Video marketing is moving fast, and all too often, when brands feel they have caught up with the latest platform or format, everything seems to shift once again. The pace of change can be daunting.
What leading agencies understand is that staying ahead requires more than just following trends – it means anticipating them, figuring out what truly works and gets results, and crafting strategies that deliver.
This article examines the state of video marketing in 2025, looking at how we got here and what forward-thinking marketers can do to ensure that what consumers see on-screen gets the message across in a way that brings in real ROI.
The video content revolution
To understand the current situation, it’s important to understand how video marketing has transformed over the past few decades. For a long time, TV was the dominant medium, and video advertising was linear and very expensive. Audiences were passive, and the marketer or advertiser had little chance of getting feedback.
With the YouTube explosion in 2005, video became far more democratic and accessible – a shift that grew even stronger with the rise of smartphones and social platforms. Consumers were no longer just passive recipients – they were active participants. The all-conquering wave of short-form, user-generated content that is so familiar today took hold, and the shift forced brands to reimagine how they communicated.
The line between content and commerce has become harder to distinguish. Techniques such as shoppable video ads and native social selling tools enable customers to buy what they see, and to do so instantly. TikTok and Instagram are not just channels for discovery –
they’re storefronts. This is the tectonic shift that led us to where we are today.
How video has impacted marketing
Even talking about ‘video’ is misleading since it’s not really a format. It’s so diverse in its applications that it’s more useful to think of it as a framework for how consumers experience brand narratives. Video is less about interrupting the consumer – it works more subtly, integrating itself into the online experience.
The smartest brands incorporate this when building out their video strategies then executing on them. Part of this is designing video content that feels native to the platform it appears on, blending with ease and adding genuine value. This can be achieved by sharing helpful information, being inspirational, or simply entertaining people. In all cases, the content is more targeted and, in some cases, personal.
Production values have also shifted. Today, the move is from high-production polish to something that feels more authentic. So, user-generated content and testimonials, as well as behind-the-scenes footage, can often outperform more traditional commercials when it comes to engagement and conversion.
How cutting-edge marketers approach video today
We have moved far beyond the question of whether or not to use video. It’s a must. The question is more about how it’s used. Let’s look at this in more detail:
- Thinking of video as a funnel: The best video strategies are built with the customer journey in mind. So, content that sits at the top of the funnel could focus on brand storytelling, while the middle funnel is more about education (how-to’s, product explainers, and so on). At the bottom of the funnel, the content can be more direct, whether it’s comparison videos, user reviews, or offers. But each video must have a clear purpose and a performance metric. Like everything in marketing, it’s not about having more and more but ensuring you’re making the right ones for the right moment.
- Never stop testing: Major platforms are now rewarding experimentation. For example, TikTok’s algorithm doesn’t care about follower count but instead focuses on engagement. This approach creates a much more level playing field, allowing even small brands to go viral. Marketers are deploying A/B/C testing across formats, trying out different captions, music, and hooks with the goal of optimising conversion and retention.
- Don’t forget Search: Let’s not forget,YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, and TikTok is not far behind. This means video content needs to be optimised much in the same way written content is optimised, using keywords and good structure, and ensuring videos answer specific questions.
- Focus on emotion: B2B brands are increasingly making sure their video content resonates emotionally. The AI-powered communications platform Dialpad understood this when they spoofed common call frustrations that happen every day in the workplace. The video was entertaining, won a Webby Award, and got a lot of views. But more importantly, they were able to communicate their VoiceAI product’s capabilities in a way that resonated with their audience.
- Using AI: AI can be used across video strategies. This might take the form of generative AI scripts and automated editing. You can then use AI-powered insights into how the video has been received (drop-off rates, sentiment, and so on) to inform your next move. High-performing teams use this information to make data-driven decisions, scaling what works and changing what doesn’t. Data can now be used not only to measure performance but to help inform creative decisions.
Video by the numbers
Almost every brand is now using video marketing in some form. A recent report stated that 95% of marketers use it as a critical part of their strategy. Let’s break down the stats in more detail:
- 91% of businesses now use video as a core marketing tool.
- YouTube attracts 2.49 billion monthly users, about one-third of the global population.
- 84% of people say a brand’s video convinced them to buy a product or service.
- Live action is the most popular video format among marketers (54% use it).
- Digital video viewership surpassed TV for the first time in the US in 2022.
Using video today and tomorrow
In 2025, video marketing is less about super-high-quality production and more about deliberate strategy. The platforms may change, but the fundamentals stay the same: understand your audience, and deliver real value to them.
For brands to succeed, it’s important not to chase the algorithm but to build adaptable, insight-led systems that turn viewers into loyal customers. That means ensuring creative decisions are based on what has the highest chance of conversion. It’s also vital that the storytelling used in video content is easily searchable. People need to find it.
The digital world is noisy, but video is still the most compelling way to capture attention. From there, it’s about building trust and driving action. The difference between a brand that simply uses video and one that gets real results lies in strategy and execution.
And that’s precisely where the smartest marketers are focused now.
