By Caz Openshaw at Creative Lens Video
Something has definitely shifted in the way businesses across Leeds and Yorkshire are approaching their marketing.
A few years ago, video was still considered a premium extra – something the bigger brands did, with significant budgets and dedicated teams. Today, it has become one of the most expected, most effective, and most accessible tools a business of any size can use.
I have seen this shift first hand, working with businesses across Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region. The conversations I am having now are different from the ones I had five years ago. Business owners are not asking me whether they need video. They are asking which type they should start with.
So what is driving it and what does it mean for businesses in the West Yorkshire region?
According to Wyzowl’s 2026 State of Video Marketing report, 91% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool – matching an all-time high.
That figure has risen from 61% a decade ago. The shift has been steady, and it shows no signs of reversing.
For businesses in Leeds and Yorkshire, that matters for a simple reason. If your competitors are using video and you are not, the gap in how professional and credible you appear online is widening whether you notice it or not.
Your website, your social media, your email marketing – these are the shop windows of your business. And increasingly, the businesses that stand out in those spaces are the ones with clear, high-quality video content that shows who they are and what they do.
82% of marketers say video marketing has given them a good return on investment in 2026 – a figure that has remained consistently above 80% for multiple consecutive years.
Businesses using video grow revenue 49% faster than those that do not.
However, I want to be careful about throwing statistics around without context. These are global figures, and not every video investment delivers equal results. The quality of the content, how well it is targeted, and where it is placed all matter enormously.
But in my experience working with businesses across Leeds (from independent tradespeople to established organisations) the pattern holds. A well-made video that is used consistently and placed in the right places does measurable things. It keeps people on websites for longer. It generates more enquiries. It gives sales conversations a warmer starting point because the potential client already feels like they know you before they pick up the phone.
Leeds is a genuinely thriving business city. The professional services sector, the food and drink scene, the construction and property industry, the creative and tech communities – all of it is growing, all of it is competitive, and all of it is increasingly digital in how it reaches customers and recruits talent.
The businesses I see using video most effectively in this region are not necessarily the biggest ones with the largest budgets. They are the ones that have worked out what they want to say, who they want to say it to, and have invested in saying it properly.
A solicitor in Harrogate who has a clear, confident video on their website explaining their approach to family law. A builder in Wakefield with a set of FAQ videos answering the questions every new client asks. A restaurant in the Calls with a short film that captures the atmosphere and makes you want to book a table before you have even looked at the menu.
All of these are achievable for small and medium-sized businesses in Yorkshire. None of them require Hollywood budgets. All of them make a genuine difference to how a business is perceived.
Based on what I am seeing with clients across Leeds and Yorkshire, these are the formats delivering the most consistent results.
FAQ videos. Arguably the most underused format in business marketing. Short videos that answer the questions your customers ask most often. They save time, they build trust before anyone has even made contact, and they work across your website, your emails, and your social media. I have written more about these separately – they deserve their own post.
Brand films. A short, well-made film that captures who you are, what you stand for, and why a customer should choose you. These work particularly well on homepages and LinkedIn, where first impressions carry real weight.
Testimonial videos. Written reviews are good. Seeing and hearing a real customer talk about their experience is considerably more powerful. A 60 to 90 second testimonial video from a satisfied client does more for trust than almost any other piece of content.
Event coverage. Leeds has a busy calendar of business events, conferences, and awards. If your business or organisation is involved in any of them, having professional coverage creates content you can use for months afterwards.
Social media content. Short-form video remains the most leveraged media format in marketers’ content strategies in 2026, with 66% of consumers finding short-form video the most engaging type of content. For businesses in Leeds and Yorkshire, LinkedIn and Instagram are where most of this opportunity currently sits.
The most common reasons I hear from local businesses for not yet investing in video are not budget. They are uncertainty – not knowing where to start, not feeling confident on camera, not being sure what kind of video would actually make a difference for their specific business.
All of these are solvable. They are conversations I’m happy to have – not obstacles.
The businesses that are pulling ahead with video in Leeds and Yorkshire right now are not the ones with the most confidence or the biggest marketing teams. They are the ones who had the conversation, made a start, and found that the process was considerably less daunting than they had expected.
If you are at that stage (curious, but not yet sure where to begin) that is exactly where I like to start. An initial conversation costs nothing and quite often turns into a plan that is more achievable than you might think.
One thing I always say to businesses who are new to video is this: you do not need to do everything at once. Start with one thing. Make it good and use it properly. Then we can build from there.
For most businesses in Leeds and Yorkshire, that first thing is either a brand film for the website, a set of FAQ videos, or a testimonial from a great client. Any of those three is a strong starting point, and any of them will begin to change how your business is perceived online almost immediately.
The businesses investing in video in the West Yorkshire region right now are not doing it because it is fashionable. They are doing it because it works and because the longer they wait, the wider the gap between them and the businesses that started already.
If you would like to talk about what video could do for your business in Leeds or across Yorkshire, I would love to hear from you. Get in touch at creativelensvideo.com or drop me a message directly.
Everything I’ve described above comes back to one thing: taking the time to think properly before the camera comes out.
The best corporate videos I’ve made have always started with a really good conversation. Not a long email chain, not a rushed phone call, but a proper sit-down where we get to the heart of what a business is trying to say and who they are trying to say it to.
From there, the creative decisions become much easier. The filming runs more smoothly. The edit takes less time. And the finished result is something the client genuinely wants to share.
If you are thinking about corporate video production and want to talk through what might work for your business, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch at creativelensvideo.com or drop me a message directly.
About the author: Caz Openshaw is the founder of Creative Lens Video, a professional video production company based in Leeds. With 15 years of experience and a First Class degree in Media Production, she works with businesses across the UK to create corporate films, FAQ videos, event coverage and brand content that actually does what it is supposed to do.
