The numbers are in and brands are creating video content, but they aren't always sharing it strategically.

Online video content is already on the front burner for content marketers, and it’s probably somewhere near the top of their 2014 priority lists. Many brands have made it over the adoption hurdle by accepting that companies can – and should – create videos that entertain prospects as they move through the sales funnel. Marketers past this first phase now face another challenge – giving their digital content the audience it deserves through strategic social sharing.

Around 60 percent of marketers already share the videos they create on social networks, according to a survey by Unisphere Research. Still, 59 percent said they want to broaden their reach with wider distribution. The data revealed video is the content type that marketer think needs the most attention, as respondents’ desire to increase social distribution surpassed text-based articles by 6 percent, blog posts by 15 percent and email newsletters and press releases by 22 percent.

59 percent of marketers want to broaden their video reach with wider distribution.

What – or who – holds video back?

Brands that have yet to hit their stride with their video distribution – and expected ROI – might be held back by poorly developed hosting strategies. In terms of video marketing, production is just one factor that contributes to success. It’s certainly an important one, but even award-worthy product demos or video blogs could fall off the radar if they aren’t properly hosted and then promoted.

Around 65 percent let their videos live off of home domains on YouTube, but only around 60 percent share on social.

This may be the case with the 80+ percent of marketers who said they use video as part of their on-site content marketing, according to the 2013 Online Video Marketing Trends report. Around 65 percent let their videos live off of home domains on YouTube, but only around 60 percent make the leap to social channels as well.

No ‘spray and pray’ – share smart

To get video campaigns off the ground and in front of brands’ target audiences, marketers may need to take some risks by sharing clips on channels and measuring the response. Of course, there are guidelines for developing a hosting strategy, such as saving product-centric clips on landing pages and publishing timely vlogs on YouTube channels. Check out Brafton‘s other tips for best video hosting practices.

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.