47% of marketers struggle with this

Hey, Paige here!

Before we get into today’s best marketing research… 

In today’s release: 

• Why uploading in 4k isn’t enough to save your content strategy

• 68% of consumers share the key for increasing engagement

• What quality really means when it comes to performance

New here? Join 5,900 marketing leaders and see us in your inbox every Friday — sign up here.

DEEP DIVE

Adding video won’t save your marketing performance — I know, strange coming from a video podcasting agency. 

But the cold, hard truth: 

Video is only an accelerator and growth engine for content that’s already valuable.

Platforms make this pretty clear: 

• Instagram automatically lowers video quality on low-engagement posts 

• YouTube relies on retention, audience signals, CTR, and watch time to boost visibility.

• TikTok adds consistency to this list as a priority metric.

• LinkedIn favors higher production quality but still values watch time and relevance most.

Bottom line: Low performance might not have much to do with your production quality. Upload in 4k if you like, but first, ensure your content is actually valuable. 

And that value isn’t determined by your CEO — it’s decided by your audience. 

The data: 

• 68% of consumers engage more with brands that are helpful and relevant.

The strategy: Create content that addresses pain points, solves problems, or entertains meaningfully. This content can outperform visually stunning content that lacks depth. 

The data: 

• 81% of consumers want more interactive content that gives them a say in the content.

The strategy: Get your audience involved — use polls, live Q&As, and audience-led segments. With 67% of marketers using AI for targeting and personalization, you can further elevate engagement by letting the audience shape the content they see.

The data:

• 90% of consumers value authenticity, but 51% say less than half of all brands create content that resonates. 

The strategy: Dive deep into what your audience already loves. Develop a Dream 10, Model 10 to determine what’s already working. Take a personality-driven, video-first approach (89% of consumers want to see more video from brands). 

At the end of the day, upgrading your video content from 1080p to 4k won’t make a difference unless your content quality is already dialed up to max, in which case, increased production quality can make a huge difference. 

Investing in high-quality production is important. But you’ve got to get your content right first. 

With 47% of content marketers facing limited budgets for high production, focusing on meaningful engagement first is the smartest play. From there, increasing production quality will only amplify your content and reach.

The takeaway: High-quality video content starts with substance — focus on delivering real value, then let production polish amplify your message.