Dive Brief:
- Animoto’s Social Video Forecast 2016 has found that 84% of marketers and 55% of small and medium-size business (SMB) owners used video for their marketing in the last year, as reported by Media Post.
- 63% of marketers and SMB owners say they plan to invest more in video in 2017, according to the report.
- 60% of marketers said video marketing is a "must-have," with about 77% of marketers and SMB owners saying it had a direct positive impact on their business.
Dive Insight:
Video has become the killer content type for mobile users, with mobile users watching more video on their smartphones than their desktops. But while mobile video is a clear opportunity for brands, many are unsure of how best to take advantage of the medium.
Marketers are debating whether videos are most viewable with the sound on or off, with Snapchat and Facebook releasing competing and somewhat conflicting statistics on viewer behavior. Snapchat found the majority of its users were watching with the sound on, while Facebook found the opposite. There is also an ongoing debate over whether it's best to create horizontal, vertical, or even square-shaped video. Meanwhile, social media platforms from Facebook to YouTube and Twitter are increasingly offering marketers live video streaming options.
Right now, Facebook is the winner in video among social media platforms, with the Animoto research reporting that its effectiveness is 8x higher than any other social media platform. It’s also far and away the platform where most marketers and SMB owners plan to spend their video marketing dollars.
