The best video marketing channels to grow your brand this year

Video is no longer a nice-to-have. It’s now an absolute must and should be at the forefront of any marketing strategy. With almost half of Gen Z and millennials watching short-form video to discover new products, video is essential to increasing visibility and getting brand recognition.

But now the question is, where is the best place to post videos?

I’m here to help. Here’s a list of the best vlog promotion channels for your short-form, long-form, and live videos based on ROI, engagement, and lead generation.

Table of Contents

• What are vlog promotion channels?
• Best Channels for Short-Form Video
• Best Channel for Long-Form Video
• Best Channels for Live Video

With TikTok’s future uncertain, platforms like LinkedIn, X, and even Substack are taking this opportunity to woo TikTok’s audience (or “liberate them,” if you ask Substack’s CEO) and introduce features like dedicated video feeds, algorithm changes that prioritize videos, and new video advertising avenues for marketers.

And marketers, too, continue to see the value of video content. According to our 2024 State of Video Marketing Report, 37% of marketers found video to be very effective in helping them achieve their business goals.

Our 2025 State of Marketing Report also shows that in 2025, marketers will continue to invest more in video — particularly short-form video as it delivers the highest ROI (21.02%).

The data from consumers shows that investing more in video is a wise choice.

According to a Wyzowl survey, 78% say that they would rather watch a short video to learn more about a product than read articles or manuals, and a whopping 91% of consumers say that video quality impacts their trust in a brand.

To help you get started on creating high-quality videos, HubSpot has created a nifty AI-powered Clip Creator tool to help you create and edit videos. With a few clicks, you can create watermark-free videos for your social media channels. And for people who are already used to a certain workflow, we got you, too. We have a list of the top AI video editing tools that can help you with your next video.

Now, let’s get on to the best vlog promotion channels.

Best Channels for Short-Form Video

TikTok

Since launching in 2016, TikTok has upended social media, so much so that many platforms (including Instagram and LinkedIn) have been heavily investing in hosting and elevating vertical videos to capture more of TikTok’s audience.

It’s no surprise that many social media networks want to become more like TikTok, as TikTok users spend almost 44 hours on average per month on the app, according to Statista.

This is significantly more time than all the other apps on the list. Trailing behind in second place was the YouTube app, where users spent almost 25 hours a month on average, just a little over half of TikTokers time.

TikTok has grown beyond being *the platform* for viral dances (although there is still plenty of that), and has become a viable marketing option for those willing to get creative — and these stats prove it.

Pro tip: To learn more about TikTok marketing, I recommend checking out our free marketer’s guide to TikTok.

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Instagram

Instagram is the top platform for sharing videos, topping the charts in ROI, engagement, and lead generation over competitors like TikTok and YouTube. A Sprout Social survey also found that 61% of social media users turn to Instagram to find new products.

It offers a great deal of options, too, as marketers can play with multiple content formats on top of videos (think carousels, Lives, and Stories) while capturing the attention of an already engaged audience.

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LinkedIn

Marketers, don’t sleep on LinkedIn. In 2025, Wyzowl reported that for the first time, LinkedIn was the most widely used platform by marketers, after accidentally leaving out YouTube, the channel that usually claims the top spot, in their survey.

Caveats aside, LinkedIn is quickly becoming an emerging platform to post marketing vlogs, especially B2B marketing. They’ve introduced a new algorithm that prioritizes video over text or images, and rebranded their Wire Program to BrandLink which allows advertisers to pair up with content creators and publishers and place pre-roll ads before a trusted creator’s video.

Best Channel for Long-Form Video

YouTube

Hands-down, YouTube is the best channel for long-form videos. There’s no other platform like it.

YouTube has kept a competitive edge against other vlog promotion channels like TikTok and Instagram. Not only are people watching YouTube on their phones, but it has also captured a substantial share of people’s watch time on television, sometimes surpassing legacy networks like FOX, Disney, and NBC.

With its media dominance and reach, it’s no wonder that YouTube has emerged as a powerful marketing tool. In fact, almost 30% of marketers plan to increase their investment in YouTube in 2025, according to HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing and Trends report.

Participants also ranked YouTube as the third-best platform for ROI. While many marketers find success on YouTube for different reasons, its large user base (2.6 billion active users, to be exact) and advanced ad targeting certainly help.

If you're looking for the best place to host your long-form videos — like product demos, Q&As, behind-the-scenes content, and more – YouTube is the home for it all.

Pro tip: If you’re just getting started with YouTube as a vlog promotion channel, check out our complete guide on creating, promoting, and optimizing your video content.

TikTok

While TikTok is best known for bite-sized videos, creators can actually upload videos up to 60 minutes long. Over the years, the maximum video length has been slowly, well, ticking up. When it was first launched, TikTok started with a 15-second limit. Then, they upped it to 60 seconds, and then three minutes. You get the picture.

Data trends show that longer videos deliver more views and higher engagement.

An interesting study by Buffer shows that videos between one and 10 minutes in length get the highest number of views, have the highest reach, and the longest watch time on TikTok compared to videos under a minute. Creators with more followers also tend to have longer videos, according to Statista.

While people don’t generally think of videos under five minutes long as long-form, the data seems to show that audiences on TikTok — as well as the channel’s algorithm — seem to favor longer content.

Best Channels for Live Video

YouTube Live

With its massive user base, reach, and diverse audience, YouTube Live is an appealing option for your livestreaming needs. Data from Statista says that it was the most used live streaming channel in the United States in 2023.

Features like Super Chats, Super Stickers and membership gifting enable greater engagement with your audience and monetization avenues.

YouTube also provides powerful analytics on live videos. Check real-time analytics like concurrent viewers, likes, and chat rates, as well as post-stream stats like the number of new subscribers, total watch time, and more.

Instagram Live

With Instagram Live, you can stream from anywhere and invite guests to join your stream. There's plenty of opportunity for engagement: viewers can send emojis, write comments, and send donation badges.

Additionally, when you go live on Instagram, your followers receive a notification to tune in so your stream won't get lost in the crowd, which is more likely to happen on YouTube or Twitch.

Facebook Live

Like YouTube, Facebook boasts a massive audience spanning multiple age groups, although millennials take up the largest share.

Facebook Live is an excellent option if you‘re already active on the platform and have a healthy following. But if you’re still growing an audience, fear not — you can go live from a personal profile, page, or even a group.

With Facebook Live, you can edit previously recorded streams, chat with users using the live chat feature, and schedule your streams in advance. However, keep in mind that Facebook limits your stream length, and your monetization options aren't as robust as other platforms.

Want more? Check out this article on tips for Facebook Live.

But what about Twitch?

It feels odd to exclude Twitch from a conversation about live streaming, since it is the most popular streaming-specific platform in the world. That said, marketers report low engagement and ROI on the platform, and the content is heavily geared towards gamers and e-sports.

In 2024, non-gaming content constituted only 15% of Twitch streams, but there are some non-gaming marketers who have found success using Twitch. Billboard reported that in 2025, music marketers have found success promoting artists by partnering with established Twitch streamers, clipping moments from streams, and putting the shorts on places like TikTok or Instagram.

Back to You

It can be difficult to figure out how to approach video marketing. It takes time, money, and energy to create videos — making it imperative to find the best home for your content.

If you need some inspiration, first check out what’s already out there and see what you like. After you’ve done some research, think about your target audience and define some goals, such as lead generation, engagement, or brand awareness. Once you nail those down, it's easier to pick the platform to achieve them.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in July 2022 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.