Why video marketing dominates in 2026, and what it means for your business
How much explaining does your business need to do before somebody is ready to enquire?
Perhaps customers struggle to picture the finished result. They might be unsure about what happens at an appointment, or need help understanding a service before they can judge whether it is worth paying for.
Video gives you a way to show them. The latest marketing research makes a strong case for using it more consistently in 2026, with short-form video leading marketers’ reported returns and consumers continuing to favour video when learning about products and services.
Quick summary
Video marketing can help your prospects understand what you offer and feel more confident about buying. Short videos are particularly useful for introducing a subject, while demonstrations and customer stories can support a more considered decision. For your business, the priority is choosing subjects that matter to customers and using the footage throughout your marketing, with a clear route from watching to enquiring.
Short-form video suits how people research
In Wyzowl’s 2026 research, 63% of respondents said they would most like to learn about a product or service by watching a short video.
HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing findings also place short-form video first among formats delivering the highest return on investment, cited by 49% of marketers.
For a small business, this gives you a useful starting point. Think about a question you answer regularly. Could you explain it clearly in a short clip, perhaps with footage showing what you mean?
A kitchen company could demonstrate how a particular storage solution works. An accountant could explain what a new client needs to prepare before their first meeting. These are subjects with a reason to watch, even for someone who has never heard of your business.
Recommendation: keep each clip focused enough that the viewer gets the answer they came for.
Video helps people decide whether to buy
Wyzowl’s research also found that 85% of respondents had been convinced to buy a product or service after watching a video.
That finding makes sense when you consider what can hold up a purchase. A description may leave someone wondering how a product works in practice. A service page might explain the process but give them little sense of the people they will be dealing with.
A demonstration or introduction can fill those gaps.
On a landing page, choose footage that helps with the decision that particular visitor is making. Someone considering a home renovation may want to see a completed project and hear about the experience of living through the work. They probably do not need a general company montage.
The page still needs a clear offer and an obvious next step. Measure whether adding video improves enquiries, rather than assuming that more views mean more sales.
Recommendation: measure the business impact of your video content and whether it is helping your prospects along your pipeline.
Platforms look at whether people keep watching
YouTube’s guidance on recommendations explains that its systems consider whether people choose to watch, stay engaged and feel satisfied afterwards.
This makes the opening of your video particularly important. Get to the subject promptly and give people a reason to continue. A lengthy logo animation uses up time before you have answered anything.
Video can also give website visitors a reason to spend longer exploring a service. In Wyzowl’s survey, 82% of video marketers said it had helped keep visitors on their website longer. That is a reported benefit, rather than a guaranteed increase of a particular size.
Google also has specific requirements for video search visibility. Publishing a video creates another opportunity to be discovered, but it needs to be accessible and properly presented.
Recommendation: follow the guidance and recommendations of the platforms the video will appear on to ensure maximum visibility and the best watching experience.
Customers can see who they would be dealing with
For service businesses, the person delivering the work is often part of the buying decision.
A prospective customer can hear how you explain something, see your work and get a sense of what dealing with your team might be like. This can be especially useful when the service involves inviting someone into their home or discussing something personal.
Professional filming has a role where you need a considered introduction or a detailed project film. Customer-recorded footage and informal clips can add another perspective, provided they are shared with permission.
Give customer stories room to be specific. What were they concerned about before choosing you? What happened during the work? An account in their own words gives a prospect more to judge than a general claim about excellent service.
Recommendation: your videos shouldn’t just be factual, but should also give a feel, sense and inside view on what it is like to work with you, buy from you and how the product / service will impact them.
B2B buyers are watching too
LinkedIn reported a 36% year-on-year increase in video viewing in June 2025. That predates this year, but helps explain why video is receiving more attention in B2B marketing.
A professional audience still needs clear explanations. An adviser could walk through a financial concept, while a manufacturer could show how a component performs in use.
For complex services, the first video may simply help a buyer understand enough to ask a better question. Detailed written information can then support the next stage of their research.
Recommendation: for B2B businesses, consider whether your USPs, processes, brand, and service values etc. could all be communicated better through video, rather than words alone.
AI makes production easier to manage
AI tools can help produce captions, edit footage and turn longer recordings into shorter clips. Wistia’s video workflow guidance shows how these tasks can be brought into a more efficient production process.
That can make it more practical to use one recording across several parts of your marketing. A customer interview might supply a website film and shorter extracts for social posts.
Someone still needs to choose a worthwhile subject, ask useful questions and check the finished material. Your experience of customers should shape the message.
This fits with our approach to multimodal marketing, where different formats help prospects build a fuller understanding of your business.
Recommendation: use AI to make the production process as efficient as possible.
Where could video help your customers?
Look at the questions that come up before an enquiry, particularly those that are easier to answer by showing something.
Choose one, decide where the video will be used and establish what you want the viewer to do next. Once it is published, review whether it helps attract suitable enquiries or move existing prospects towards a decision.
At Growth by Design, we plan video production as part of your wider marketing. If you would like help deciding what to film and how to use it, get in touch with our team.
📞 01444 810530
📧 connect@growth-by-design.co.uk
Frequently asked questions about video marketing
What is video marketing?
Video marketing uses filmed or animated content to help people discover your business, understand an offer or decide whether to buy. It can include product demonstrations, customer interviews and explanations of how a service works. The subject and format should suit the audience you want to reach.
Why is video marketing important in 2026?
Current research shows strong consumer interest in video and places short-form video at the top of marketers’ reported returns by content format. It gives businesses a practical way to explain their work and show evidence of what they offer. Its value depends on how well it supports your customers’ decisions.
How long should a marketing video be?
Use the time needed to answer the question clearly. A short social clip might introduce one point, while a demonstration or customer interview may need several minutes. Review where viewers stop watching to see whether the length and structure are working.
Does video marketing work for small businesses?
It can, particularly when customers need to see your work or understand a service before enquiring. Start with a subject that comes up regularly in customer conversations. A useful first video does not need to cover everything your business does.
Do all business videos need professional filming?
No. A well-recorded phone clip can suit an informal update or a straightforward explanation. Professional filming may be more appropriate for a main website introduction, customer interview or detailed project film. Clear sound and enough light matter whichever approach you use.
Can video improve landing page conversions?
It can help if it answers a question or concern that affects the buying decision. A relevant demonstration may make an offer easier to understand, but results vary. Track enquiries or purchases before and after the change, and use a controlled comparison where practical.
Does adding video improve Google rankings?
Adding a video does not guarantee a higher ranking. Google has specific requirements for discovering and indexing videos, including how they are presented on the page. Use video where it helps the visitor, and follow the relevant technical guidance if you want it to appear in video results.
Is video suitable for B2B and financial services?
Yes. It can explain a complex subject, demonstrate a process or introduce the person a client would work with. Keep explanations accurate and provide access to fuller information where needed. A brief introduction should leave the viewer able to understand the next step.
How can AI help with video marketing?
AI can assist with tasks such as transcription, captioning and editing, reducing some of the work involved in preparing footage for different uses. Check the output before publishing, especially names, figures and technical terms. The subject and message still need to reflect your business accurately.
How should we measure video marketing results?
Choose measures that relate to the video’s purpose. Viewing and completion data help assess whether people watch, while website visits and qualified enquiries show whether they take the next step. Where possible, connect those enquiries to sales so you can judge the return against production and distribution costs.