B2B marketing is often labeled as dull, uncreative and boring, but that couldn’t be further from the truth! Just like any other type of marketing, B2B campaigns must capture their audience’s attention. Whether you’re targeting a grocery store shopper or a procurement manager responsible for purchasing manufacturing parts, at the end of the day, you’re still reaching people. And people love to be entertained and engaged through storytelling. One of the most powerful ways to tell a story in B2B marketing is through video.
Video has proven to be a powerful tool for storytelling, education and engagement, making it an essential component of a successful B2B marketing strategy. In this blog, we’ll explore types of video options and the benefits to video.
One of the first steps a marketer must ask is what do we want this video to do for us? Secondly, who is our intended B2B audience for this video? Answer those questions and you can move forward with production and utilize one of the many types of videos that are great for the B2B arsenal. Such as:
- Explainer Videos: Explainer videos are perfect for breaking down complex products or services into easily digestible content. An explainer video might walk viewers through a new project management software, showcasing how it helps teams collaborate more efficiently by managing tasks, timelines and resources all in one place. This helps reduce the learning curve and increases the likelihood of engagement from decision-makers.
- Customer Testimonials: Testimonials from satisfied clients provide social proof, which can be incredibly persuasive in the B2B decision-making process. For example, a logistics company could create a testimonial video featuring a satisfied client, perhaps a business that improved its supply chain efficiency through its services. This builds trust and credibility, making it easier for potential clients to justify their purchasing decisions.
- Product Demos: Demonstrating your product in action can be a game-changer for B2B buyers. Product demos give prospects a clear idea of how your solution works. For example, a tech company launching a new 3D printer could produce a product demo video. The video might start by showing how the printer works, highlighting its ease of use, speed and the quality of the prints. This hands-on view can be a deciding factor in the purchasing process, especially for complex or high-ticket items.
- Thought Leadership Videos: These videos can help position your company as an industry leader. This can include webinar content, where you can often interact in real-time with your audience. For example, a power company might create a thought leadership video discussing the latest trends in renewable energy. Insightful video content like this can help position your company as an authority in your industry. By sharing insights and expertise, you build trust with your audience, attract followers and ultimately drive qualified leads.
Once the video is produced, it can be used across multiple platforms, including the company website, social media channels, email campaigns and recorded webinars. Not only does it help with telling your brand story and educating on a particular product or service, but video can also be beneficial for:
- Enhanced Engagement and Retention: Video content is inherently engaging. Studies have shown that viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to just 10% when reading it in text.
- Building Trust and Credibility: Trust is a critical factor in B2B relationships, and video content can help build that trust by humanizing your brand. Product demonstrations, customer testimonials and behind-the-scenes videos can showcase your expertise and reliability.
- SEO Benefits: Video content can significantly improve your search engine rankings. Search engines favor websites with diverse content types. Videos can keep visitors coming back to your website and keep them on your site longer, reducing bounce rates and signaling to search engines that your content is valuable.
Here at MMC, we’re advocates for great video content for all the benefits listed above. I personally have two clients that are currently using explainer videos and thought leadership videos as strong supplements to their marketing mix. Overall, I believe video content is a powerful tool for B2B marketers to tell their brand’s story and showcase it in ways that print marketing often cannot, by creating engaging and informative content for the B2B consumer. So, when you’re rolling out your next big B2B marketing campaign be sure to include video so that you can connect with your audience and ultimately grow your business.
This blog is courtesy of MMC Account Manager Alex Diaz.