7 Video Marketing Trends That Will Define 2026

Updated: Oct 15, 2026

Video marketing is changing fast. Businesses are producing more videos, audiences expect more relevant content, and marketing teams need to get more value from every production.

In 2026, creating a video and uploading it to social media is no longer a complete strategy. Businesses need to think about what they want to achieve, who they want to reach, where the video will appear, and how they will measure its results.

Artificial intelligence is making video production more accessible. Short-form and vertical videos are changing how brands reach new audiences. Personalized content is helping businesses speak to different customer groups, while educational videos, product demonstrations, and webinars are supporting the entire customer journey.

At the same time, businesses are paying more attention to authenticity, accessibility, and the return they get from their video marketing budgets.

This guide explores seven video marketing trends shaping 2026, explains why they matter, and shows how businesses can apply them to their own strategies.

Why Video Marketing Matters in 2026

Video helps businesses explain products, demonstrate services, share customer experiences, and build relationships with their audiences.

It can make complicated information easier to understand and give potential customers a clearer idea of what a business offers.

Recent research from Wistia highlights how important video has become for marketing teams. Its 2026 State of Video Report surveyed more than 900 professionals and analyzed over 13 million videos, representing 79 million hours of viewing data.

The report found that video demand continues to grow, while many companies are keeping their budgets steady. It also identified educational videos, product videos, social videos, and webinars as important formats for businesses.

LinkedIn has also become a major channel for B2B video. In Wistia’s research, eight in ten teams identified LinkedIn as their primary place to share B2B videos.

These findings suggest that businesses need to make thoughtful decisions about what they produce, where they distribute it, and how they measure its performance.

The following trends offer a practical starting point.

1. Short-Form and Vertical Video Will Remain Important

Short-form video continues to play a major role in social media marketing. Platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts give businesses ways to introduce products, share ideas, and reach audiences through brief videos.

Vertical video is also important because many people watch content on mobile devices.

However, short-form video is not simply a long video cut into smaller pieces. It needs a clear purpose, a strong opening, and a message that works within the available time.

Why short-form video matters

Short videos can help businesses:

• Introduce a product or service quickly.
• Answer common customer questions.
• Share useful tips and educational content.
• Highlight customer experiences.
• Promote longer videos, webinars, or articles.
• Test different messages and creative approaches.

A short video can also make a useful introduction to a more detailed piece of content. For example, a company can publish a brief tip on social media and direct interested viewers to a full tutorial.

How to create better short-form videos

Start with one clear idea. Avoid trying to explain an entire service or product in a single short clip.

Capture attention early by showing the problem, asking a relevant question, or presenting an interesting result. Use captions so viewers can follow the message without sound.

Plan the video for its intended platform. A vertical video should be framed for mobile viewing, with the subject and important visual details positioned safely within the frame.

Businesses should also create platform-specific versions instead of publishing the same edit everywhere without considering audience expectations.

Plan vertical video during production

Vertical video should be considered before filming begins.

If a company plans to publish on YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, and TikTok, the production team should decide which shots need horizontal, vertical, or multiple versions.

This can reduce the need for awkward cropping and help the final videos feel natural on each platform.

The goal is not to make every video short. It is to select the format that best serves the audience and the message.

2. AI Will Become a Bigger Part of Video Production

Artificial intelligence is changing how businesses plan, create, edit, and distribute video content.

AI tools can help with research, script development, captions, editing, voiceovers, translation, and content repurposing. Some tools can also generate visual assets or create video variations for different audiences.

This makes video production more accessible to businesses with limited time or resources.

However, AI is not a replacement for a clear strategy, good storytelling, or professional judgment.

How businesses can use AI in video marketing

Ideation and scripting

AI can help generate video concepts, organize ideas, develop outlines, and turn existing information into script drafts.

A business can use it to explore different ways to explain a product or answer customer questions.

Editing and repurposing

AI-assisted tools can identify sections of longer videos that may work as short clips. They can also help generate captions, remove pauses, and prepare content for different formats.

The quality of the original video still matters. Turning a weak recording into several short clips does not automatically make those clips useful.

Captions and localization

AI can help create subtitles, translate scripts, and produce dubbed versions of videos.

This can make content more accessible to audiences who speak different languages. Human review remains important because automated translations and captions can contain errors.

Personalized video versions

Businesses can use AI-assisted workflows to adapt messaging for different industries, customer groups, or stages of the buying process.

For example, a software company might create separate versions of a product demonstration for small businesses and enterprise buyers.

What the research says about AI video

Wistia’s AI Video Marketing Trends report surveyed more than 500 marketers.

The report found that 51% of respondents used AI for video ideation and scripting, 85% said videos with AI elements performed better, and 49% of companies had a dedicated AI budget.

These are survey findings, not a guarantee that AI will improve every video’s performance. They indicate growing interest in AI-assisted video workflows, but results will depend on the content, audience, and implementation.

Keep human creativity in the process

AI can support production, but businesses still need people to review the work.

Human involvement is especially important for:

• Brand voice and messaging.
• Accuracy and factual claims.
• Emotional storytelling.
• Visual quality and consistency.
• Privacy and permission.
• Ethical use of synthetic voices, faces, and footage.

3. Creator Content, UGC, and Authentic Storytelling Will Matter More

Audiences see a large amount of polished advertising every day. Many businesses are looking for ways to make their content feel more personal, relatable, and trustworthy.

Creator content and user-generated content (UGC) can help brands show real experiences rather than relying only on traditional advertising.

UGC refers to content created by customers or users. Creator content may come from influencers, industry experts, employees, or professional content creators working with a brand.

These formats can include customer testimonials, product demonstrations, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and everyday product experiences.

Why businesses use creator and customer content

Creator and customer videos can help businesses:

• Show products in real situations.
• Answer questions through personal experiences.
• Demonstrate how a service works.
• Introduce different perspectives.
• Create content for social media.
• Build a stronger connection with potential customers.

For example, a skincare company might work with a creator to demonstrate how a product fits into a routine. A home renovation company might share a customer’s experience of a completed project.

The value comes from making the content relevant and credible, not simply from using an informal camera style.

How to make authentic video content

Give the person on camera a clear topic and useful guidance, but avoid forcing every sentence into a rigid advertising script.

Use real customer experiences where possible. Obtain permission before filming or publishing customer footage, and make paid partnerships clear.

Professional production can still support authentic storytelling. Good lighting, clear audio, thoughtful editing, and a natural performance can work together.

The objective is to make the message feel genuine while maintaining the quality expected from the brand.

Authenticity should be supported by evidence

Businesses should not invent testimonials, exaggerate customer results, or present actors as real customers.

A believable story needs to reflect an actual experience. When a video includes performance claims, those claims should be accurate and supported.

4. Personalized Video Will Help Brands Reach Different Audiences

Personalization is becoming an important part of video marketing.

A single message may not work equally well for every customer. People have different needs, budgets, interests, and reasons for considering a product or service.

Personalized video allows businesses to adapt their messaging to different audience groups.

This does not mean every viewer needs a completely different video. Businesses can start by creating a few relevant versions of the same core content.

What personalized video looks like

A business might create:

• Product demonstrations for different industries.
• Service videos for different customer types.
• Localized versions for different regions.
• Videos addressing different customer problems.
• Separate messages for new and existing customers.
• Follow-up videos based on a customer’s previous interaction.

For example, a video production company could create one version of a service introduction for a small business and another for a larger marketing team.

The core service remains the same, but the examples, language, and benefits can change.

How AI supports personalization

AI can help marketers adapt scripts, create alternate versions, translate content, and organize video assets for different audiences.

However, personalization should be based on useful audience information rather than assumptions.

Businesses should also respect privacy, obtain appropriate consent, and avoid using personal information in ways customers would not expect.

Personalization should improve relevance

Creating more versions of a video does not automatically improve results.

The purpose is to make the content more relevant to the viewer. Businesses should test different versions and compare meaningful outcomes, such as engagement, qualified leads, or conversions.

5. Video Series and Content Repurposing Will Support Consistent Marketing

One-off videos can help a business announce a product or explain a service. A consistent video series can give audiences a reason to return.

At the same time, businesses are looking for ways to get more value from each production project.

Video series and content repurposing address both needs.

Create a recognizable video series

A video series focuses on a recurring topic, format, or audience need.

Examples include:

• Weekly industry tips.
• Customer success stories.
• Product demonstrations.
• Expert interviews.
• Frequently asked questions.
• Behind-the-scenes videos.
• Educational tutorials.

A series gives the audience a clear idea of what to expect. Consistent visual branding, a recognizable format, and a regular publishing schedule can help make the content easier to follow.

Short episodes can also be organized into playlists so viewers can continue watching related videos.

Repurpose one production into multiple assets

A single production project can create several useful pieces of content.

For example, a company filming a customer interview could produce:

1. A full-length customer story.
2. Short clips highlighting specific challenges.
3. A quote-based social video.
4. A website testimonial.
5. A short video answering a common customer question.
6. A longer educational article supported by the interview.

This approach helps businesses use their production resources more efficiently.

However, repurposing should not mean uploading identical videos everywhere. Each version should fit the platform, audience, and purpose.

Build a searchable video library

Businesses can also treat their video content as a long-term resource.

Organize videos by topic, audience, service, and customer journey stage. Keep track of the original footage, approved edits, captions, and related assets.

This makes it easier to find and reuse content when a new campaign, product launch, or customer question creates a need.

AI-assisted transcription, tagging, and clip creation can help with this process.

The goal is to build a useful library of content rather than repeatedly starting from zero.

6. Video Will Play a Bigger Role Across the Customer Journey

Video marketing is not limited to brand awareness.

Businesses can use different video formats to introduce their brand, explain their products, answer questions, support purchasing decisions, and help customers after a sale.

A video strategy should reflect the customer’s journey instead of focusing only on views and social engagement.

Video for awareness

At the awareness stage, people may not know the business or understand what it offers.

Useful formats include:

• Short-form social videos.
• Educational clips.
• Brand films.
• Industry commentary.
• Creator content.
• Behind-the-scenes videos.

These videos should introduce a relevant idea or problem and give viewers a reason to learn more.

Video for consideration

At this stage, people are comparing options and looking for more information.

Useful formats include:

• Product demonstrations.
• Explainer videos.
• Customer testimonials.
• Expert interviews.
• Webinars.
• Case studies.

These videos should answer questions, explain differences, and help people understand how a product or service works.

Video for conversion

When someone is close to making a decision, video can help address remaining concerns.

Useful formats include:

• Detailed product demonstrations.
• Customer success stories.
• Service walkthroughs.
• Comparison videos.
• Frequently asked question videos.

The video should provide useful information and make the next step clear.

Video for retention

Video can also support existing customers.

Businesses can create onboarding tutorials, product training, troubleshooting guides, and educational content that helps customers get more value from their purchase.

These videos may not attract large public audiences, but they can support customer experience and reduce repeated support questions.

Webinars and educational videos remain useful

Wistia’s 2026 State of Video Report identifies educational videos, product videos, social videos, and webinars as important formats for businesses.

Webinars can be especially useful when a topic requires a detailed explanation or audience interaction.

A live webinar can also become an on-demand resource. Businesses can repurpose sections into short clips, educational posts, and follow-up content.

This gives one event a longer useful life.

Match the format to the objective

Not every business needs every video format.

A local service business may benefit from customer stories, educational videos, and service demonstrations. A software company may need product walkthroughs, webinars, and onboarding content.

The right mix depends on the audience, business goals, budget, and available resources.

7. Interactive and Shoppable Video Will Create More Direct Experiences

Traditional video asks viewers to watch. Interactive video gives them ways to take part.

Interactive elements can help audiences explore information, answer questions, or move toward a relevant next step.

Shoppable video takes this further by connecting product content with shopping actions.

What is interactive video?

Interactive video can include:

• Clickable links.
• Polls and questions.
• Quizzes.
• Chapter selections.
• Product information buttons.
• Branching video paths.
• Calls to action.

For example, a training video might let viewers select the topic they need help with. A product video could link to a detailed product page.

The best interactive elements serve a clear purpose. Adding unnecessary buttons or questions can distract from the message.

How shoppable video works

Shoppable video allows viewers to explore or purchase products through links or shopping features connected to the video.

A clothing brand might show a product being worn and provide a link to the item. An ecommerce business could demonstrate how a product works and direct viewers to a product page.

Shoppable content can reduce the steps between discovering a product and learning more about it.

The exact features available depend on the platform, region, and shopping setup.

Live video and live shopping

Live video gives businesses an opportunity to interact with audiences in real time.

Potential uses include:

• Product demonstrations.
• Live Q&A sessions.
• Expert discussions.
• Product launches.
• Tutorials.
• Customer events.

Live shopping combines a live presentation with product discovery and purchasing options where supported.

Businesses should plan for audience questions, product information, moderation, and a clear next step.

Live video is not automatically the right format for every business. It works best when real-time interaction adds value.

Additional Video Marketing Shifts to Watch in 2026

The seven trends above cover major creative, production, and distribution changes. Several broader shifts also affect how businesses should plan their video marketing.

More businesses are building in-house video capabilities

AI tools and accessible editing software are making it easier for marketing teams to produce some content themselves.

Wistia’s 2026 research reports growth in both in-house video production and outsourced production. This suggests that businesses are not necessarily replacing agencies with internal teams. They are developing different ways to meet their video needs.

A business might produce simple social clips internally while hiring a professional production company for a brand film, customer documentary, or major campaign.

This hybrid approach can help businesses balance speed, cost, and production quality.

Video budgets need to support both creation and distribution

Producing a video is only part of the work.

Businesses also need to consider editing, captions, platform adaptations, promotion, and measurement.

Wistia’s research found that many teams spend more time creating videos than promoting them. That can create a gap between producing content and ensuring the intended audience sees it.

A practical video budget should account for both production and distribution.

Accessibility is part of good video production

Captions, readable text, clear audio, and thoughtful visual design make videos easier for more people to use.

Businesses should consider accessibility during production rather than adding it as an afterthought.

Useful practices include:

• Adding accurate captions.
• Reviewing automated transcripts.
• Maintaining readable text sizes.
• Ensuring sufficient contrast.
• Providing clear audio.
• Considering audio descriptions where appropriate.

Accessibility requirements may also apply depending on the business, audience, and jurisdiction.

Sustainability and brand purpose can shape video storytelling

Some brands use video to explain their environmental efforts, community work, or business values.

This can include employee stories, behind-the-scenes footage, or explanations of how products are made.

However, businesses should support environmental and social claims with evidence. A video should not make broad claims that the company cannot substantiate.

Connected TV and paid video remain part of the media mix

Video marketing also includes paid distribution beyond organic social media.

Businesses may use paid video on social platforms, YouTube, or connected TV services, depending on their audience and campaign goals.

Each channel has different creative requirements, targeting options, costs, and measurement methods.

A video created for an organic social post may need a different edit for a paid campaign or television-style placement.

How to Measure Video Marketing Performance

Video marketing should be measured according to its purpose.

A high view count does not necessarily mean a video generated qualified leads or sales. Similarly, a detailed product demonstration may receive fewer views but help a potential customer make a decision.

Businesses should define the objective before production begins.

Business objective	Useful metrics
Brand awareness	Reach, impressions, unique viewers
Audience engagement	Watch time, completion rate, shares, comments
Website traffic	Referral visits, landing-page sessions
Lead generation	Form submissions, qualified leads
Sales	Conversion rate, assisted conversions, revenue
Customer education	Video completion, support questions, repeat usage
Production efficiency	Cost per asset, production time, reuse rate

Track the customer journey

Some videos influence a purchase without generating the final conversion directly.

For example, a customer may watch a product demonstration, visit the website later, and complete a purchase through another channel.

Businesses can use campaign tracking, website analytics, CRM data, and video analytics to understand these interactions.

Attribution is not always straightforward. A single video may contribute to a conversion without being the only reason it happened.

The goal is to collect enough information to make better decisions about future content.

Test and improve

Businesses can test different video openings, lengths, formats, messages, and calls to action.

For example, a company could compare two versions of a product video to see which one generates more qualified product-page visits.

Testing should focus on a clear question. Changing many elements at once can make it difficult to understand what influenced the result.

Over time, these insights can help businesses improve their video strategy and allocate resources more effectively.

How Businesses Can Apply These Video Marketing Trends

Businesses do not need to adopt every trend at once.

A practical starting point is to identify the most important business objective and select video formats that support it.

Step 1: Define the goal

Decide whether the priority is brand awareness, lead generation, sales, customer education, or retention.

Step 2: Understand the audience

Identify the questions, problems, and decisions that matter to the intended viewers.

Step 3: Choose the right format

Select short-form videos, product demonstrations, customer stories, webinars, or other formats based on the goal.

Step 4: Plan for distribution

Decide where the video will appear and whether it needs different versions for different platforms.

Step 5: Create a realistic production plan

Consider the budget, timeline, people involved, and whether the work should be handled internally or with a production partner.

Step 6: Measure the results

Choose metrics that reflect the objective and use the findings to improve future videos.

For Toronto businesses, this process can help connect video production decisions with local marketing goals, customer needs, and available resources.

Skyrex Video Production Services

Video marketing in 2026 is about more than creating content. Businesses need videos that communicate clearly, reflect their brand, and support meaningful marketing goals.

Skyrex Productions helps businesses bring their ideas to life through professional video production.

Whether you need a brand film, corporate video, customer story, or promotional content, the production process should begin with a clear understanding of your audience and objectives.

Skyrex can help businesses develop video concepts, plan production, capture footage, and create content suited to their marketing needs.

Let’s Plan Your Next Video

If your business is planning a video project, start with the message you want to communicate and the audience you want to reach.

Skyrex Productions can help you explore the right production approach for your goals. Visit us to learn more.

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Skyrex Productions is a Toronto-based video production company specializing in corporate videos, documentaries, and branded content. We help businesses cut through the noise with video that actually works.

Contact us today to start your project.