Are you embracing videos yet as part of your strategy? If you aren’t, you’re missing out on proven content marketing gold – Katrina Bell explains how to go about it.
It’s official – video content is hands-down the most effective mode of communication on social media, and the blockbuster format isn’t slowing down anytime soon.
At the root of it is how we humans process information – visual stories simply stick in our minds better than text or static images. We are also more readily able to instinctively experience and share the requisite emotions via video. For instance, excitement about an upcoming event will be instantly more powerful if a familiar face tells us straight to camera than a press release we have to trudge through.
The social space is clearly skewed towards video and that is why you should be too. It is also very fast moving and it can feel sometimes that the social apps are fiddling under the bonnet for the perfect algorithm week by week. Because they are.
The other strong upside is that you can create video with a relatively low investment both in terms of kit and time, so your return on investment ratio is going to look nicely balanced. Add in that video editing apps are 10-a-penny – the most popular currently is Canva – and you can get a free or team trial in seconds. From there give the templates a run out and your confidence levels will soar. It’s truly Simple/Stupid and has integrations with apps like MailChimp, GenQR and Microsoft Powerpoint. CanvaPro starts at £100 a year.
The icing on the cake is that ‘explainer videos’ are the most popular video marketing type in 2025, are favored by 73% of video marketers, according to Wyzowl. So that could be a starting point for your brand.
So here’s the landscape today...
1. Facebook
If Reels, Facebook’s 90-second video product, feels like a sandwich without any filling that’s because it is. The app decides which ones you see rather than on Insta where it will be your followers that experience your content. Generally disliked by everyone due to content being randomly cut short.
It’s a fudge between Insta and Facebook. Same owners, slightly different metrics. They are exhausting how much attention they require for no return.
2. YouTube
YouTube is now rolling out Shorts to combat the giant UGC monster that is TikTok. The format is vertical short-form, ie, less than 3 minutes. YouTube has 2.53billion monthly active users – a number that is making the streaming services very nervous. SproutSocial’s latest report says that 47% of YouTube users interact with brands at least once a week and 32% engage daily.
3. LinkedIn
Newsletters now come with an option to embed video.
4. TikTok
Mid-form video (up to 3 minutes) is getting a boost in the algorithm, just like on Threads and Insta. This platform still remains highly reactive to trends and not the easiest for B2B and B2B corporate marketing as the audience is a younger demographic and highly changeable.
5. Bluesky
Just added support for mid-form videos in the same vein as YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels. For context, the UK represents only 6.97% of its 34.6m users, so currently it’s still an add-on app rather than a priority for your socials.
6. Instagram
Between posts, Reels, Stories, and Live videos, the answer is go video or go home. You can edit within the app, add music and even effects.
