Last updated October 26, 2026
Why businesses should explore video marketing
Video marketing helps a business get in front of buyers and give them a reason to trust it enough to buy. Ads, explainers, testimonials and demos all work for the same reason: video carries tone and pacing that text can’t.
According to Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing 2026, a survey of 266 respondents, 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool and 82% of marketers say video has given them a good ROI. That leaves roughly 1 in 5 not reporting a good return. In the same survey, 17% of marketers weren’t sure how much of their budget goes to video, which makes ROI hard to prove.
At the same time, video marketing now spans two production paths that used to be one: video shot with a camera, and video generated or edited with an AI tool. Both belong in a business’s marketing strategy, just at different stages. Wyzowl found 63% of video marketers have now used AI to create or edit video, up from 51% a year earlier.
Video also matters for a different reason than it did five years ago. Wyzowl found 63% of people would most like to learn about a product by watching a short video, ahead of every other format.
Benefits of video marketing for business
The benefits of video marketing for business show up in a handful of places:
- A promo video on a landing page lets you show a buyer what the product is and whether it fits.
- More than 8 in 10 video marketers told Wyzowl video increased dwell time on their pages.
- A video of the people behind a business explaining the product lets you put a face and voice to the brand.
- A 90-second explainer can cover what a page of product documentation can’t, especially for a workflow that’s easier to show than tell.
- One customer interview can become a testimonial post, several social cuts, a blog embed and a pull quote, lowering the cost per piece.
- How-to and troubleshooting videos answer questions before they become tickets; 57% of video marketers in Wyzowl’s survey say video reduced support queries.
Notably, none of these benefits require a large production budget. You just have to pick the right type for the goal, which is where a video strategy comes in.
How to build a video marketing strategy
A winning video marketing strategy used to start with assembling a crew or picking a tool. Now it starts with mapping video types to the funnel stage they're meant to move a buyer through.
Step 1: Map video types to the funnel
Every video on the content calendar should trace back to one row in this table. If you can't say which funnel stage a video serves, it isn't ready to script.
| Funnel stage | Strategic goal | Ideal video type | Key CTA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top of funnel (visibility) | Reach cold audiences and build brand awareness | Short social clips, search-driven explainer videos | Comment, repost, share, subscribe, follow |
| Middle of funnel (interest) | Educate and build authority with warm prospects | Tutorials, deep-dive explainers, live-streams | Get free trial, download lead magnet, ask questions |
| Bottom of funnel (conversion) | Close the sale and overcome objections | Customer testimonials, product demos, behind-the-scenes | Book a consultation or demo, sign up, upgrade |
Step 2: Set a single outcome for each video or set of videos
Before writing a script, define the single action you want the viewer to take: subscribe, download, book a call, buy. Research the exact questions and frustrations your audience searches for using a keyword tool and sales calls, then write a tight, outcomes-focused script built around answering that search intent directly.
Front-load the hook so viewers don’t scroll past. TikTok’s creative best practices advise introducing your content proposition in the first 3 seconds for better recall and awareness.
Step 3: Prioritize message clarity over fancy production
A clear message beats expensive production value. A smartphone with a clip-on mic and a clear point is enough to start.
For AI-generated segments, the same rule applies: aim for a precise, specific prompt instead of a long one, and keep shots consistent across the sequence. If you’re unsure where to start, our AI video prompting guide covers how to write prompts and includes 92 ready-to-use templates, including product demos and social formats.
Step 4: Edit in batches and measure what converts
Batch-edit multiple videos in one sitting instead of editing as you go to keep the workflow consistent and reduce time lost to context-switching between projects.
Look past engagement counts and track retention and click-through to the next step. Wyzowl’s 2026 survey found 67% of video marketers measure views, while only 32% track bottom-line sales. Vanity metrics don’t tell you whether the video moved someone toward a purchase.
A post with modest view counts but high CTA clicks is doing more for the business than one with wide reach and no follow-through. Run small experiments to determine the most effective styles and formats before investing fully.
Where to publish business video
Once you know what to measure, pick the channel where your audience already watches. According to Wyzowl’s State of Video Marketing 2026, YouTube is both the most used (82%) and the most effective (69%) video channel. LinkedIn shows the widest gap: 70% of video marketers use it, but only 50% rate it effective.
Instagram (69% used, 56% effective) and Facebook (68% used, 55% effective) sit in between, while TikTok trails at 40% used and 29% effective. Start with the channels most marketers both use and rate effective. On Wyzowl’s numbers, that’s YouTube.
Then match the cut to the channel. A longer horizontal explainer fits YouTube or your own website, while short vertical 9:16 cuts suit TikTok and Instagram. Caption every cut so viewers watching without sound can still follow it; TikTok’s ad guidance also recommends captions or text overlays to give a video context.
Common types of video marketing for business
Different goals call for different video marketing examples. A brand rarely needs all of these types at once, but most video marketing ideas fall into one of these categories:
- Explainer videos walk a first-time visitor through what a product does and why it matters, in a cut short enough to finish.
- Demo or product videos show the product in use, so buyers close to a decision can see it working.
- Testimonial videos put customer proof on camera. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 85% of consumers said positive reviews make them more likely to use a business.
- How-to videos teach a skill or process that aligns with the product, so the video doubles as marketing content and a support resource.
- Event and interview videos capture a moment or conversation that establishes a founder or subject-matter expert as a credible voice in the space.
- Animated and AI-generated videos cover concept ads and footage that would be costly or impossible to film, such as a product that doesn’t exist yet.
- User-generated content (UGC) comes from real customers or creators who film themselves informally, giving authentic-looking social proof with minimal staging.
The best video marketing strategies rotate through several of these types across a quarter as needs arise instead of committing to just one.
Where AI-generated video fits vs traditional filmed video
Here’s where to draw the line between AI-generated video and traditional production.
| AI-generated video | Traditionally-filmed video | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Concept ads, brand storytelling, b-roll, lip syncing, voice-overs, product visualization before a physical sample exists | Testimonials, interviews, live events, anything that absolutely requires a real person's likeness or voice |
| Speed | Faster turnaround, with no crew or location needed | Depends on crew, scheduling and location |
| Cost profile | Typically lower marginal cost per variant than a reshoot, useful for testing multiple concepts | Typically higher fixed cost per shoot than AI generation, lower cost for long-run reuse of one asset |
| Where it falls short | Testimonials and interviews, where authenticity is the point | Rapid iteration on concept or spec ads, where reshoots are expensive |
A business launching a new product with no finished packaging yet can generate a product scene before a sample exists. A business collecting customer testimonials still needs a camera. The two paths cover different jobs in the same marketing and advertising plan.
An example of an AI-first studio in practice
[Ai]magination is the AI-first creative agency Frédéric Raillard launched under the Fred & Farid brand. Raillard says the studio put out a spec ad for Nike that Fox Entertainment liked enough to bring it onto its roster of partners producing show trailers with Runway.
As Raillard put it, “Using Runway was the moment when we really got it – that we could absolutely do our job while avoiding traditional shootings.”
Video marketing tools and what they’re best for
Video marketing tools fall into five categories, and most businesses need more than one. Common examples in each category:
| Category | Job it does | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Filming and editing | Record, cut or format screen recordings, remote interviews and finished cuts | CapCut, Adobe Premiere, Canva, Loom, Riverside |
| AI-generated video | Create concept ads, brand storytelling and b-roll from a prompt | Runway, Google Veo, Kling, Seedance, Pika |
| AI avatar and explainer | Turn a script into a presenter-led video without filming a person | Runway, Synthesia, HeyGen |
| Distribution and hosting | Publish and host finished video | YouTube, Vimeo, Wistia |
| Analytics | Measure retention, click-through and conversion | Native platform video performance analytics, Vidyard |
A business making its first concept ad can skip the film crew and the avatar generator and start with a tool built for marketing and distribution work.
Use each approach where it fits. Film the testimonials and interviews that need a real person on camera. Then use AI generation for b-roll and the visual variations that would otherwise mean reshooting the same scene five ways.
Which video tools do you actually need?
The right stack depends on team size. For example:
- Solopreneurs and small businesses can film on a phone and edit in CapCut, then use an AI video generator for shots they can’t film.
- Agencies and marketing teams edit in Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro and use Runway for fixing shots and generating b-roll. YouTube hosts and tracks.
- Large enterprises edit in Adobe Premiere Pro and run campaign videos across markets and platforms through Runway, adding an avatar tool for localized training content.
Frequently asked questions
What is video marketing for business?
Video marketing for business is the use of video to promote a brand and drive purchases, using ads, demos, testimonials and explainers. It spans traditionally filmed footage and AI-generated video, and many teams now use both depending on the type of content and how fast it needs to ship.
Can AI-generated video look professional enough for brand marketing?
Yes, for the right use cases. AI-generated video works well for concept ads and b-roll, where the goal is a polished visual with no specific person in it. It’s a weaker fit for testimonials or interviews because the audience expects to see a real customer or team member on camera, though it does well with lip syncing.
What's the difference between AI-generated and AI-edited video tools?
AI-generated video tools like Runway create new footage from a text prompt or reference image or video, with no camera involved. AI-editing tools take footage you’ve already filmed and speed up cutting and captioning. Businesses without finished footage need generation tools, and those with a backlog of raw clips need editing tools.
How much does video marketing cost for a small business?
Cost depends on the mix of filmed and AI-generated content. A single smartphone-shot or remote testimonial with natural light can cost close to nothing beyond time and coordination effort. AI-generated concept ads run on credits rather than a crew day rate, so testing several concepts can cost less than reshooting live footage.
Which platform is best for video marketing?
YouTube is the most used and the highest rated video channel: in Wyzowl’s survey, 82% of video marketers use it and 69% rate it effective. Still, the best platform is the one where your audience already watches, so start there and cut for that channel’s format.
Related: Corporate video production guide | Generative AI for marketing | AI UGC ad examples
