13 Video Marketing Trends Shaping 2026

Every year, video marketing comes with a fresh batch of trends. For this 2026 update, I wanted to focus on changes you can actually see in the numbers and in day to day production.

YouTube Shorts now averages 200 billion daily views. Wistia found that 81% of teams share video on LinkedIn, and more than a third already use AI somewhere in their video workflow. YouTube viewing on TV is also changing the screen these videos have to work on.

Those shifts affect how teams plan, produce, distribute, and reuse video. The 13 video marketing trends below combine current platform data with what we have learned from more than 1,000 video projects at Yum Yum Videos, an animated explainer video agency.

TL;DR: 13 Video Marketing Trends for 2026

1. YouTube Shorts now averages 200 billion daily views, keeping short form central to discovery.
2. Wistia’s 2026 data shows that videos over 30 minutes can outperform shorter pieces in finance, insurance, and health.
3. YouTube on TV is changing how brands think about production quality.
4. LinkedIn has become a major B2B video channel.
5. More than a third of teams already use AI in their video workflow, with preproduction still the most common use.
6. More brands are putting founders, employees, customers, and creators on camera as generated content expands.
7. Live video and webinars keep working after the event ends.
8. Video podcasts and recurring shows are becoming part of brand strategy.
9. More than half of companies cut longer videos into social clips, according to Wistia.
10. Captions, accessibility, and silent viewing are now basic production requirements.
11. Shoppable video is reducing the distance between viewing and buying.
12. Localization and dubbing are making one video useful in more markets.
13. Video SEO helps evergreen videos keep attracting viewers through search after launch.

1. Short Form Video Still Drives Discovery

Short clips are now part of almost every video distribution plan. YouTube says Shorts averages 200 billion daily views, so brands can reach people there who may never search for the company directly.

A 30 second clip can introduce an idea without having to explain everything. The deeper information can live in a longer video, webinar, landing page, or product page.

For most brands, that makes short form more useful when there is somewhere for the viewer to go next. That connection between the clip and the next piece of content is one of the more practical social media video trends in 2026.

2. Long Form Video Is Finding the Right Audiences

A 30 minute webinar will usually reach fewer people than a 30 second clip, and the people who stay for it are also bringing more intent. Wistia’s 2026 data shows that educational videos, webinars, courses, and podcasts can hold attention as runtime increases. In finance, insurance, and health, videos over 30 minutes can outperform shorter pieces because the subject often needs more context.

That extra time is useful in B2B when a buyer needs to understand a technical product or hear a fuller explanation before taking the next step.

3. More People Are Watching YouTube on TV

YouTube has been the number one platform in U.S. streaming watch time for nearly three years, according to YouTube’s 2026 CEO letter. Videos that were once designed mainly for phones and laptops are now being watched from the couch on much larger screens.

That exposes production choices very quickly. Tiny text is harder to read, weak sound is more noticeable, and a thumbnail that works on a phone may feel very different on a TV. YouTube also says creators are working across Shorts, long form, live streams, podcasts, and TV viewing.

For marketers, the TV screen now belongs in the conversation around both organic content and video advertising trends. Connected TV keeps many of the targeting and action options of digital media while changing how the creative is actually experienced.

4. LinkedIn Has Become a Major B2B Video Channel

Wistia’s 2026 survey found that 81% of teams share video on LinkedIn, slightly ahead of YouTube at 76%. It also ranked LinkedIn as the top paid platform for video among the teams surveyed.

For B2B marketers, the data supports treating LinkedIn as its own video channel instead of simply reposting a YouTube link.

A customer story or product explanation can be cut specifically for the feed, with a faster opening and enough context to work without sending the viewer somewhere else first.

5. AI Is Becoming Part of Everyday Video Production

AI is already part of many production workflows in 2026. Wistia reports that more than a third of teams use it in their video workflow, and nearly another quarter plan to start soon. The most common use is still preproduction.

In production, AI is most useful around repetitive or preparatory work. Research, transcript cleanup, captions, localization, and rough edits can all move faster with it.

The harder decisions still sit elsewhere: what the video should say, how the story should unfold, and what the final piece should feel like. Since the same generation tools are available to almost everyone, generic output is also easier for competitors to reproduce.

6. Real People Matter More as AI Content Grows

A customer describing exactly what changed after using a product is hard to replace with generated footage. The same is true when a founder, employee, or specialist can speak from direct experience.

Production quality can still be high. What makes the video feel real is usually the specificity of what the person says. A polished testimonial can feel credible, while a casually shot founder video can feel scripted if every line sounds rehearsed.

That is why more brands are using real people in customer stories, interviews, behind the scenes content, and creator partnerships.

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7. Webinars and Live Video Keep Working After the Event

Wistia found that almost 90% of teams reuse webinar content, and a third of webinars are still generating plays three months after the live event.

The live session can keep producing value afterward. Teams often pull the strongest moments into social or sales content and keep the full replay available for people who find it later.

YouTube is also investing further in live. In Q2 2025, more than 30% of daily logged in YouTube viewers watched live content, according to the platform.

8. More Brands Are Investing in Video Podcasts and Recurring Shows

Wistia reports that 21% of companies planned to produce podcasts in 2026, up from 18% in 2025 and 14% in 2024. YouTube has also been adding tools specifically for video podcast creators.

Recurring shows need a subject the company can revisit and an audience that wants more depth on it. Otherwise, the team is committing to a production schedule without much reason to keep it going.

For B2B brands, that might be customer interviews, expert conversations, industry analysis, product education, or a recurring series built around one operational problem.

9. Brands Are Repurposing Long Videos Into Shorter Content

Wistia found that more than half of companies cut longer videos into social clips. LinkedIn was the most common destination for those clips, followed by Instagram and YouTube.

If you plan to turn a webinar, explainer, product demo, or customer interview into several smaller assets, plan the excerpts while scripting and filming instead of searching for usable moments later.

For a small marketing team, this is mostly a resource decision. One well planned production can feed several channels without requiring a new shoot every time someone needs another post.

Our video marketing strategy guide goes deeper into planning content by funnel stage, distribution, and measurement.

10. Captions and Accessibility Are Now Standard in Video Production

Captions and accessibility now affect production well beyond social media. Wistia says 90% of teams are already taking steps to make video more accessible, and captions are the most common starting point.

Vertical HD uploads on Wistia also increased 24% year over year, which reflects how often video is now watched in mobile and social environments.

Watch the video once without sound and check whether the main idea is still clear from the visuals and captions. On screen text also needs enough time to be read comfortably.

11. Shoppable Video Is Making It Easier to Buy While Watching

Commerce is becoming more integrated with video. YouTube reported 35 billion hours of shopping related video watched over a 12 month period, and it has been testing timed product features and QR based shopping experiences on TV.

For ecommerce, the appeal is fairly direct. A viewer can see the product in use and move toward purchase in the same viewing session.

That makes shoppable content especially useful when the product needs to be demonstrated rather than simply photographed, and it is one of the more practical video advertising trends for product brands.

You can see different approaches in our guide to product video examples.

12. AI Dubbing and Localization Are Helping Videos Reach More Markets

AI dubbing can extend an existing video into new markets after production. Wistia found that dubbing is one of the most common generative AI features used by video teams, behind captions. Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Portuguese were the most common dubbing languages in its report.

Localization is easier when the team plans for it during scripting. Clean narration and shorter on screen text leave more room for language versions that naturally run longer or shorter.

The same production can also support variations for different markets, products, or customer groups without rebuilding the full piece from scratch.

13. Video SEO Still Helps Evergreen Content Get Discovered

Video discovery now happens across Google, YouTube, social platforms, recommendations, and AI assisted interfaces. For SEO, the practical starting point is still the question the viewer is trying to answer.

If a video is supposed to rank for that question, answer it clearly in the script. Then give search engines enough context through the title, transcript, surrounding copy, and the page where the video lives.

That work is especially useful for evergreen videos because they can keep attracting viewers well after the launch campaign is over.

Which Video Trends Are Worth Testing First?

Choose video trends based on the business problem and the channel where the audience will see them:

Video Marketing Trends FAQ

What are the biggest video marketing trends in 2026?

The biggest shifts are short and long form working together, connected TV growth, LinkedIn video for B2B, AI assisted production, creator led content, webinars, video podcasts, repurposing, accessibility, shoppable video, localization, and video SEO.

Are short videos still popular?

Yes. Short form remains one of the largest discovery formats. Connect short clips with deeper content so that reach can lead to product understanding, search traffic, or conversion.

What are the main social media video trends?

Native vertical clips, creator led content, social repurposing, captions, live video, and platform specific edits remain important. LinkedIn has also become a major B2B video channel.

What video advertising trends should brands watch?

Connected TV, shoppable video, creator partnerships, product video, and platform specific paid social formats deserve attention. For creative examples, see our guide to animated ads and commercials. The right choice depends on whether the campaign is trying to create reach, consideration, or direct action.

Is long form video coming back?

Long form performs well when the viewer has strong intent and needs depth. Webinars, educational videos, podcasts, and detailed product content can all justify longer runtimes.

How is AI changing video marketing?

AI is speeding up planning, captioning, rough editing, repurposing, localization, and asset creation. It also increases the amount of generic content in the market, which makes human judgment, original ideas, and brand specific creative work more important.

How to Test These Trends in Your Own Strategy

Test one trend against a metric you already track. For short clips, that might be qualified reach and what viewers do next. For a webinar, look at attendance, replay views, or influenced opportunities. For localization, compare engagement between language versions.

Give the test enough time to produce a useful comparison. If the metric barely moves, stop forcing the trend and put the production time somewhere else.