first impressions. When potential customers see someone else receive and enjoy your product, it can influence them to also buy the product.
Trend-based videos
You can break away from your more serious and professional content by jumping on funny, viral trends. These trends often revolve around popular audio clips, viral songs or fun challenges. Trends gain lots of traction which means they’re great for maximising reach as they’re more likely to appear on users’ feeds.
Sneak peeks and teasers
Sneak peeks and teaser videos can build anticipation and excitement around upcoming product launches or events. These videos give your audience an exciting glimpse of what’s to come, sparking curiosity and keeping them engaged while they wait for the full reveal.
Key takeaways
- With an audience reach of 92%, video content is essential for modern marketing. Not only are internet users preferring videos, but algorithms do too, so it’s important for brands to leverage this in their strategies to boost reach and engagement.
- Videos are more memorable. Audiences retain 85% more of a message they saw in a video compared to one delivered through text, making videos great for storytelling and brand awareness.
- Video content offers a great return on investment. This is why 60% of companies are planning to invest more in videos going forward.
- To get the best results, brands should research their target audience to determine what type of videos to produce. Remember to also optimise and repurpose content, and post regularly to build momentum and show to algorithms that you’re an active creator.
- Top video ideas for marketing include how-to, behind-the-scenes and day in the life videos. Brands can also include their customers with user-generated unboxing videos and invite them to send over their questions on Q&A videos. Jumping on social media or pop culture trends can also boost your visibility.
Interested in incorporating video content in your marketing strategy? Get in touch for a quick chat with our senior team.
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