11 Video Marketing Trends To Help Grow Your Brand in 2023

Reading Time: 12 min

By Mark Horiuchi

Everyone loves video content. In fact, you might have paused a video to read this very blog.

In today’s marketing landscape, nothing captures attention and drives engagement quite like video content. A recent survey found that 91% of consumers want brands to produce more online videos in 2023, and 95% of marketers say video has helped boost brand awareness. Content creators who invest in video can be confident that this remains a key strategy to attract customers and drive conversions.

That said, technology and consumer behavior are constantly evolving, and what people want out of video content is evolving along with them. To help stay ahead of the curve, you should stay up-to-date on the latest trends in video marketing. Here are 11 of the most important video marketing trends to help grow your brand in 2023 – and beyond. 

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

• Modern video marketing trends like smartphone filmmaking and AI-generated videos make professional video production accessible without expensive equipment or training.
• Optimizing video content for key platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram is crucial for reaching target audiences based on user preferences and platform algorithms.
• An effective video marketing strategy requires identifying your target audience, establishing a brand voice, setting a realistic budget, and iterating based on performance data and user feedback.

1. User-friendly Video Production

Producing professional videos can be daunting for first-time content creators and businesses. The 30% that don’t use video marketing say they lack time to create videos, and 10% say it’s too expensive. However, with user-friendly tools now readily available, businesses can produce high-quality video content without the need for professional crews or complicated editing software.

You might have one of these tools in your pocket right now — your smartphone. Equipped with high resolution image sensors and stabilizers, today’s smartphones are transforming content creation. From high-budget TV ads to 30-second TikTok videos, smartphone filmmaking is now the go-to choice for creators who want quality and convenience.

Marketers are embracing user-friendly video editing software as an accessible and efficient solution for video production. New editing tools like Visla feature intuitive interfaces, drag-and-drop functionality, soundtracks, and even artificial intelligence tools to simplify the video editing process. 70% of marketers who don’t use video marketing plan to start in 2023, and these tools can help you get started.  

Tip for Marketers: If you’re filming with a smartphone, smartphone gimbals and tripods can help you shoot smoother, more stable videos. 

2. Accessibility 

In 2023, making your videos accessible is crucial. With over 5% of the global population experiencing hearing loss and 3.5% living with vision impairment, inclusive content isn’t just considerate — it’s necessary. Consider the following accessibility features to ensure your video content can be experienced by all: 

• Closed Captions: Captioning offers a transcription of dialogue, background noises, and speaker identification, helping viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Subtitles: Catering to those who can hear but may not understand the audio, subtitles provide a text version of the spoken dialogue. This can be vital for viewers who don’t speak the language.
• Audio Descriptions: For viewers with vision impairments, audio descriptions detail the on-screen action to enhance understanding.

Incorporating accessibility features into video content isn’t just the right thing to do, it can boost performance as well. A study conducted by Verizon revealed that people are more likely to watch a video to the end if it has subtitles. 

If you’re ready to adopt accessibility features into your video strategy but are unsure where to start, auto transcription tools make generating captions and subtitles easy. 

Tip for Marketers: The Web Accessibility Initiative offers a free online resource to help content creators produce accessible video and audio content for the web. 

3. Product Demos and Explainer Videos

Product demos and explainer videos are quickly gaining popularity as companies look for new ways to market their products to online shoppers. Retail e-commerce sales are expected to reach $511.8 billion in 2023, up from $360 billion in 2021. As more people turn to online shopping, businesses need new ways to demonstrate how their products work without face-to-face interaction. 

That’s where product demos and explainer videos come in. 

A Wyzowl survey found that 96% of consumers have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service, and 89% say watching a video has convinced them to make a purchase. Businesses can tap into this trend by posting product demos on social media, product pages, and video-sharing platforms. 

Tip for Marketers: Take note of your customers’ frequently asked questions to identify features they want to learn more about. 

4. Screen Recording

With remote work exploding in 2020, businesses were driven to find new avenues for creating video content without studios or high-end equipment. Screen recording emerged as a powerful solution. As platforms like Zoom and Google Meet became ubiquitous, a trend was born: 27% of full-time paid workdays were conducted from home at the start of 2023.

Screen recording tools have now become essential in various applications. Many companies, especially SaaS (software-as-a-service) firms, leverage them to craft internal training videos, product demonstrations, meeting summaries, and more, all from the comfort of home. Screen recording is quick, easy, and, most importantly, cost effective. 

Tip for Marketers: Working with a SaaS company? Screen recording can be used to create compelling, contemporary product demos and how-to videos. 

5. AI-Assisted Video Creation

Generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology has made massive strides in the past few years. If you’re a marketer, or have been online at all, you’ve likely heard of AI tools like ChatGPT and Jasper that generate detailed text responses based on user prompts. But did you know that the next frontier is AI video creation? 

AI-powered video editing tools are hitting the market to help content creators produce polished videos with less effort. To use these tools, creators can input a script or video idea, and the generator will create a completed video based on their input. 

Though still new, these tools have the potential to change the way marketers approach video production and make the video editing process more accessible for everyone. 

Tip for Marketers: If you’re new to AI-powered video, try it out for free with Visla’s AI Video Generator. 

6. Live Streaming 

During the pandemic, live video took off as people turned to online platforms for education, entertainment, and social connection. Live streaming viewership has increased by 29% since 2019, and it’s not slowing down any time soon. Consumers rely on live streaming to attend conferences, connect with brands, and tune in for live events in real-time, all from their computer or mobile device. 

Live streaming provides a unique opportunity to connect with consumers and build engagement for your brand. Facebook revealed that live videos generate six times as many interactions as pre-recorded videos. The average viewer also watches live videos for 27% longer than on-demand videos. 

Despite its popularity, only 36% of marketers have published live video content on social media channels. This presents an opportunity for you to explore live video and leverage its potential to generate audience engagement.  

Tip for Marketers: Use live streaming to broadcast events or announce new products.  

7. User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is a rising trend in video marketing, where customers themselves craft brand-centric content. This can range from unboxing videos and product reviews to testimonials or even selfies flaunting new products. It’s authentic, engaging, and making waves on social media platforms.

If you’ve spent time on TikTok or Instagram, you’ve likely seen influencers talking about new products they’re trying. Research shows that consumers are 2.4 times more likely to believe UGC is more authentic compared to brand-created content, and 79% say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. 

Companies can’t make UGC themselves — people can tell when it’s faked. However, brands can partner with loyal customers, industry experts, or social media influencers to get people talking about their products. 

For example, Adobe’s The Art Makers: How Did They Do That? series featured digital artists from around the world who provided weekly tutorials using Adobe’s Creative Cloud apps. This campaign leaned on the artists’ credibility to inspire other digital artists to check out Adobe products. 

While Adobe worked with professionals to execute this campaign, UGC doesn’t have to be complicated. Even something as straightforward as a well-placed product review can build brand trust. It’s a simple yet effective tool in modern video marketing.

Tip for Marketers: Brands can use TikTok’s Creator Marketplace to partner with influencers who can help promote their products and services. 

8. Short-Form Vertical Videos 

Social media platforms are continuously releasing products that favor short-form video consumption. Features like YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels attract users looking for quick and entertaining content. 

If you scroll through TikTok, you likely won’t see many videos over a minute long. Reports show that one in four top-performing videos on TikTok falls into the optimal range of 21 to 34 seconds. 

What does this mean for businesses? Short-form videos should be part of your toolkit if you’ve invested in a video marketing strategy. Shorter videos not only have higher levels of engagement, but are compatible with multiple social media platforms. For example, a creator can share a simple 30-second vertical video on TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, and Youtube shorts. That means more eyes on their content with fairly little effort. 

Tip for marketers: Though it can be tempting to repurpose existing long-form video content into short-form videos, it’s best to film these from scratch. This format demands snappy scripts and snappier editing. 

9. Social Media Stories

In 2013, Snapchat introduced the Stories feature. This allowed users to post ephemeral photos and videos to their profile that would vanish after 24 hours, creating a sense of immediacy and being in the present. Now, platforms like Instagram and Facebook have their own versions, and these fleeting Stories have become a permanent fixture in the ever-changing social media landscape.

Over 500 million people view Instagram stories daily, and marketers are taking notice. Many brands find Stories features perfect for sharing company announcements and real-time updates with customers. These are typically more informal than ads or product videos, so they don’t require high production budgets. 

Tip for Marketers: Use Stories features for time-sensitive announcements you don’t want your followers to miss. 

10. Educational Videos

Consumers are getting better at ignoring ads. 42.7% of internet users use ad blockers, and plenty pay extra for streaming services with ad-free experiences. Fortunately, video ads are far from the only way to get people talking about your brand. 

Videos that educate provide the perfect opportunity to connect with users who have developed a distaste for traditional advertising. A study by Techsmith found that 52% of people reported watching at least two informational videos each week, and most internet users prefer video over text when learning about a new topic.

We’re seeing brands take advantage of this trend by posting how-to and other informational videos on topics their customers care about. By creating valuable content that focuses on audiences’ needs, brands build trust and position themselves as thought leaders in their industries.

Tip for Marketers: Conduct audience research to identify users’ pain points and common questions. Then, make how-to or educational videos related to the topics they’re interested in to boost engagement and position your brand as an industry expert. 

11. Silent Videos

Believe it or not, silent videos are making a comeback. LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook autoplay videos on silent to create a less disruptive user experience. Users can then tap a button to unmute these videos, but many choose not to. A Verizon and Publicis Media study found that 69% of people watch videos with the sound off in public places, and 25% watch without sound in their homes. That number is even higher among mobile users.  

This doesn’t mean you should stop adding sound to your videos. Instead, consider adding detailed captions or transcripts so viewers can absorb the message of your video without having to hit that unmute button.

Tip for Marketers: Try using an auto-transcription tool to generate captions for your videos quickly.  

How to Create a Video Marketing Strategy

Creating a video marketing strategy from scratch can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re new to the game. But don’t worry. If you keep the trends we just covered in mind and pay attention to these following tips, you’ll be on the right track to creating excellent video content.

1. Develop a consistent brand voice. Think about the tone and message you want your videos to convey, promoting brand recognition by keeping them consistent. You should craft a unified brand voice across all of your marketing channels, across written or video content.
2. Get to know your audience. Identify the topics and platforms your target audience prefers. This will guide your strategy and help you reach the right viewers.
3. Consider your budget. Your budget will influence everything from the filming equipment you use to the types of videos you can create. Before committing to a content schedule, make sure it aligns with your budget. That said, don’t be discouraged if you don’t have a large budget to commit to video. Affordable video tools and platforms like TikTok and Youtube have made it easier than ever to create quality, low-cost content. 
4. Be flexible. If videos underperform, reassess your strategy and make necessary changes. Taking user feedback seriously fosters trust.

Spending on video marketing is expected to reach $135 billion by 2026. As we look ahead, video marketing will continue to lead as one of the best ways to engage with audiences and build brand recognition. 

If you’re ready to create your own videos but aren’t sure where to start, check out our video storytelling platform to quickly and efficiently create professional-looking videos.  

Article Sources: Wyzowl | World Health Organization | AFB | Forbes | Forbes | NY Times | Insider Intelligence | Facebook | Conviva | Business Wire | Wired | Statista | Hootsuite | TechSmith |