Of all the huge changes the internet has brought over the past two decades, social media is one of the most profound.
Platforms like Facebook and Twitter have fundamentally changed the way we interact with information, and their effects can be felt everywhere. From the way we interact with one another, to the way significant events circulate through the collective awareness.
It is why, regardless of niche or scope, most areas of business have seen themselves transformed by social media, and marketing is no exception!
As technology improves and these platforms evolve to accommodate user preferences, we’ve seen a clear effort to address the rising demand for video content. With many businesses already capitalizing on it!
In a recent survey on video marketing trends conducted by Yum Yum Videos, an entire section was dedicated to exploring this interaction.
The survey queried 167 business owners across the U.S. and amounted to more than 20 different findings. In this piece, you’ll find a few of the most relevant results on the subject of social media.
Most Businesses Are Using Social Media for Video Marketing
Almost everyone in the game is probably very aware of how big of a deal social media is when it comes to marketing. And yet, the numbers that speak to its level of acceptance in regards to video content remain impressive:
83% of businesses use social media platforms to distribute video marketing content.
A number that’s only made more impressive if you account for other studies revealing that about 91% of businesses in the United States actively use social media for marketing.
Users today have grown to expect video content from the brands they interact with, and companies have been quick to abide. When the alternative is to risk being overshadowed by competitors who do address this demand, it’s easy to understand why.
When It Comes to Video Distribution, YouTube’s The Way to Go
When asked about the most effective medium to distribute video content on, the majority of queried business owners agreed loud and clear: YouTube.
57% of queried business owners chose YouTube as the most effective social media platform to distribute video content.
Again, not entirely surprising but very significant nonetheless. Especially when you factor in some of the other stats we’ll go over later in this piece.
In spite of the two other runner-up’s making great efforts to boost their platforms video content potential, it’s clear they still have a long way to go. At least in widespread perception and awareness. Facebook came out with 26% of the votes, and Instagram rounded up the top three with 15%.
As Far as Generating Interaction, Facebook’s in the Lead
So YouTube seems generally regarded as the go-to platform for video distribution. But how about when you go a bit more specific?
When asked about the best social media site to generate more interactions with video marketing content, the tables shifted.
39% of surveyed business owners agreed that Facebook led the pack in this regard. Instagram came second, with 32% of the answers, and YouTube got relegated to the third place with only 26% of the votes.
Meaning that even though YouTube is the undisputed platform for video content in general, video marketing campaigns whose goal is to get users participation might perform better on Zuckerberg’s playground.
In Terms of Investment, Instagram Seems the Way to Go
Some of you might be asking yourself, how about Instagram? Did it distinguish itself in any category? As a matter of fact, yes! And in a big one!
34% of queried business owners chose Instagram as the social media platform with better ROI. Facebook came in second place with 33% of the votes, and YouTube came in third, with 28%.
When it’s all said and done, and a business has to invest in promoting their video content, Instagram seems to provide an edge.
Granted, things seem pretty even with Facebook. So much so that depending on your circumstances, you might as well choose to remain in that ecosystem. However, when business performance is on the line, sometimes that small edge can be worth a lot.
Investing in Social Media Promotion: Yay or Nay?
Lastly, and probably two of the most actionable stats to come out of Yum Yum’s survey related precisely to investing in those platforms’ promotional services.
Deciding whether or not to invest in promoting your video content can be tricky. Especially if your company has never done it before and lacks a frame of reference. It might come as a surprise to some, but promoting your videos in social media seems to have become a fairly common practice. In fact, 84% of the business owners we surveyed had invested in a social media platform to do so – Which is really only half of the equation.
When asked how satisfied they were with their decision, 85% stated to be satisfied with the return of investment of their video marketing efforts in social media. Numbers that speak not only to the confidence placed but also the results obtained through the marriage of social media and video marketing.
Summing Up
With developments like Facebook stating its commitment to double down on video content, and Instagram supporting video content with platforms like IGTV, the growth of video marketing in social media is to be expected.
And yet, these statistics indicate a ratio of acceptance and effectiveness from this synergy that surpasses conservative expectations.
Moving forward, businesses should remain attentive to these developments, and explore the enormous potential that combining video content and social media is already having for many companies out there.