Short-Form Video Marketing Statistics 2026
The definitive collection of short-form video marketing data — adoption rates, ROI, engagement benchmarks, ad spend, and platform comparisons with verified sources.
91%
Businesses using video as a marketing tool in 2026
Source: Wyzowl 2026
Last updated: 2026-02-01
Marketer Adoption & Usage
Short-form video is the most leveraged content format for marketers worldwide, with near-universal adoption.
91%
Businesses using video as a marketing tool — tied for an all-time high.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
93%
Marketers who say video is an important part of their strategy.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
#1
Short-form video is the most leveraged content format by marketers in 2026.
Source: HubSpot 2026
92%
Marketers who plan to spend the same or more on video marketing in 2026.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
54.5%
Brands using TikTok as a marketing platform.
Source: HubSpot 2026
82%
Marketers using YouTube as their primary video platform — the most widely used.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
Video Marketing Adoption Over Time
Percentage of businesses using video as a marketing tool (2016–2026).
ROI & Business Impact
Video consistently delivers the highest ROI among all content formats, with direct impact on conversions and sales.
82%
Marketers who say video marketing has given them a good ROI.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
93%
Video marketers who say video increased user understanding of their product.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
93%
Video marketers who say video has helped increase brand awareness.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
85%
Video marketers who say video has helped generate leads.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
83%
Video marketers who say video has directly helped increase sales.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
4.8%
Website conversion rate with video vs 2.9% without — a 65% improvement.
Source: SundaySky 2025
85%
Consumers who have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a video.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
Top ROI-Driving Content Formats
Percentage of marketers ranking each format as their top ROI driver.
2.5×
Short-form videos get 2.5× more engagement than long-form content on social platforms.
Short-form video's engagement advantage is driven by higher completion rates, snackable content formats, and algorithm prioritization across all major platforms.
Source: Vidico 2026
Engagement & Performance Benchmarks
Short-form videos dominate engagement metrics across platforms, with significantly higher completion rates and viewer retention.
50%
Viewer retention rate for videos under 90 seconds on average.
Source: Marketing LTB 2025
70%
Higher completion rate for videos under 2 minutes vs videos over 5 minutes.
Source: Wistia 2025
60–70%
YouTube Shorts viewers who watch until the end — far above long-form drop-off rates.
Source: Zebracat 2025
2.80%
TikTok average engagement rate in 2024, projected to reach 3.15% in 2025.
Source: AutoFaceless 2026
0.65%
Instagram Reels average engagement rate.
Source: AutoFaceless 2026
20–25s
YouTube Shorts optimal length for highest completion rate.
Source: Zebracat 2025
60–90s
Instagram Reels length that consistently delivers the highest engagement rates.
Source: Socialinsider 2025
90%
Consumers who watch short-form videos daily.
Source: Vidico 2026
Short-Form Video Platform Comparison
How TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels stack up on key marketing metrics.
| Metric | Metric | TikTok | YouTube Shorts | Instagram Reels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Active Users | Monthly Active Users | 1.6B+ | 2B+ | 1.8B+ |
| Avg Engagement Rate | Avg Engagement Rate | 2.80% | 5.91% | 0.65% |
| Viewer Retention | Viewer Retention | 78% | 73% | 65% |
| Market Share (short-form) | Market Share (short-form) | 40% | 20% | 20% |
| Best Video Length | Best Video Length | 21–34 seconds | 20–25 seconds | 60–90 seconds |
| Daily Views | Daily Views | N/A | 70B+ | 200B+ |
Engagement Rate by Short-Form Platform
Ad Spend & Market Size
Short-form video advertising is the fastest-growing segment of digital ad spend, with double-digit annual growth.
$115.8B
Projected digital short-form video ad spend in 2025.
Source: Statista 2025
13.68%
Expected CAGR for short-form video advertising from 2025 to 2030.
Source: Statista 2025
$219.7B
Projected short-form video ad market volume by 2030.
Source: Statista 2025
32%
Brands ranking TikTok in their top 3 platforms for ROI.
Source: HubSpot 2026
85%
Marketers who planned to increase video spend in 2025.
Source: Sellers Commerce 2026
21–30%
Typical video marketing budget allocation as a share of total marketing spend.
Source: Vidico 2026
Short-Form Video Ad Spend Growth (Billions USD)
Consumer Preferences & Behavior
Consumers overwhelmingly prefer video content — especially short-form — for learning about products and brands.
96%
People who have watched an explainer video to learn about a product or service.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
84%
Consumers who want to see more videos from brands in 2026.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
89%
Consumers who say video quality impacts their trust in a brand.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
75%
People who prefer learning about products through video rather than text.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
90%+
Gen Z and Millennials who watch short-form videos on TikTok, YouTube, or Instagram.
Source: NuVoodoo 2025
59%
Gen Z users who use short-form video apps to discover content before watching longer versions.
Source: Morning Consult 2025
71%
Marketers who believe videos between 30 seconds and 2 minutes are most effective.
Source: Wyzowl 2026
How Consumers Prefer to Learn About Products
Algorithm & Organic Reach
Social platforms increasingly prioritize short-form video in their algorithms, giving marketers outsized organic reach.
50%
More Reels from same-day creators surfaced after Meta's October 2025 algorithm update.
Source: Sprout Social 2026
20%
Year-over-year jump in average inbound engagements for brands in 2025.
Source: Sprout Social 2025
50%
Share of time Instagram users spend on the app watching Reels.
Source: Sprout Social Index 2025
52%
YouTube users most likely to engage with brands' short-form videos under 60 seconds.
Source: Sprout Social Index 2025
7.6%
Instagram's average organic reach per post — Reels outperform static content.
Source: Sprout Social 2026
5.9%
Facebook's average organic reach — video posts see higher reach than text or images.
Source: Sprout Social 2026
Short-Form Video Marketing Milestones
Musical.ly reaches 100M users; vertical video goes mainstream.
100M users
TikTok launches globally after merging with Musical.ly. IGTV launches on Instagram.
271M TikTok MAU
Instagram launches Reels. YouTube announces Shorts. Short-form video explodes during the pandemic.
689M TikTok MAU
YouTube Shorts officially launches worldwide. TikTok surpasses 1 billion MAU.
1B TikTok MAU
Short-form video becomes the #1 content format for marketers. TikTok ad revenue reaches $14.6B.
#1 content format
YouTube Shorts monetization launches. TikTok Shop goes live in the US.
70B daily Shorts views
Short-form video ad spend surpasses $99B globally. 89% of businesses use video marketing.
$99B ad spend
Sprout Social finds audiences want short-form video across all platforms. 91% business adoption.
91% adoption
Short-form video projected to reach $132B in ad spend. AI-generated short-form content rises.
$132B projected
Viewer Retention by Video Length
Average percentage of viewers who watch until the end, by video duration.
Frequently Asked Questions
Optimize Your Short-Form Video Strategy
Use ShortsIntel's free tools to benchmark engagement rates, find the best posting times, and measure campaign ROI.
Sources
- Wyzowl — Video Marketing Statistics 2026
- HubSpot — 2026 Marketing Statistics
- HubSpot — 2026 State of Marketing Report
- Vidico — Short-Form Video Statistics 2026
- Vidico — Video Marketing Statistics 2026
- AutoFaceless — Short-Form Video Statistics 2026
- Marketing LTB — Short Form Video Statistics 2025
- Sprout Social — 2025 Index
- Sprout Social — 2025 Content Benchmarks Report
- Sprout Social — Organic Reach 2026
- Sprout Social — Social Media Video Statistics
- Socialinsider — Social Media Video Statistics 2025
- SundaySky — 2025 Video Marketing Statistics
- Statista — Digital Video Advertising Worldwide
- DemandSage — Video Marketing Statistics 2026
- Sellers Commerce — Video Marketing Statistics 2026
- Zebracat — YouTube Shorts Statistics
- NuVoodoo — Short Form Video Explodes in Popularity
- Morning Consult — Gen Z Short-Form Video Usage
- Wistia — Video Marketing Statistics
Related Statistics
91%
Businesses using video marketing
View statistics1.6B+
Monthly active users
View statistics70B+
Daily Shorts views
View statistics