Digital marketing agency Visibility IQ has published results of a research study into the online viewing habits of web users, providing a compelling reason for brands to invest in online video – most prominently, the fact that 78% of UK adults use the internet to watch a video every week.

And we’re not just talking about music videos or TV catch up: hobby videos proved most popular, watched by more than half of users every week (54%), and almost half (46%) watch brand-related videos every week. A further 36% watch product demonstrations, and one in five watch instructional videos.

Why is this good news for brands? Well according to the report, 96% of users cited purchase consideration as their primary motive for watching these videos, with 57% going on to purchase an item after seeing it in an online video. Furthermore, over half of those watching brand-related content will share it with friends, creating a cost-effective, personal introduction to potential new customers.

These results demonstrate consumers’ readiness to invest time in a brand, and also the tremendous pay-off to be had by brands willing to invest the same. Unsurprisingly, though, the report states that people are more likely to regularly watch videos using their smartphones, tablets or internet-TVs instead of the conventional PC or laptop, so brands considering video as a path of engagement must take this into account when producing content.