• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, July 12, 2016

According to its 2016 Social Video Forecast by Animoto, nearly two-thirds of all marketers are planning to incorporate video in their campaigns for the coming year, as investment in video promotion on social channels, and talent to support it, increases across the board.

The report examines how professional marketers and small and medium-sized business (SMB) owners are embracing the overlap of social media and video, compiled from a survey of 1,000 professional marketers and 1,000 SMB owners. The Animoto Social Video Forecast builds on the 2016 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, by the Social Media Examiner, detailing priorities for marketers and SMB owners.

Brad Jefferson, CEO of Animoto, says "… social video has become a must-have for businesses of all sizes… professional marketers are leading the charge in investment… small business owners are not far behind… a testament to the… ease and affordability of video distribution on social media platforms… (and) consumers' inclination towards video content…"

Video has reached new heights in marketing, says the report. 84% of marketers and 55% of SMB owners say they created or commissioned a marketing video in the past 12 months. As marketers see return on their video investments, they plan to invest further:

• 60% of marketers and more than half of SMB owners (55%) say video marketing is a "must-have" to stay relevant
• 76.5% of professional marketers and SMB owners who have used video marketing said it had a direct impact on their business
• 63% of marketers and SMB owners will increase investment in video next year

Facebook remains the powerhouse marketing platform, says the report, even as professional marketers begin to adopt and invest in newer channels like Snapchat and Instagram. YouTube also remains a stronghold for marketers, and is gaining in popularity with SMB owners:

• Facebook is the primary platform used by SMB owners and marketers for sharing and distributing video content. Both marketers and SMB owners rate its effectiveness more than eight times higher than any other social platform
• Of SMB owners and marketers who plan to spend money on social media in the next 12 months, two-thirds plan to promote video on Facebook, more than any other channel
• YouTube is the second most popular platform for sharing and distributing video content for both SMB owners and marketers. The report also projects that YouTube will see the most growth in paid video promotion by SMB owners over the next year. Instagram will see the most growth for paid video promotion among professional marketers

The majority of marketers are still looking for a competitive edge when using video as a promotion tool. As newer social media platforms add video capabilities, marketers are evolving their strategies and testing new platforms, says the report. They are also investing in talent that can help them advance their social video capabilities in the next year:

• Almost a quarter of marketers (23%) say they are "behind" or "way behind" competitors when it comes to video marketing, while 40% feel that they are just "on par"
• Both marketers and SMB owners rate Instagram as the most impactful mobile-centric platform, though marketers are more likely than SMB owners to spend money to advertise video on Instagram in the next 12 months (27.4% of marketers plan to, compared to 17.4% of SMB owners)
• Both SMB owners and marketers also plan to invest in talent in order to be more competitive. Respondents said they view video marketing as a more desirable skill for their team in the next 12 months compared to email, design, and written marketing materials.

N.B. The web-based survey was fielded April 25 through May 6, 2016 with a sample size of 1,000 marketers and 1,012 small business owners (margin of error +/- 3.1% at a 95% confidence level)

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