Video marketing encompasses more than posting a video online and hoping for engagement. Product demos and explainer videos aim to make prospective customers more confident; testimonial videos serve as social proof; and behind-the-scenes videos let customers in on the inner workings of your brand.
For Sugardoh Founder Aliyah Marandiz, introducing new audiences to her at-home sugar waxing kits meant using videos to educate, entertain, and persuade—sometimes all at once. “The best education is education that people don’t know they’re actually learning from,” Aliyah says of her video marketing efforts on Shopify Masters. “They’re watching because they’re sucked into that satisfying element, then at the end they’re like, ’Wait, I just learned how to sugar!’”
This guide covers what video marketing is and how you can fit it into your digital marketing strategy.
What is video marketing?
Video marketing means creating online videos to promote a business, brand, or product. These kinds of videos can live on many surfaces, including product pages and social media platforms. Depending on your business goals, you might make short-form Instagram Reels to update customers on limited-time promotions or craft long-form YouTube videos that your audience saves for repeat viewings.
A thoughtful video strategy can pay off. HubSpot’s 2026 State of Marketing report found that 49% of businesses surveyed said short-form video was the content format that saw the highest return on investment (ROI). That’s compared to 23% who said blog posts were their highest-ROI content format. For the best results, combine video with written content to boost your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts.
Video SEO helps your videos appear within the search bar of social media platforms and keeps website visitors on blog posts and product pages for longer. For all of the types of video marketing explained below, implement many of the same best practices you do with static content. Incorporate relevant keywords, write detailed descriptions, and improve accessibility with captions.
9 types of video marketing
- Product demo
- Product comparison
- Short form
- Long form
- User-generated content
- Influencer
- Behind-the-scenes
- Brand story
- Live shopping
There are many approaches to creating videos, and whether it’s brand videos or how-to videos, they can all nurture shoppers through the stages of the customer journey. Here are the core types to consider weaving into your content strategy:
Product demo
Product demo videos show a product’s features, use cases, and benefits. This kind of video content can answer questions customers may have about the product and demonstrate how they solve customer problems. They naturally fit into the consideration stage of the customer journey, as prospective shoppers browse your online store or do more research on the products they want to buy.
Product demo videos are typically found on product pages and social media. For example, a fashion brand may make content showing how their clothes look when someone moves in them, as Kov Essentials regularly does on TikTok. Pashion Footwear incorporates short but illustrative videos of their shoes directly on product pages so shoppers can see how the boots or heels look in motion.
This helps customers experience the product without actually touching it, helping them feel more confident in their purchase decision.
Product comparison
A product comparison video shows two products side-by-side against the same set of details, like price, size, and features, so viewers can quickly assess how they stack up against each other. This kind of content can be helpful to customers who are doing a lot of research before making a purchase because the product is expensive or technical, and they need to look more closely at their options.
Comparison videos lend themselves to long-form video content that goes in-depth about product features. For example, an outdoor gear company could show how their tent compares to another by taking it out on a backpacking trip. In the video, viewers could see how both products deal with factors that they can encounter on their trips, like rain, wind, and setting up their camp.
This format also works well for companies selling a wide range of brands, like the auto parts dropshipper, Shock Surplus. The company regularly posts comparison videos on their YouTube profile to build brand authority and help customers navigate the vast array of options.
Short form
Short-form videos make an emotional appeal to viewers within a few seconds, delivering entertainment, a tidbit of information, or a unique sales pitch. They are often under a minute long, though platforms like TikTok and Reels now allow videos that are several minutes long.
For the phone case brand Wildflower Cases, short-form content plays a big role in their success. On Shopify Masters, President Dave Carlson says content creation has been their mantra. They’ve increased content production over the years to make more Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Their fun, entertaining, and engaging content sets them apart from tech accessory competitors, Dave says.
You can similarly use short-form videos to reinforce your brand personality, put money behind short video ads as part of a broader video marketing campaign, or remind followers about an upcoming promotion.
Long form
Long-form videos, a central aspect of a long-form content strategy, include in-depth product tutorials, interviews, and deep dives that give viewers valuable information about which product might be right for them.
There isn’t an ideal length for long-form videos. Instead, make the video that you feel delivers the most value as concisely as possible. Test different approaches that require different lengths and use the platform’s native analytics dashboard, such as YouTube Analytics. Look at audience retention and watch time to see where viewers tend to lose interest, and use that timestamp as a benchmark for future videos.
For example, a climbing brand might publish a long how-to video on knot-tying techniques that features their products in use. YouTube Shopping lets merchants tag products directly in videos and livestreams, connecting this kind of content to a purchase path.
This is the approach Mimi Ikonn took when she cofounded Luxy Hair, a line of hair extensions. To grow her brand’s YouTube channel, she leaned into her expertise and passion for the haircare space. Making long-form videos on YouTube is worth the effort, Mimi says on Shopify Masters, if you’re genuinely passionate about the topic. Plus, “You can repurpose the [long-form] content into smaller videos for YouTube Shorts,” Mimi says.
User-generated content
User-generated content (UGC) includes videos created by real customers rather than the brand, like customer testimonials, reviews, or everyday clips that feature the product’s use cases.
UGC videos can be featured on product pages and reshared on social media. For example, a skincare brand might repost a customer’s video showing how a product looks on their skin, giving other shoppers a realistic point of comparison that a studio photo can’t provide. Sonsie Skin is a great example of a brand that uses UGC on their product pages and home page to create a robust, authentic experience for shoppers.
UGC also provides social proof, which impacts purchase decisions. The UGC platform Bazaarvoice found that 65% of consumers depend on UGC, including videos, when making buying decisions.
Influencer
Influencer or creator marketing videos are videos you make in partnership with an influencer or content creator, ranging from a product mention after a free gift to a paid collaboration. There are many ways to solicit paid content and encourage organic influencer videos.
Pia Mance grew Heaven Mayhem into a $10 million accessories brand worn by celebrities in part thanks to a multipronged influencer video marketing strategy. As she explains on Shopify Masters, Pia would host community events that made for natural content creation opportunities, send influencers gifts in the hopes of an honest review, and reach out when influencers organically mentioned her products.
It wasn’t one celebrity endorsement or influencer video that made the difference, Pia says, but put together, these videos signalled trust and helped grow her brand.
Behind the scenes
Behind-the-scenes (BTS) videos show how a product is made or give a look at day-to-day operations, ranging from “how it’s made” footage to informal moments from the team’s workday. Behind-the-scenes videos can draw new customers in and support the loyalty stage by keeping existing customers engaged with the brand as it evolves.
The athleisure brand Set Active attributes its success in part to its BTS content. On Shopify Masters, Founder Lindsey Carter says, “The consumer lives and breathes for teasers. They want to get excited about something. And so, one of our content buckets at Set, one of our pillars is BTS.”
As she was building the brand, she shared video content that allowed the community to participate in how their products were made. This helped their audience grow to over 600,000 followers on Instagram today.
Brand story
A brand story video is a short, narrative video that shares a brand’s origin, mission, or values. These videos appear on a brand’s website on the About page, as a pinned video on a social media feed, on a brand’s YouTube profile, or all of the above. For example, a founder might describe the problem that led them to start the company, using photos and footage from the early days of the business.
For example, Belstaff made a cinematic YouTube video explaining the clothing brand’s rich, 100-year history. Meanwhile, Who Gives a Crap took a more humorous approach to telling the story of how they became a sustainable toilet paper company in their video, “Who Gives a Crap? We Do.”
Both videos invite prospective customers to understand the brand’s mission beyond making a profit. The style also underscores their brand identity.
Live shopping
Live shopping videos are livestreams where a host demonstrates and sells products in real time, and viewers can interact and buy on the spot. Livestream shopping videos happen on platforms like YouTube Live, TikTok Shop, and Instagram Live, or on dedicated live-shopping tools embedded on a brand’s own site.
For example, a food brand might host a live cooking session, showing their cutlery works for meal prepping. Pai, a skincare brand, hosts live online shopping events and sees an average conversion rate of 17%, according to a case study.
Shopify has several apps and integrations that allow you to connect your store to YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to enable live shopping.
Types of video marketing FAQ
What is the meaning of video marketing?
Video marketing means using online video to promote a business, brand, or product. It’s commonly part of a digital marketing strategy, as many of the video types exist on social media and on product pages.
What is an example of video marketing?
A product demo video on an ecommerce product page, a short-form TikTok showing a product in use, an influencer’s sponsored review, or a livestream shopping event are all examples of video marketing.
What are the types of video marketing?
The main types include product demo videos, product comparison videos, product launch videos, short-form social videos, user-generated content (UGC) videos, influencer/creator marketing videos, behind-the-scenes videos, brand story videos, live shopping videos, and long-form educational videos. All of them work to support different stages of the customer journey.