Video Marketing Statistics: 75% G2 Users See ROI in 6 Months

Your audience is watching videos right now.

Not reading blog posts. Not scrolling through lengthy emails. Watching videos.

Whether it's a product review, a how-to guide, a social media reel, or a customer testimonial, video has become the format people turn to when they want information quickly. As a result, businesses are investing heavily in video marketing and the video software that powers it to reach audiences where their attention already lives.

According to G2 Data from 4,350+ reviews of video content creation software, 75% of users see ROI within six months, and 95% rate their tools four stars or higher.

The video marketing statistics below show why video continues to shape consumer behavior, influence buying decisions, and drive measurable business growth.

How many businesses use video marketing in 2026?

Almost every business uses video marketing in 2026, with adoption at an all-time high. The vast majority now treat it as a default part of the marketing mix, and most of the few remaining holdouts plan to start soon. With adoption plateaued, the competitive edge no longer comes from having video; it comes from producing the right video efficiently.

• 93% of video marketers say video is an important part of their overall marketing strategy.
• Among those who don't use video, the top barriers are that they don't feel it's needed (24%) or find it too expensive (24%), followed by lack of time (19%).
• More than 82% of marketing professionals use video in their marketing mix.
• The most common video formats produced are live-action (51%), animated (23%), and screen-recorded (19%).
• The most popular video use case is social media videos (69%), narrowly ahead of explainer videos (68%) and testimonial videos (57%).

How do consumers watch and engage with video?

Consumers engage with video at nearly every stage of the buying journey, and they do it constantly. Almost every connected adult watches online video, making it the most consumed media activity on a weekly basis. And it's not just passive viewing: video shapes purchasing decisions, drives product research, and influences how much people trust a brand.

• Online video remains the world's most consumed digital media format, reaching 94.6% of internet users monthly and 91.1% weekly, according to GWI.
• Streaming (OTT) services now account for more than half (50.4%) of internet users' total TV watch time.
• Around 91% of consumers say a video has convinced them to buy a product or service in the past.
• 51% of consumers rely on product videos to make an informed purchase decision, and 47% lean on video reviews.
• YouTube is the second-most-popular channel for product research at 63%, trailing Google at 87%, while TikTok ranks third at 25%.
• 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn about a product or service, and 84% want to see more brand videos in 2026.
• Video is the clear favorite for product education, with 63% of consumers preferring short videos and only 12% opting for text articles.

Is video marketing worth the investment?

Yes. The overwhelming majority of marketers say video earns its keep, and short-form video has emerged as the single highest-returning content format across the industry. Where ROI has dipped slightly from last year's high, it reflects more teams producing more video (and more uneven video), not a decline in video's effectiveness.

• 82% of marketers say video marketing has given them a good ROI.
• Short-form video delivers the highest ROI of any media format, with 48.6% of marketers ranking it in their top three for performance.
• Long-form (29%) and live-streaming video (25%) are the other two ROI-driving content formats reported by marketers.
• 82% say video has increased web traffic, and 82% say it keeps visitors on their site longer.
• More than 70% of marketers report being satisfied, very satisfied, or extremely satisfied with video ROI.
• 71% of marketers believe videos between 30 seconds and 2 minutes are most effective. 

How are marketers using AI to create video?

Marketers are using AI to script, edit, localize, and produce videos faster than ever. AI avatars, voiceovers, automated clipping, and content repurposing now run through every stage of the creation process, from first draft to final cut. G2 reviews for platforms like Synthesia, HeyGen, Creatify AI, and Canva consistently highlight the time and cost savings these capabilities deliver.

• 63% of video marketers have used AI tools to help create or edit marketing videos, up from 51% the prior year.
• More than a third of teams already use AI in their video workflow, with nearly a quarter more planning to start soon, and over half are investing more in AI this year.
• According to Wistia, AI is most common in pre-production, planning, scripting, and ideation, with captions the top generative use case.
• About 94% of marketers plan to use AI in their content creation processes in 2026.
• On the advertising side, nearly 90% of advertisers are using or plan to use generative AI to build video ad creative. 
• G2 Data: More than 5,100 reviews were submitted in G2's Video Content Creation category in 2025-2026, with roughly 2,000 in the first half of 2026 alone, a sign of how fast AI video adoption is accelerating.
• G2 Data: Among 2025-2026 reviews in the category, about 52% mention AI, avatars, or generation, and around 47% explicitly mention time or speed savings.
• G2 Data: Roughly 21% of reviewers specifically cite AI avatars, and 57% praise how easy the tools are to use.

How much do businesses spend on video advertising?

Businesses are spending more on video advertising every year, and U.S. digital video now commands the largest share of the media budget. That spend is growing faster than the broader ad market, has moved well past linear TV, and accounts for most TV and video ad dollars. Marketers are responding the same way: video budgets are either holding steady or moving up.

• U.S. digital video ad spend is projected to surpass $80 billion in 2026.
• Digital video's rise shows no signs of slowing. In 2026, it's expected to capture more than 60% of total TV and video ad spend, marking a major shift in where advertisers are placing their bets.
• Total U.S. digital ad revenue reached $294.6 billion in 2025 (up 13.9%), with social media advertising up 32.6% to $117.7 billion.
• 92% of marketers plan to spend the same or more on video marketing in 2026, and 41% spent money on video ads this year (up from 36%).
• LinkedIn is the top paid channel for video promotion, followed by YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
• On production costs, marketers are split: 38% say video costs are increasing, 32% see no change, and 30% say costs are getting cheaper.

Which platforms perform best for video marketing?

YouTube remains the go-to platform for reach and marketing effectiveness, while LinkedIn has become the preferred home for B2B video content. Meanwhile, short-form clips continue to outperform other formats across social media.

• 81% of teams share videos on LinkedIn, now B2B's top video channel, narrowly ahead of YouTube at 76%, with about half on Instagram.
• Over half of companies repurpose video into social clips, with LinkedIn the top destination (67%), followed by Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
• YouTube claims a large share of U.S. TV viewing time (13.1% in August 2025).
• Short-form video is the most-used content format among marketers (60%).

What does video production look like in 2026?

YouTube performs best overall, leading on both reach and marketing effectiveness, while LinkedIn has become the preferred home for B2B video content. Short-form clips, meanwhile, continue to outperform other formats across social media.

• 59% of marketers create video in-house, 32% use a mix of in-house and external help, and just 10% rely solely on external vendors.
• 76% of teams make at least one video a month, signaling a sustainable production groove.
• Almost 40% of companies spent less than $5,000 on video production last year.
• 90% of teams are taking steps to make their videos accessible, with captions the most common starting point.
• G2 Data: Adoption skews toward small businesses. About 71% of G2 reviewers for video content creation platforms are small businesses, 19% mid-market, and 10% enterprise.
• G2 Data: Reviewers report an average user adoption of 59%, and 85% rate their video creation tool 4.5 stars or higher.

How are teams using webinars and long-form video?

Teams use webinars and long-form video to engage high-intent audiences, and these remain among the most valuable formats they produce. Their impact often lasts well beyond the live event, with on-demand recordings generating views and leads for months afterward.

• Teams rank webinars as the second most impactful type of video, behind only product videos.
• Nearly 90% of teams reuse webinar content, and a third of webinars still pull plays three months after the live event.
• Webinar replays between 31-45 minutes saw more than 2x the engagement of those under 30 minutes.
• About 40% of people who register for a webinar attend it, and most stay for nearly the entire live event. 
• Customer testimonial videos are trending up, from 17% of companies in 2023 to 47% in 2026.
• Podcast adoption continues to grow, with over a quarter of companies already producing one and 10% more planning a launch in 2026.

What do these video marketing statistics mean for your strategy?

Video marketing has entered a new phase. The question is no longer whether businesses should invest in video. Most already do. The challenge now is producing enough content to meet audience expectations while proving results across an expanding number of channels.

The data points to a few clear trends. Consumers increasingly rely on video to research products and make purchasing decisions. Marketers continue to report strong returns from video, particularly short-form content. At the same time, AI is making production faster and more accessible, allowing teams of all sizes to create content that would have required larger budgets just a few years ago.

As video becomes a standard part of the customer journey, the tools behind it matter more than ever. Whether you're creating social clips, webinars, product demos, or AI-generated videos, the right software can help your team move faster, stay consistent, and get more value from every piece of content.

Explore and compare the highest-rated options on G2's video software category pages.

*This article was originally published in 2024. It has been updated with new information.