The Future of Video Marketing: 8 Ways Not to Get Skipped in 2025
28/01/2025
Video isn’t going anywhere (though even a popular video-sharing platform like TikTok might). In 2025, the evolution of how consumers interact with content online will bring even more opportunities for businesses to rethink their video marketing strategies.
From the rise of short-form videos to cutting-edge AI tools, here are 8 strategies which marketing teams and retailers should leverage more moving forward.
Short-form videos
While TikTok, the platform synonymous with short-form videos, might be short-lived in the United States, the future of bit-sized clips is more secure. After all, TikTok isn’t the only platform where this type of video content generates impressive engagement. Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts have also set a clear preference for short-form content.
Let’s be clear, the benefit that short-form videos can offer retail brands is in the engagement that they can generate, not the time needed to create them. A shorter video doesn’t mean you’ll spend less time on video production and costs.
It still requires strategic messaging to leave a lasting impression. You’ll need to deliver value quickly which requires sharp storytelling skills.
Shoppable videos
Passive viewing is making way for active participation. Interactive videos that prompt users to click, choose, or engage with the content will rise in 2025.
Shoppable videos specifically will gain further traction in 2025. In fact, a survey completed in 2023 already revealed the potential of shoppable video content with 57% of ad agency professionals listing this format as the next frontier. With online shopping cart abandonment rates climbing gradually steadily the last decade and exceeding 70% in 2023 and 2024, expect eCommerce brands to leverage shoppable videos in the coming year to shorten the customer’s purchasing path and boost conversions.
These videos blur the lines between content and commerce, enabling viewers to seamlessly purchase featured products directly within the video. What’s more, interactive storytelling boosts retention and creates deeper connections by making the viewer an active participant in the content. From tagged products in fashion hauls to recipes linking directly to ingredients, its versatility also means that a wide range of industries can tap into this video marketing trend.
Video ads for retail media
The forecasted increase in digital retail media advertising spending worldwide is something to behold. According to the Statista Research Department, in three years from now it will reach over $176 billion. To put this growth into perspective, three years ago the estimated spending was merely $114.4 billion.
Retailers can benefit from this growth by monetizing their website with shoppable video ads that brands pay to showcase. With the ability to directly influence purchase decisions, video ads designed for retail media platforms will unlock new revenue streams—especially when paired with shoppable formats.
To help retailers capitalize on this opportunity, buywith has developed myAthena—an AI-driven digital studio tailored to reflect each brand’s unique style by following their own guidelines. This powerful tool transforms online stores by enabling brands to produce dozens of short, engaging UGC-style clips from a single, long-form video.
With myAthena, production costs and time are significantly reduced, while the relatable and impactful nature of UGC-style content resonates with audiences. By streamlining video ad creation and staying aligned with current video marketing trends, myAthena empowers brands to scale their advertising effortlessly and effectively.
Brand partnerships
Influencer marketing will still have a significant impact in the coming year. In 2025, the global influencer market size is anticipated to exceed $22 billion—a massive jump from the $9.7 billion it reached in 2020. As such, collaborating with popular influencers, video creators and even complementary brands will remain an effective way to leverage established audiences.
These partnerships can range from co-branded campaigns to influencer takeovers, providing authentic and relatable content. For inspo, you can look at the campaign between McDonald’s and Kai Cenat, a Twitch influencer, to introduce the Chicken Big Mac to the US market. A 12-second YouTube video in which Kai Cenat announces McDonald’s The Kai Cenat Meal generated 4 million views in just three months.
AI-powered videos
Artificial intelligence (AI) is significantly shaping the way videos are produced too. By 2025, it’s expected to be an indispensable tool in most marketers’ tech stack. AI tools like automated editing software and video generators are speeding up production processes and personalizing content at scale.
Additionally, AI-driven analytics will help creators optimize video performance by understanding what resonates most with their target audience. The ability to create, adapt, and improve video content faster will give forward-thinking retail brands a competitive edge.
Livestream shopping
Already a billion-dollar market in China, livestream shopping is steadily gaining traction in the United States too. In 2023, live streaming commerce sales in the US added up to about $50 billion. Forecasts predict that by 2026 it will reach nearly $68 billion to account for over 5% of all eCommerce sales in the country.
Unlike static product listings, live commerce offers a dynamic, interactive experience which can lead to between 20% and 30% higher conversion rates on average.
Consumers can ask questions and, what’s more, get an immediate response. This heightened engagement also fosters a sense of community. Plus, trust and credibility can also be increased. Where it took brands months to build with content, real-time product demonstrations boost product trust virtually immediately.
Looking at these numbers, it’s clear that 2025 is set to be a big year.
Personal tours
A video offering a personal tour, such as an immersive walkthrough of your brick-and-mortar store or even a storage facility, has found favor among target audiences. For brands, it provides the opportunity to share an in-depth look at their offerings from the comfort of the viewer’s home. It delivers something truly memorable to help distinguish yourself from competitors and personalize your brand, key when you’re selling exclusively online.
On top of that, it also helps brands to build trust and transparency, two traits that never go out of style.
Captioned videos
Inclusivity and accessibility will continue to guide video strategies in 2025 which means that captioned videos will become the norm. Not only do captions enhance the viewing experience for people with hearing impairments, but they also cater to audiences consuming content in sound-off scenarios. Think busy public spaces or office environments.
To simplify this process, buywith’s myAthena offers features that automatically generate subtitles and highlights for your videos. Additionally, the studio can identify and remove disengaging parts, ensuring content remains captivating from start to finish. By embracing these tools, digital marketers can boost SEO, improve engagement, and make videos more inclusive—all with minimal effort (and some AI magic).
Video isn’t a passing trend
Staying ahead of the curve in marketing has always required adopting the latest tools and trends. When it comes to video, it’s not abandoning the format altogether but rather finding new ways to introduce your brand and engage with audiences via video.
It’s visual and versatile—two features that marketing teams can use to their advantage. At the same time, it also presents challenges of its own.
You need to ensure that whatever you produce is high quality. Plus, you can’t serve only the same type of video to your target audience. Mix shoppable videos up with a personal tour of a factory or challenge a complementary brand to match your donation to a charity. This way, you’ll stay current and always have a long list of ideas for your next video.
Chief Marketing Officer at buywith
Yael Kochman is the Chief Marketing Officer at buywith, a leading video commerce platform and creator marketplace. Yael is a retail and commerce innovation expert and marketing leader with over 15 years of extensive experience in marketing and business development. Recognized as among the 100 influential people in retail tech and acknowledged by HubSpot as one of the 59 female marketers to follow, Yael’s remarkable career spans co-founding Re:Tech, an innovation hub for retail tech.
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