In 2026, short-form video dominates digital content consumption as attention spans continue to shorten and mobile-first platforms prioritize quick, engaging formats. Viewers spend nearly 100 minutes daily on online video, with short-form driving the majority of engagement across social media, eCommerce, and marketing channels.
This content format excels in capturing interest within seconds, boosting conversions, and influencing purchasing decisions in both B2C and B2B contexts. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts report billions of daily views, underscoring short-form’s role in modern marketing.
To provide a comprehensive reference, this article compiles over 60 short-form video statistics from recently published data within the last two years. Organized into key categories, these figures draw from primary research, platform disclosures, and industry reports for 2026 relevance.
Scope & Methodology
• Includes only publicly available short-form video statistics relevant for 2026.
• Based on the latest figures published within the last two years.
• Sources include primary research, first-party platform data, institutional studies, and industry reports.
• Each statistic is listed separately with its original source and study context.
• No estimates, forecasts, interpretations, or recommendations are included.
Key Short-form Video Statistics for 2026
- 82% of all internet traffic is expected to be video by 2026, with short-form driving the largest share of engagement, based on a 2026 report by Demand Sage via Firework.
- Videos under 1 minute average a 50% engagement rate, based on a 2026 report by Demand Sage via Firework.
- Retailers using shoppable short-form video see conversion lifts of 30% or more, based on 2026 internal data by Firework.
- 42% of marketers use short-form video to improve customer relationships and retention with personalized content, based on a 2026 study by Vidico via Firework.
- Videos shorter than 90 seconds retain about 50% of viewers through to the end, based on a 2026 report by Firework.
- Live commerce conversion rates can be up to 10x higher than standard eCommerce using short-form elements, based on 2026 data by Firework.
- 93% of marketers consider short-form video a central part of their overall strategy, based on a 2024 study by Wistia State of Video Report via Firework.
- The average person watches nearly 100 minutes of online video daily, representing a 25% increase from two years prior, based on a 2026 report by Benchmark Email.
- TikTok has more than 2 billion monthly active users, based on a 2026 report by Benchmark Email.
- YouTube Shorts see at least 50 billion daily views, based on a 2026 report by Benchmark Email.
- 21% of marketers say short-form videos deliver the highest ROI, making it the top-performing content format, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
Adoption and Usage Statistics
- 71% of marketers think that short-form videos in the 30 seconds to 2 minutes range perform the best, based on a 2026 report by Visla.
- 63% of consumers say they prefer short-form video when they want to learn about a product or service, based on a 2026 report by Visla.
- 29.18% of marketers leverage short-form videos like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, making it the most commonly used video format, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- 17.13% of marketers chose short-form video as their top investment priority for 2025, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- 81% of consumers want to see more short-form videos from brands, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- 72% of all branded video uploads across social platforms are now short-form content, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- 84% of marketers say short-form videos yield the highest ROI of any format, based on recent research by HubSpot via Envano.
- 73% of consumers say they prefer short-form videos to learn about products or services, based on a 2026 report by Sprout Digital.
- 57% of Gen Z choose short-form videos over other formats, based on a 2026 report by Sprout Digital.
Audience and Behavioral Statistics
- Short-form video continues to drive higher engagement than any other content type on social media, based on recent research reported in a 2026 article by Envano.
- Platforms like YouTube Shorts and TikTok pull in absurd views every day due to short-form preferences, based on a 2026 report by Visla.
- Instagram Reels have higher engagement than static posts, based on a 2026 report by Benchmark Email.
- LinkedIn video posts earn 3x the engagement of text-only content, based on a 2026 report by Benchmark Email.
Channel Performance Statistics
- YouTube Shorts averages over 70 billion daily views, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- YouTube Shorts had an engagement rate of 7.91% in H1 2025, the highest of all short-form video platforms, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- Instagram is the most effective video marketing platform, with 61% of marketers reporting success, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- LinkedIn ranks second for video marketing effectiveness at 59% of marketers reporting success, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- 29.58% of marketers plan to invest more in YouTube for short-form in 2025, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
Conversion and Acquisition Statistics
- Video content leads to a 157% increase in organic traffic from search engines, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- Videos under one minute average 16 seconds of watch time, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- The average engagement rate for 3-5 minute videos is 43%, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- How-to videos of 3-5 minutes see 74% engagement, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- The end of a 60+ minute video has a 65% conversion rate for lead gen forms, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- The 3rd quarter of a 1–3 minute video achieves a 58% conversion rate, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- Interactive video content has seen a 200% increase in engagement since 2021, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
Revenue and Business Impact Statistics
- 93% of marketers reporting strong ROI from video marketing in 2025, the highest percentage since tracking began, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- 90% of marketers report positive ROI from their video marketing efforts, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
- Live-streaming video ranks third at 15.53% for ROI among video formats, based on a 2026 study by SellersCommerce.
Trust, Influence, and Perception Statistics
- Micro-influencers deliver up to 60% higher engagement rates than macro creators in short-form video, based on a 2026 report by Stack Influence via Firework.
- 92% of consumers trust user-generated short-form content more than any other form of advertising, based on a 2026 report by Eneon via Firework.
Platform-Specific Statistics
- TikTok optimal aspect ratio is 9:16 with max duration of 3 minutes and features like text-to-speech and effects, based on a 2026 report by Benchmark Email.
- Instagram Reels optimal aspect ratio is 9:16 with max duration of 90 seconds and features like shopping tags and music, based on a 2026 report by Benchmark Email.
- YouTube Shorts optimal aspect ratio is 9:16 with max duration of 60 seconds and features like chapters and end screens, based on a 2026 report by Benchmark Email.
Industry-Specific Statistics
- In beauty, short-form tutorials and try-ons drive repeat engagement and basket size, based on a 2026 report by Beauty Industry Trends via Firework.
- In fashion, short-form styling videos boost discovery and brand storytelling, based on a 2026 report by Fashion Industry Trends via Firework.
- In grocery, quick short-form recipe videos increase cart value through bundle suggestions, based on a 2026 report by Grocery Store Marketing Strategies via Firework.
- In home improvement, short-form DIY walkthroughs and smart FAQs guide purchase confidence, based on a 2026 report by How AI Is Changing eCommerce Personalization via Firework.
References
- https://firework.com/blog/2026-short-form-video-stats
- https://www.benchmarkemail.com/blog/short-form-video-marketing-trends/
- https://www.sellerscommerce.com/blog/video-marketing-statistics/
- https://www.visla.us/blog/listicles/video-marketing-trends-for-2026/
- https://www.envano.com/2026/01/short-form-videos-continued-dominance-and-how-to-win/
- https://sprout-digital.com/short-form-video-ideas-2026/