Beyond the Play Button: How Businesses are Winning at Video in 2025

Video isn’t the future—it’s the now. According to Wistia’s 2025 State of Video report, video continues to dominate as the most engaging and versatile form of content. But while consumption is up, engagement is dipping, and businesses are grappling with the demands of producing content that keeps viewers interested—and converts.

Here’s a snapshot of what’s happening in the world of video and what your business can do to stay ahead.

Video Production Is Booming—But So Are Challenges

• Over 40% of companies create at least one video per week, with mid-sized businesses averaging three videos a week—double from the year before.
• 71% of companies now produce videos in-house, up from 63% in 2023, as more teams bring production under their own roof.
• Despite the growth, 58% say a lack of resources holds them back from scaling video output.

Actionable Insight: If budget or time is tight, focus on quality over quantity. Repurpose existing videos into shorter clips, teasers, or social content using AI-powered tools to stretch your investment.

AI: The Creative Multiplier

• 41% of professionals now use AI for video, more than double from the previous year.
• AI supports every stage of production—from scripting and idea generation to editing, translation, and captioning.
• The most used AI tools? Captions (61%), voice dubbing, and translation features that improve accessibility and reach.

Actionable Insight: Use AI not only to create faster, but smarter. Start your process with AI-assisted brainstorming or scripting, and end with auto-captioning or dubbing to broaden your audience.

Where You Place Videos Matters—A Lot

• Top-performing pages include:
  • Course pages: 35% play rate
  • Video galleries: 33%
  • Contact pages: 32%
• Surprisingly, thank-you pages show high engagement—perfect for next-step messaging or gated content.

Actionable Insight: Audit your site and strategically embed videos on pages where users are most engaged. Don’t underestimate less obvious places like contact or confirmation pages.

Shorter Videos, Higher Expectations

• Video engagement dropped 7% in 2024, the biggest decline in four years.
• Short-form videos (under 5 minutes) took the biggest hit, especially if they didn’t deliver value fast.
• How-to videos still reign supreme for holding attention, especially in the sub-5-minute range.

Actionable Insight: Hook your audience in the first 5 seconds. Skip the long intros and get straight to the value—especially in short videos.

Interactive Features Boost Conversions

• Videos with lead generation forms convert at a rate of 24%, the highest among interactive features.
• CTAs placed at the right time (such as early in short videos or mid-way in longer ones) can boost conversions by up to 40%.

Actionable Insight: Add lead forms or CTAs to your most-watched videos and A/B test their placement. Embed these videos on landing pages and blog posts for maximum ROI.

Webinars: Underrated Yet Mighty

• Webinars are the second-most impactful video type, just behind product demos.
• Most companies host webinars on a tight budget, yet on-demand webinar content pulls in views for 3–4 months post-event.
• 89% of marketers repurpose their webinar content, turning it into blog posts, social clips, and email assets.

Actionable Insight: Start thinking of webinars as content goldmines. Plan them with repurposing in mind—clip them, gate them, translate them. One good webinar can fuel a quarter’s worth of content.

Final Thoughts

Video continues to evolve—from the tools we use to create it, to the expectations of the audiences who consume it. In 2025, the winners will be those who strategize smarter, not just produce more.

Whether you’re doubling down on webinars, rethinking your video placements, or embracing AI in your workflow, there’s never been a better time to make video a core part of your marketing strategy. Reach out to us for help in implementing your video strategy! We can direct, shoot, and edit!