Key Video Content Marketing Stats for 2019

By Raflin Sarkisyan on February 15, 2019

 

Video content marketing has grown exponentially in the last year. To save you a few hours of research, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite stats.

We all know that video content marketing is a channel on the rise. Investment is pouring in, while the deluge of clips being uploaded to the web’s various platforms is almost hard to escape.

But where is this growth coming from? Why is it happening? And if you’re only just getting started with video content, are there any clues that can help you along the way?

To save you a few hours of research, we’ve condensed some of our favorite video content marketing stats from around the world. Sit back, pour yourself a coffee, and let’s take a look at the figures behind the growth.

The rise (and rise) and video content marketing

Video is fast becoming the number-one choice for content marketers. Here are the main reasons why it can’t stay away from their radar:

  • The majority of business pros (69%) now have a video content marketing strategy (HighQ).
  • The average business publishes 18 videos per month to their channels (HubSpot).
  • 69% of B2C companies increased their use of video content between 2017 - 2018 (CMI).
  • In 2019, most businesses (87%) were found to be using video as a marketing tool, up from 63% in 2017 (Wyzowl).
  • Nearly half (43%) of businesses would increase their investment in video if the resources were there (Renderforest).Chart revealing trend in usage of video content marketing

In summary: Video is on the rise and especially when looking at the difference between 2018 and 2017. Greater adoption seems to be impacting the average number of videos being published by our businesses, which is now at over four per week. This increased volume will lead to huge competition for audiences. Thankfully, there are plenty of eyeballs to go around.

Consumer popularity

Video is one of the most popular forms of content among online audiences. Here are some of the facts to support its inclusion in any marketing plan:

  • Consumers list video as their favorite type of branded content (HubSpot).
  • 65% of 18-24-year-olds name video as the format they’d most like to see more of (HubSpot).
  • Half of YouTube subscribers will abandon what they’re doing to view a new upload by their favorite accounts (Google).
  • Videos are “consumed thoroughly” by 62% of audiences, above news articles (61%), social photos (48%) and podcasts (22%) (HubSpot).

Graph showing attention spans around digital contentIn summary: Our video content marketing stats reveal sense in gearing your strategy around a younger audience. Though viewers of all ages can appreciate engaging, entertaining content, you’re most likely to generate interest around your clips by targeting the 18-24 demographic. When it comes to channels, a big consideration for anyone looking to seed their video content through YouTube is to think about the bigger picture with regards to building a community. Once you are valued by your audience, it will be much easier to gain their attention.

Social media

Social networks like Facebook and YouTube have been cited as key drivers of growth across video content marketing. Our favorite stats around these platforms reveal the following:

  • Facebook users watch 100 million hours of video every day (TechCrunch).
  • YouTube reaches more 18+ viewers than any cable TV network (Google).
  • Facebook is where most people go to watch videos, above YouTube, Netflix and Instagram (HubSpot).
  • Snapchat gains 10 billion views of content on its platform every day (Snapchat).
  • Tweets featuring videos attract 10X more engagement than standard posts (Twitter).

In summary: Social networks have been a huge driver of interest around video - their instant sharing capabilities allowing anyone to push content out to a potential audience of billions. The key for broadcasters and content owners will be to invest in solutions that allow this to be done quickly and efficiently to capitalize on key moments and events.

Reasons for avoiding video content marketing

Even digital marketing mainstays like search advertising have their detractors. It’s important to realize why people don’t invest in video content in the same way it’s important to see why they do. Through this, we can appreciate the places where things need to improve. According to a survey from Wyzowl, the most popular reasons for not getting involved with video are:

  • A lack of free time to get started (23%)
  • Don’t know where to start (21%)
  • Unclear about ROI (14%)
  • Unable to convince key decision makers (5%)

In summary: For the most part, it seems that the unconverted are lacking guidance. They need a specialist in the format to devise a plan that can work for their unique business and provide a valuable ROI. The same study also showed that 74% of the people who weren’t using the channel would be exploring it in 2019, so help could be on the way.

Consumer preferences

If you’re producing content of any kind, you’ll need to satisfy your audience. Don’t jump in without testing the waters - listen to what the viewers are saying:

  • 73% of consumers prefer content that entertains, above the formats being funny (70%), informative (61%) and inspiring (47%) (HubSpot).
  • Two-thirds of consumers favor videos lasting under 60 seconds (Insivia).
  • Over half of viewers (56%) routinely skip ads within video content (Adroit Digital).
  • 72% of millennials try to avoid turning their phone to watch a video (AdNews).

In summary: Here come the millennials; influencing our marketing strategies; causing us to make square videos, just so they don’t have to turn their phones. Unfortunately, these groups tend to represent a big audience for anyone producing online video, so you have to be able to cater for them. It’s also interesting to see a big uptake in entertaining videos - over those that inspire - and a requirement for shorter clips. Perhaps this is a sign of the mobile effect...

Mobile growth

Mobile viewership is definitely on the rise. Video content marketers should remember these stats when planning their strategies for 2019 and beyond:

  • The consumption of video and audio accounted for 89% of mobile data traffic in 2018 (Deloitte).
  • Daily mobile video usage increased by 10 million minutes between 2016-2018 (Mary Meeker).
  • Two-thirds of consumers watch videos on YouTube at the same time as the TV (Google).
  • 90% of video views on Twitter are from mobile devices (Twitter).
  • Half of all video plays are from a mobile device (Adelie Studios).

In summary: Mobile and video appear to be representing a match made in heaven. Our consumers have been given the power of being able to watch videos on the go, and marketers would be wise to ensure that at least some of their clips are optimized for these devices. Through a short, sharp delivery, they can be sure of a good audience on platforms like YouTube and Twitter.

Video tips

Getting into video content marketing is easy, but success is by no means assured. You need to look into trends around the channel, like the ones below, before you can start mapping everything out:

  • 43% of B2C companies name pre-produced video as their most successful piece of content marketing (CMA).
  • 33% of viewers will stop watching a video that hasn’t engaged them after 30 seconds (JPL)
  • 85% of videos on Facebook - the most popular video platform - are watched without sound (Digiday).
  • 1-15 seconds is the optimal length for a video ad (Adroit Digital)

In summary: Consumer behavior can shift at an alarming rate. From the video content marketing stats above, we’re seeing a trend in audio-less viewing, and the lack of interest in clips that don’t immediately strike a chord. A more direct approach is also advised with ads that feature among video content, where 1-15 seconds is the preferred length. Another interesting fact is that many brands are looking to repurpose their old footage rather than creating something new each time. Perhaps this will represent a key strategy for more businesses in the future.

Connect your video with viewers, everywhere.