It’s no secret that video is becoming a staple in innovative brands’ marketing strategies and quickly overtaking all other forms of content across social media. The sheer number of available formats for video marketing illustrates the point well (think YouTube shorts, Instagram Reels and Facebook Stories, to name a few).

On top of this, 93% of social media marketers who use video say it’s a vital component of their social media video strategy. Even more so if the video is short-form, which consumers find 2.5 times more engaging than long-form video. However, despite being a vital component, video is still widely underutilized across major social media networks.

In this article, we’ll share video marketing statistics and data like this from the Sprout Social Index™, Social Media Trends and other reputable sources to help you make sense of the true value video offers.

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Social media video marketing statistics

Anyone who’s scrolled through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter recently knows that videos play a major part in your experience with these social media networks. Video has been a buzzword in marketing for years, and today brands are using it to carve out devoted followings on social media. Did you know users will retain 95% of a message watched on video as opposed to only 10% read in text?

Whether you’re creating a viral video, loyal to static image posts or you’re totally new to video, understanding the video landscape can help you determine how, when and why to use this type of visual content.

Knowing your target audience and the networks they frequent will help you with video content ideas.

  1. More than 54% of marketers say that video is the most valuable content type for achieving social media marketing goals.
  2. Yet video is also the most underutilized format across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, comprising 14%*, 11% and 5% of each network’s content respectively.
  3. 93% of companies have acquired new customer(s) via social media video.
Graphic showing percentage breakdown of content marketers find most important for social media goals
  1. 26% of marketers state that Stories are the most valuable type of social content.
  2. 25% of marketers say live video is the most valuable type of social content.
  3. Half of social media users prefer video over other types of content.
  4. 35% of all North American B2C marketers use live video.
  5. 58% of viewers will watch the entirety of a business’ video if it’s less than 60 seconds long.

  1. So, length of content matters. Consumers consider short-form videos to be 2.5 times more engaging than long-form videos.
  2. 66% of consumers report short-form video to be the most engaging type of social media content in 2022, up from 50% in 2020.
Graphic of most engaging types of in-feed social media content
  1. 37% of social media users find live video to be the most engaging.
  2. 24% of users find long-form video the most engaging.

What this means for your social media marketing video strategy

We’ve already established the benefits of video, but the data indicates that brands are still struggling to make video a regular feature of their social media content calendars. If you want to stand out on social and diversify your social media strategy with video in 2023, pepper in a few Reels or pencil in a plan to activate your Stories. Be consistent, track your performance and experiment to see what resonates with your audience.

Facebook video statistics

Over the past few years, Facebook has expanded its suite of video options. Today, the Watch tab allows users to view and engage with focused video content. Stories offer a chance for brands to connect and interact with their audience. And Facebook Live allows brands to host live events, give a peak behind the scenes or engage in real time with their audiences. The following statistics highlight the many opportunities for social media marketers to optimize their Facebook video strategies.

  1. The vast majority (85%) of Facebook videos are watched without sound.
  2. Facebook Watch attracts upward of 1.2 billion users per month.
  3. 62% of users report increased interest in a product after viewing a related Facebook video.
  4. Facebook users are four times more likely to watch Facebook Live videos than pre-recorded videos.
  5. Live video on Facebook attracts a higher average engagement rate (1.59%) than pre-recorded video on the platform (0.92%).
  6. 300 million people use Facebook Stories every day.
  7. 80% of Facebook Stories that have sound or voice-overs drive better lower funnel results.
  8. 62% of users said they’ve become more interested in a product or brand after seeing it in Stories, according to a survey of over 18,000 people across Facebook’s family of apps (Facebook Stories, Instagram Stories, Messenger Stories and WhatsApp Status).
  9. 31% of social media users said in that survey that in the future, they will be even more likely to use Stories to connect with the brands they like.

What this means for your Facebook video marketing strategy

Facebook Live continues to be an opportunity for engagement, but many marketers aren’t taking advantage of it yet. If you’re looking for a place to start, consider broadcasting to a small, targeted audience first to gauge the response. Take what you learn and expand from there. Be sure to track your Facebook video metrics. These will show you how your videos are performing and help to inform your strategy.

Instagram video statistics

Like Facebook, Instagram delivers many opportunities for video marketing, which gives busy social media marketers a great deal of choice about where they show up with their Instagram content. But it can also be overwhelming for those less experienced with the medium. The following social media video stats shed light on where brands should be spending their time when it comes to Instagram.

  1. 91% of users watch videos on Instagram weekly.
  2. 43% of social media users watch Instagram Stories more than other types of video content on the network.
  3. 73% of businesses report acquiring new customers from an Instagram Story.
  4. Instagram videos that are around 26 seconds long receive the most comments.
  5. Half of users say they have visited a brand’s website to purchase a product or service after seeing it featured in Stories.

 

  1. 43% of US social media users aged 18–34 watched Instagram Live in 2021, second only to YouTube, with 45% watching that live service.
  2. Instagram reel’s reach in accounts with up to 500 followers is a whopping 892%, whereas the reach of images in the same accounts is only 77%.

What this means for your Instagram video marketing strategy

With Stories, Live streams, Reels and in-feed videos, Instagram offers a variety of options for social media marketers to consider. However, with so many available video options, the key is not to pigeonhole your brand into using only one. Provide value by using videos across the network to find your ideal audience regardless of the tab they frequent the most.

Twitter video statistics

As anyone who has ever scrolled through their Twitter feed knows, video is integral to the network’s appeal. Whether it’s a glossy brand announcement, a blockbuster movie trailer or a recording of your neighbors’ kid snuggling their cocker spaniel, Twitter users engage with videos more than any other content type. This list offers insights into how social media marketers can jump on the bandwagon and use Twitter effectively.

  1. Tweets with video get 5 times more replies, 2.8 times more retweets and 1.9 times more likes.
  2. Tweets with a video get 10 times more engagement than those without video.

  1. Videos on Twitter that showcase positive human interactions or desire for a product increase overall response by 40%.
  2. Videos that convey their core message in the first three seconds of an ad see a 13% increase in overall breakthrough metrics.
  3. Twitter videos that don’t require sound to be understood(with closed captions or text overlays) gain 28% more view time and 1.8 times the return on investment.
  4. 15-second Twitter video ads garner three times higher completion rates compared to 30-second video ads.
  5. Twitter’s first view gets 1.4 times more view time than competitor’s platforms.

What this means for your Twitter video marketing strategy

While not all of your videos should be product-focused, these Twitter video marketing statistics do showcase that users are not opposed to a sales message when it’s delivered through a well-crafted video. Of course, your brand’s specific mix of entertaining, educational and product-centric content will depend largely on your industry’s standards and your audience’s preferences. But, as you define that blend, consider sprinkling in a few Twitter videos that highlight your products in a positive way.

YouTube video statistics

As the second-largest search engine (behind Google), YouTube is more than just a network where you can watch dog videos after work. YouTube allows brands to showcase their unique value propositions in an engaging way. But because video is the only kind of content supported, it can also be a bit resource-intensive for many marketing teams. These next few statistics lay out some insights to help brands optimize their time on YouTube.

  1. 74% of consumers use YouTube.
  2. More than 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.
  3. Users are twice as likely to buy something if they saw it in a YouTube video.
  4. 75% of users report that YouTube makes them more aware of new brands.
  5. 70% of users say they bought a product after seeing it on YouTube.
  6. Social media users are four times more likely to use YouTube to research a brand, service or product than other platforms.
  7. In 2021, YouTube Shorts hit 15 billion global daily views.
  8. 47% of social media users follow brands on YouTube.
  9. 41% of social media users want brands to post on YouTube more often.

What this means for your YouTube video marketing strategy

YouTube is where consumers are going to learn more about your brand—what you stand for, what you do and how you do it. And those users are clamoring for more video content from the brands they follow. This presents a major opportunity for businesses that aren’t already active to jump in. Or for those who have only tested out YouTube to consistently promote their video ideas.

You can no longer afford not to use social video to promote your brand  

As is clear from these social media video marketing statistics, social video is the thing of the now.

Consumers are asking brands for more video presence, and you must give it to them. With so many choices for how to present your brand via video available, you’re sure to find a good fit for you and your audience. Sprout’s Social Media Content Calendar tools can help you plan your social video across platforms and will even determine the Optimal Send Times for you with ViralPost®.

An important first step is to develop clear goals for your social media video strategy so that you have benchmarks to measure against as you track your progress.

If you’re looking for a starting point, download our social media video metrics and ideas cheat sheet. In it, you’ll find recommended indicators to track along each stage of the marketing funnel, content ideas and relevant examples from brands that are winning with social video.