Social video marketing insights you've got to see for 2020 [Infographic]

2019 was another great year for video. Most content online has companion videos and your social feed isn’t more than a swipe or scroll away from the next watch.

Knowing that 2020 is quickly approaching and, hopefully, your yearly planning meetings in full swing, let’s look back at where marketers have set their sights in 2019 and what insights we can get into next year’s strategy.

The online drag-and-drop video maker Animoto, surveyed a sample of 500 US adult marketers who have created at least one video in the past year to see how they promote their brands and reach new audiences on social media.

Here are some of the most interesting insights.

Top social platforms for brands

It was surprising, at least to me, that Facebook came in as the #1 video platform, over YouTube, for marketers considering the not-so-recent algorithm changes that have significantly reduced the organic reach potential of business accounts compared to posts from friends and family.

With the organic social reach of a business declining, it is important to note that more than half of the marketers surveyed said they have utilized paid placement of video on Facebook and Instagram.

This is a testament to how competitive the social landscape is getting that not only are companies investing in creating video but they are dedicating budget to share them.

While this can yield great results for lots of businesses that are deep into video production, I don’t recommend you start there. 

Focusing on what we’ve deemed “The Selling 7” has proven to be a more effective way to create video that shorten the sales cycle and generate revenue.

Marketers are investing in video

96% of marketers surveyed have spent money on video ads and 70% of businesses say they are creating more videos now than in the previous year.

Your budget is precious no matter how big or small it may be. The commitment of these dollars is proof that video works in generating traffic, leads, and sales to your business. 

Is video worth the investment?

91% of marketers are satisfied with the ROI of the use of video in their social media marketing and 85% of marketers agree that video is an effective way to raise awareness online.

My favorite statistic from this survey is that a whopping 93% of companies closed new business from their social media video.

Definitely worth the investment.

Where should you be publishing your videos?

93% of brands surveyed post videos once a week or more to Facebook. Considering the stats I mentioned above about Facebook being the #1 video platform marketers plan on investing in for 2020, it is no surprise that it leads this category.

Coming in second is YouTube at 90% of brands publishing, at minimum, once a week.

This is followed by Facebook Stories at 87%, Instagram Feed at 83%, and Instagram Stories at 80%

Reaching new customers in 2020

The survey results show that video is still the #1 way to grab attention online. 

The results of this survey confirm what most marketing leaders have been talking about for the past couple of years. 

Video sells.

When it comes to attracting new customers, 64% of businesses claim that publishing videos on Facebook has resulted in new customers. 

73% have gained customers from Instagram Stories, and a staggering 79% have brought in new business from publishing video to their Instagram feed.

So, will you be investing in video for 2020?