The 2025 State of Video

The 2025 State of Video: What Marketers Need to Know Right Now

Let’s get one thing straight—video isn’t just having a moment. It is the moment.

Wistia’s newly released 2025 State of Video report confirms what many of us in marketing have felt in our bones: the appetite for video is bigger than ever, and the expectations? Even higher. So, if you’ve been wondering whether your video strategy needs an upgrade—this is your sign. Here’s what’s hot (and what’s not) in the world of video marketing.

Video Isn’t a Tactic Anymore—It Is the Strategy

One of the most striking sentiments came from Superside’s Piotr Smietana:

“Video is no longer just a part of the strategy. It is the strategy.”

In 2024, over 40% of companies were producing at least one video a week, with mid-sized companies tripling their output compared to previous years. The shift? Brands are moving in-house. A whopping 71% of companies now create videos internally—up from 63% the year before. And while that’s exciting, it comes with a fresh set of challenges around scale, resources, and, of course—time.

AI Is Reshaping Video Creation—and Fast

With production demands rising, many marketers are turning to AI to fill in the gaps. And not just for flashy effects. AI tools are being used across the entire workflow—from scripting and brainstorming to resizing, dubbing, and editing.

AI now makes it easier than ever to:

Repurpose or update older video content
Resize content for different platforms
Dub over lines to localize or re-record
Generate captions and translations automatically

Last year, only 18% of pros were using AI to create videos. This year? That number jumped to 41%, with another 19% planning to start soon. And it’s not just a trend—it’s quickly becoming the standard for staying competitive, especially when teams are tight on time or resources.

Short-Form Is Struggling (Unless It Gets to the Point—Fast)

Here’s the kicker: overall engagement rates dropped to a four-year low, with short-form content taking the biggest hit.

But don’t panic—this isn’t about shrinking attention spans. It’s about higher standards. Viewers expect more. They don’t want fluff. They want value fast. If your video doesn’t land the point in the first five seconds, it’s likely to be skipped. (Dropbox’s Henry Ceiro said it best: “Get straight into the action to make those first moments count.”)

The good news? How-to videos continue to crush it. Across all lengths, they hold viewers’ attention better than any other format. For videos under five minutes, viewers tend to watch more than two-thirds of the way through. That’s higher than company culture, promotional, or even product videos. If your content is genuinely helpful, people will stick around—whether it’s 90 seconds or 30 minutes.

Where Your Videos Live Matters More Than Ever

Wistia broke new ground this year by analyzing which pages perform best for video. And let me tell you—it’s eye-opening.

Top-performing placements:

Course pages and video galleries: ~33–35% play rate
Contact pages: 32% play rate
Thank you pages: some of the highest engagement rates

These are high-intent moments. Visitors are already interested, so dropping a video on these pages can keep the momentum going. Meanwhile, blog posts and case studies were some of the weakest performers for play rates.

So, if you’ve been saving your best content for the homepage—maybe it’s time to rethink your placement strategy.

Interactive Features Drive Real Conversions

Adding interactive elements like CTAs, links, or lead gen forms isn’t just a “nice to have”—they significantly boost conversions.

Lead gen forms: 24% conversion rate
Calls-to-action (CTAs): 16%
Annotation links: 3%

And when it comes to placement? Timing is everything. A CTA in the wrong spot might see just 1% engagement, while the right spot could drive 40%. For shorter videos, placing a CTA in the first minute works best. Longer videos? Drop one in around the 20-minute mark—and again at the end if it makes sense contextually.

The takeaway: your video shouldn’t just inform—it should convert.

Webinars: The Content Engine You’re Probably Underutilizing

Webinars have quietly become one of the most impactful forms of video content out there. Not only do they engage live audiences, but they also continue delivering long after the event is over.

Here’s what Wistia found:

Nearly half of companies host webinars at least once a month
About 60% of webinar views come from on-demand plays
89% of marketers repurpose webinar content (yay!)
But only 20% turn it into an entire campaign (missed opportunity)

From product demos and training sessions to customer onboarding and thought leadership, webinars are versatile. And with AI tools, repurposing a single session into 50+ clips, blog quotes, or email snippets is easier than ever.

If you’re not embedding, clipping, and localizing your webinar recordings, you’re missing out on months—if not years—of engagement.

TL;DR: How to Win with Video in 2025

Produce more videos in-house—but lean on AI to help scale
Lead with how-to content—it delivers the strongest engagement
Place videos strategically (think: thank you pages, contact forms, course hubs)
Add interactive features to guide viewers to the next step
Think beyond the live moment—webinars are your repurposing goldmine

Video is no longer optional. It’s a central pillar of marketing success in 2025—and thankfully, with the right strategy and tools, it’s never been more doable.