The video marketing landscape of 2026 is more crowded and competitive than ever. If you sometimes feel like you’re shouting into a void, you aren’t alone. Video marketing best practices continue to shift, especially as competition for a few precious seconds of a viewer’s attention grows more fierce.
According to recent data from Wyzowl, a staggering 91% of businesses plan to use video in 2026. This figure has held steady for several years in the face of newly introduced headwinds. Despite the challenges of shifting algorithms and the rise of generative AI (and the video slop that often accompanies it), marketing teams are producing more content than ever.
When it comes to video marketing best practices, the videos you create are only as good as the strategy behind them. Success isn’t just about making more videos – it’s about creating a smarter system for strategy, production, and testing.
This article highlights five video best practices teams are using to create content that actually performs in 2026.
1. Don’t start with a video idea — start with a clear objective
It might be tempting to walk into a brainstorm and ask, “What should we film this week?” or “What’s a cool animation we could make?” However, starting with the “what” instead of the “why” is a common pitfall that can lead to muddy results.
One key element of best practices for video marketing is defining a clear outcome before a single frame is shot. A good strategy starts with a goal. If you don’t know what you want the video to accomplish, you won’t know how to measure its success, and your audience certainly won’t know what to do after watching it.
What makes a good objective for a video?
In 2026, a strong objective must be:
- Defined and actionable: It identifies the exact action you want the viewer to take (e.g., click a link, sign up for a trial, or change their perception of a brand).
- Tied to business metrics: It isn’t just about “views.” It’s about activation, retention, or conversion.
- Aligned with audience needs: It balances business goals with what the viewer actually finds valuable.
Successful production teams have shifted their mindset toward experimentation over perfection. They use clear objectives to create alignment and help them move faster and more decisively. When everyone knows the goal, decisions about script, tone, and length become much easier.
Weak vs. strong objectives:
- Weak: “Promote our new product feature.” (Too vague, no measurable outcome.)
- Strong: “Educate users about Feature X to improve the activation and adoption rates by 15%.” (Clear, targeted, and measurable.)
As Kyle Miller, Video Production Manager at Storyblocks, puts it: “Organizing your thoughts, drilling down and simplifying the idea of a video as much as you can before you begin it — make it as simple as you possibly can.”
2. Go beyond demographics and create for specific behaviors
A decade ago, knowing your audience meant knowing their job title, age, and location. In 2026, that information is surface-level at best. High-performing teams have evolved their video advertising best practices to focus on how their audience consumes content, not just who they are.
Before you enter production, you need to answer these behavioral questions:
- Where does your audience go to learn and discover new information?
- What video formats and media do they already consume daily?
- What specific problem are they trying to solve at this exact moment?
The best way to find these answers is to go directly to the source. Talking to your customers provides insights a spreadsheet simply can’t offer.
Kyle Denhoff, Director of Marketing at HubSpot, emphasizes this approach: “I talk to our customers and ask them what they’re doing — what are your media consumption habits? Do you listen to podcasts every week? Do you read newsletters? Then we look at where people are getting their information and invest there.”
For example, if your audience is in the “consideration” phase and comparing products, they’re probably not looking for a flashy 30-second ad. They are more likely looking for deep-dive demonstration videos or educational walkthroughs. When the format of your video matches the audience’s behavioral expectations, engagement rates skyrocket.
3. Build repeatable production workflows to scale
As the demand for video notches fresh all-time highs years after year, many creative teams find themselves overwhelmed. The difference between a team that burns out and a team that scales lies in their systems.
Companies producing multiple high-quality videos a week aren’t necessarily hiring massive departments, they are implementing video marketing best practices through repeatable workflows. They have built a system they can use over and over again without reinventing the wheel.
Elements of a scalable video production system:
- Clear ownership: Everyone knows who makes the final call on a script or edit.
- Streamlined approvals: Using tools that allow for frame-accurate commenting to avoid long, confusing email chains.
- Shared resources: Utilizing stock libraries, templates, and brand kits so that “starting from scratch” is a thing of the past.
As Kaitlyn Rossi, Creative Director at Storyblocks, puts it: “Coming up with new creative ideas while keeping up with the content engine is a tough challenge. There’s a lot of content competing for your audience’s attention, so you need to show up often and with real effort.”
Part of this effort involves democratizing video creation. In 2026, video is no longer the sole responsibility of the “video guy.” Marketers, sales reps, and internal advocates all play roles in the creation process, using shared tools to drive output without bottlenecking the core production team.
In our Video Strategy Guide, we break down how modern teams structure these workflows in-depth and assign ownership across stakeholders to maximize efficiency.
4. Stay on top of emerging trends
The landscape of video best practices is constantly shifting. From the rise of AI-assisted editing tools to the emergence of immersive new video formats, marketers must stay informed. However, there is a massive difference between staying informed and “trend-chasing.”
Successful teams do not blindly follow every viral dance or meme. Instead, they evaluate trends through the lens of their core objectives. They ask whether a trend resonates with their specific audience and helps achieve their business goals.
At Storyblocks, we recognize how difficult it is to filter the signal from the noise. That’s why we create a yearly trend guide that analyzes emerging visual and content trends, placing them in the context of broader audience engagement.
In our 2026 Trends Guide, we break down the most important shifts shaping video creation this year—and how marketers can strategically take advantage of them without losing their brand identity.
5. Treat video marketing as a continuous experiment
The final, and perhaps most important, of the best practices for video marketing is a change in philosophy. The smartest marketers in 2026 don’t expect every single video to be a viral sensation. Instead, they treat their entire video presence as a series of ongoing experiments.
The process is a cycle:
- Form a hypothesis: Based on your strategy, what do you think will resonate?
- Test: Create the video (or better yet, three versions with different hooks).
- Measure: Analyze the audience response and retention graphs.
- Iterate: Double down on what works and cut what doesn’t.
As Kyle Denhoff from HubSpot puts it: “We run experiments. Someone has a hypothesis, we test it, and if it works, we reinvest in it again.”
Through this constant testing, you uncover insights that no “expert” could give you. You learn exactly which messaging drives action and which channels provide the highest quality leads. This data-driven approach ensures that your video advertising best practices are tailored specifically to your unique brand and audience.
Focus on strategy over stardom
To recap, the five video marketing best practices for 2026 are:
- Start with objectives, not just ideas.
- Target behaviors, not just demographics.
- Build systems that allow for repeatable, scalable production.
- Monitor trends without losing sight of your goals.
- Experiment constantly to find what truly moves the needle.
In the end, succeeding with video in 2026 isn’t about having the biggest budget or the flashiest effects. It’s about making strategic choices. It’s about moving away from the “one-off” video mindset and toward a sustainable strategy that delivers value to your audience and results to your business.
Ready to build your own engine for success? Download A Practical Guide to Building a High-Performing Video Strategyfor a complete, step-by-step walkthrough on how to create an effective video strategy that drives real results in today’s competitive market.
