Video Marketing: Strategy, Formats, and Tools (2026)

Video marketing is the practice of using online videos to promote a business, brand, or product. For ecommerce brands, authentic video content is part of a marketing strategy that builds trust with audiences and encourages them to buy from you.

Wyzowl’s 2026 State of Video Marketing survey found that 91% of businesses say they use video as a marketing tool, an all-time high. Plus, 83% of video marketers say video has directly increased sales.

In this guide, you’ll learn how your brand can benefit from a video marketing strategy, what you need to develop one, different types of marketing videos, tools to help make videos, how to use them for ads, and how to measure their performance.

What is video marketing?

Video marketing, or video content marketing, is about using video to promote a business. This approach is a useful addition to many brands’ overall strategies, as video is consumers’ preferred content format. In the same Wyzowl 2026 survey, 63% of consumers said they would most like to learn about a product or service by watching a short video, compared with 12% who preferred a text-based article.

These videos could be quick vertical clips on TikTok and Instagram Reels or highly produced short films that tell a brand’s story. Popular video marketing formats include how-to videos, product demos, explainers, behind-the-scenes footage, product unboxings, and customer testimonials.

For example, Glossier’s Instagram video features Makeup Artist Celia Burton applying the brand’s Boy Brow product. The close-up demonstration shows shoppers how to apply the product and what it looks like on someone’s brows:

What are the benefits of video marketing?

In Shopify’s Q4 2025 survey of store owners,* marketing was their top first-year challenge, at 37%, just ahead of finding customers, at 36%. Video can help with both challenges.

Here are some of the benefits of incorporating a video marketing strategy into your broader marketing strategy:

• It adds an immersive format. Video lets potential customers see your products in motion, hear from the people behind your brand, and imagine how what you sell could fit into their lives.
• It builds brand trust. You can build trust by showing a product in action or having someone talk positively about your brand, but it must be of high quality. Wyzowl’s 2026 survey found that 89% of consumers say video quality impacts their trust in a brand.
• It builds audience connections. Alongside showcasing products, video gives people a familiar face to connect with. In Deloitte’s 2026 Digital Media Trends survey of US consumers, 33% said they feel a stronger personal connection to social media creators than to TV personalities or actors.
• It supports marketing and customer acquisition. Video can also complement the content you already use. Nielsen’s 2026 meta-analysis of Pinterest campaigns in the Canadian consumer packaged goods sector found 1.5 times higher sales lift on featured products when advertisers ran both static and video formats together.

What to consider when developing a video marketing strategy

• Understand your audience
• Set a budget
• Stay within your brand guidelines
• Set goals and a clear call to action
• Plan your script and shots

Even a YouTube Short or Instagram Reel needs a clear purpose.

Before you start filming, decide:

• Who the video is for
• What you want viewers to do after watching
• How you’ll measure success

These decisions will shape what you film and how you present it. A video documenting a cause your brand supports might introduce you to new audiences, while a product video could help prospective buyers decide whether an item is right for them.

Use the following considerations to turn that purpose into a plan.

Understand your audience

Your target audience is the specific demographic and customer persona you hope to reach with your video content. As part of your branding exercise, you have likely already defined this audience. If not, before you engage in video marketing, use market research, focus groups, and surveys to give you a better understanding of your target customer.

If you sell on Shopify, start with the customer data you already have. Shopify’s customer segmentation lets you group customers by factors such as location, number of orders, and products purchased.

Use those groups to guide your video topics. For example, first-time buyers might appreciate a setup tutorial, while repeat customers could be interested in new ways to use a bestselling product.

Set a budget

Videos with high production values can be costly. High cost is also a perception shared by almost a quarter of marketers (24%) in Wyzowl’s 2026 survey who said they don’t use video because it’s too expensive.

But you don’t need a full production crew to get started with video marketing. Short vertical videos, popularized by TikTok, can be filmed in-house with a smartphone, keeping production costs down. For example, Andy Pearson, vice president of creative at Liquid Death, says in an episode of Shopify Masters,

“Rather than having to outsource it to other people, we shoot it all ourselves,” says Andy Pearson, vice president of creative at Liquid Death, when talking about creating brand videos.

If you’re producing a brand story that will live at the top of your YouTube channel and on your About page, consider the costs of talent, production crew, video editing apps, and other post-production expenses. If you choose animated videos, consider the cost of motion designers and illustrators.

If you have an idea of what skill gaps you’ll need to fill, you can hire help through Shopify’s Partner Directory.

Stay within your brand guidelines

The branding strategy you developed when you launched your brand should already inform many of your aesthetic choices as you build your video marketing plan. To create a consistent brand experience and help your brand get recognized across platforms and video ads, use your brand colors and visual style consistently throughout your video content.

You will likely need to make additional brand style decisions before you start producing video content, like what music style best suits your brand or if there’s a video style or filter that fits the feel you’re trying to create. If you’re hiring outside help, look for professionals whose portfolios reflect that style.

Whether you film it yourself or work with a crew, your video should feel like it comes from the same brand as your website, packaging, and other marketing materials.

Set goals and a clear call to action

Setting goals for your video content provides focus. For example, if you’re asking viewers to sign up for your email list or subscribe to your YouTube channel, set a measurable target for new sign-ups or subscribers within a specific period.

Once you’ve set a goal, use a clear call to action (CTA) to tell viewers what to do next.

Determine the feeling you want your audience to take away from your video content or the action you want them to take. CTAs could include a prompt to learn more about your sustainability commitment or a button that takes them to your website to make a purchase.

Plan your script and shots

While there’s a time and place for candid or improvised videos, in most cases you should plan your script and the shots you need to take.

To do that, you’ll need to cross off a minimum of three items from your pre-production checklist:

• A video brief detailing the purpose of the video, its goals, and success metrics.
• A shot list detailing each scene you want to include and the various angles you’ll need.
• A hook in your script that quickly captures the main point.

The video script and shot list don’t need to be perfect to get going. For example,

“I think if you feel like you could just talk about something for 10 minutes, then make a video on it and try to cut it down to two, that’s my advice,” says Charlotte Palermino, cofounder and chief brand officer at Dieux says.

7 types of video marketing formats

There are a number of video marketing formats your brand can use to attract customers. For example, in Wyzowl’s 2026 survey, 69% of the video marketers surveyed produced social media videos, 68% produced explainer videos, 57% produced testimonial videos, and 39% produced product demo videos.

The examples below are some of the most popular, but depending on your product and industry, there are many other video marketing ideas you can consider. Experiment with different kinds of online video to see what resonates with your audience.

1. Brand videos

Brand videos introduce an audience to a business’s products, mission, brand story, or the people behind the brand. This format often is used for YouTube marketing as a channel trailer or as an introduction on a brand’s website homepage or About page.

Authenticity is key for this type of video content. Dan Demsky, cofounder and CEO at Unbound Merino, frequently finds himself in the brand’s marketing videos.

“One thing unfortunate for me that seems to work is stuff with a founder in it, so they keep putting me in videos,” says Dan on an episode of Shopify Masters. “And I think the founders thing, or the people that work at the company, that stuff is doing really, really well.”

If your on-camera talent doesn’t love the experience or perform as well as you’d hope at first, you can provide guidance to help them improve.

2. Live videos

Livestreaming is a popular format that involves broadcasting your video live on the internet. This is a great option for brands looking to engage with customers directly through chat and live feedback, and on some platforms like TikTok, it can also be a popular checkout surface for your brand.

Common content for video streaming includes AMAs, Q&A sessions, product demos, how-to videos, and other educational videos.

Hercules Candy built a following of more than 1.4 million subscribers using video marketing on YouTube with live video content. They bring customers inside their candy-making process with live videos shot behind the scenes.

3. Testimonial videos

Video testimonials and reviews are powerful social proof videos, featuring a real person discussing the product or service, which you can use across product pages and other parts of your website and social media to help influence customers to buy.

This is an effective video marketing strategy employed by brands like period underwear company Thinx.

You can ask customers to provide testimonials in video content, use video interviews to poll customers in-store, or share customer-generated video reviews on social channels. If you sell on Shopify, Judge.me, a built-for-Shopify app, lets you collect customer video reviews and display them on your store, giving shoppers a closer look at other customers’ experiences.

But if you choose to pay people for testimonials or reviews, you’ll need to include clear disclosure of material connections. Check the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) resources for specific guidance in this area.

4. Educational videos

Educational videos refer to any type of video that imparts knowledge: a quick how-to video, a longer step-by-step tutorial, or a full-length online course.

For example, if you sell hair products, you can use Shopify Collabs to partner with a beauty influencer to create hairstyle tutorials that incorporate your products to help meet your target audience’s interests.

The sewing pattern brand Friday Pattern Company makes engaging YouTube video content relevant to sewing, including “sew along” sessions that walk a viewer through a project. These help capture organic internet traffic and keep the brand top of mind when the viewer is looking to buy patterns.

5. Product demo or unboxing videos

Product demo videos help potential customers see the product from multiple angles, watch it being used or worn, and learn more about its features.

Rainbow Shops, for example, were able to use the product video features on Shopify to present their product range in a way that would have cost them six months and a six-figure sum to do with their old platform.

“We’re now doing over a million video views a week at no expense to us whatsoever,” says David Cost, Rainbow Shop’s VP of digital and ecommerce. “This is an example of how having a really strong technology partner empowers us."

6. Explainer videos

Explainer videos are often longer educational videos that dive deeper into a topic or an aspect of a product. Sometimes these also take the form of a listicle video or help bust a myth related to the brand’s industry.

While this is helpful video content for existing customers, it also increases purchase confidence for those considering your product.

Snow Peak USA uses explainers on their social media channels like TikTok to help their customers enjoy the great outdoors by offering longer videos that explain the ideal camp setup. For example, creator Esther’s TikTok video demonstrates how to set up Snow Peak’s Land Lock tent.

7. Behind-the-scenes videos and vlogs

Behind-the-scenes videos or vlogs are a type of personal, unpolished video designed to build authenticity and give your audience a glimpse into what your life and work really look like.

Slime influencer Angelina Ly built her audience through video marketing. Now she’s running Firefly Slime full time and regularly posting online videos to her huge following. Some of that content includes video footage that peeks behind the scenes, like this Instagram video showing customers around the pop-up:

“I’ve grown them for the past five years from my own content. And I have never purchased any advertising,” says Angelina.

Video marketing tools

Digital video can be created with minimal equipment and tools. If you’re trying to break into video marketing, you can get started with a smartphone, free video editing software, and a free YouTube account. But there are also tools on the market that can help you with video planning, the video creation process, and the post-production process, including video editing.

Video and audio equipment for online video production

Investing in a few key pieces of video creation equipment can take your video content marketing to the next level. Some items to consider for new video marketers include:

• Camera or smartphone with a compatible tripod
• Simple lighting kit, including light stands or a portable ring light
• Professional audio recorder or microphone, such as a lavalier mic
• A portable external hard drive (preferably USB-C so that it works with most devices)
• A mobile stabilizer rig compatible with your device

Video marketing apps and software

There are apps and tools (both free and paid) that can be valuable if you plan to invest in video marketing. These can simplify the process of editing online videos, making them accessible, and measuring their success:

• Video editing tools like DaVinci Resolve, Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere Pro
• Captioning and transcription tools like Descript
• Video marketing tools in the Shopify App Store, including apps like:
  • Promo Video Maker
  • Video Slider for shoppable videos
  • Spark for publishing UGC videos

You also have the choice of using AI video tools. In Shopify’s Q4 2025 survey of store owners,* content generation was the most common use of AI among store owners who use it, at 69%.

For Shopify store owners, AI tools like Shopify Sidekick can help polish product shots without needing to leave the platform.

Video marketing hosting and distribution

Your audience and its expectations may differ by platform, so experiment with multiple types of video content to help you hone your video marketing strategy across channels.

Distribution for video content marketing

There are three broad types of distribution channels, which can then be split even further by platform, where user demographics and behaviors vary. These three channels are:

• Owned. Owned channels are directly operated by your brand, including your website, blog, email, newsletters, and social media platforms. You can embed videos on the relevant pages on your website, as well as send and track email marketing campaigns using Shopify Messaging.
• Paid. Video ads, like those that play during a YouTube video, are a type of paid media. They can be placed on paid social media channels like Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or X.
• Earned. Any third-party distribution that you did not contract or pay for is considered earned, whether it’s inclusion in a blog post or a retweet from a prominent influencer.

Where to host your video content

Each platform reaches a different audience and rewards a different kind of video the most. Match the platform to whom you want to reach and what you have the bandwidth and resources to produce:

Data from Pew Research and Wyzowl

As you can see from the data, reach and effectiveness don’t always match up, though YouTube does lead on both counts, making it a good option for most brands. Plus, YouTube’s reach now extends into living rooms. According to Nielsen, YouTube is the largest single distributor of US television watch time, recording 13.8% in May 2026.

TikTok is the opposite case: 40% of marketers use it, but only 29% rate it as effective.

LinkedIn is a B2B specialist better suited to thought-leadership videos, while Vimeo hosts high-production work like brand films and demo reels, which you’d usually embed on your own site.

How to sell through live and shoppable video

Social commerce accounts for an estimated 15.2% of global ecommerce sales in 2026, up from 12.9% in 2024. Several social platforms now allow you to connect your store and promote your products with shoppable links in livestreams and shoppable video posts.

With Shopify, you can connect to platforms such as TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram through its social commerce integrations.

To build a successful shoppable video experience, though, you’ll need to optimize your approach for the format.

For both shoppable videos and livestreaming videos, make sure the content is engaging:

• Focus on delivering value for your audience with product demos.
• Incorporate storytelling to make the experience more relatable.

For livestreaming specifically:

• Promote the livestream before the event with teaser content on social media and your website to generate buzz.
• Share details like date, time, and any special guests or influencers, if applicable.
• Interact with your audience during your livestream by encouraging comments or questions (like a live Q&A).
• Use polls or other interactive features to keep the audience engaged.
• After the livestream, post follow-up content or engage with viewers who interacted to keep your brand top-of-mind.

How to optimize video for search

Creating and posting videos consistently is a lot of effort, but if you don’t optimize the videos for search and discovery, it can make it seem like you’re talking into a void. There are two main channels to think about when it comes to video search optimization: on-site and YouTube.

For on-site video, you’ll need to follow Google’s guidance on indexing, accessibility, and thumbnails, which includes tips such as:

• Use HTML elements commonly used for embedding videos. Google can find videos referenced by a <video>, <embed>, <iframe>, or <object> element.
• The watch page itself needs to be indexed, and the video can’t be hidden behind elements.
• Describe your video with structured data.
• Make sure at least 80% of your thumbnail pixels have an alpha (transparency) value greater than 250.

YouTube is the second largest search engine worldwide, after Google.

“The thing about YouTube that I tell everybody that they don’t realize is it’s so searchable,” says Drew Scott, founder of home goods brand, Lone Fox.

Search performance on YouTube depends on video relevance and viewer response rather than upload frequency or keyword stuffing.

Here’s how to best optimize videos with these metrics in mind:

• Think about what your audience is typing into the search bar and what the intention is behind the search. Then match your title, description, and video content to that intention.
• Encourage engagement within your video. For example, many YouTube channels ask viewers to “like, share, and subscribe” early on in the video.

Video advertising

Digital video, including connected TV, social video, online video, and short-form video, generated $78 billion in US ad revenue in 2025. That’s up 25.4% year over year and accounts for 26.5% of all US digital ad revenue. But where you choose to engage in paid video marketing depends on your brand, content, and audience.

For example, you have multiple options for YouTube ads, including traditional non-video marketing ads. And the video platform’s robust ad targeting capabilities allow you to reach niche audiences.

On TikTok, you can pay for in-feed ads that appear seamlessly with organic content as users scroll. According to TikTok, 73% of weekly TikTok users said it seems easy to purchase through TikTok in-feed shopping ads.

How to measure video marketing performance

With goals in place, video formats in mind, tools to make them, and a place to host them, all that’s left to think about is measuring performance. The key performance indicators (KPIs) you choose should be tied to your specific goals.

Here’s an overview of common video performance metrics related to common marketing goals:

You’ll notice a mix of video-specific engagement metrics and those that you measure based on store performance. It’s important to measure these KPIs to get a broad picture of how your video marketing impacts your store’s performance.

For example, Cat Goetze, accidentally started her hardware company, Physical Phones, after posting about a Bluetooth landline she built. She uses sales as a KPI metric for her videos.

“That original prototype with the CatGPT audience was a completely different experience; we did over $100,000 in sales in the first three days,” Cat says.