This guide dives into the heart of effective B2B video marketing. From understanding the types of videos that resonate with your audience to strategic distribution tactics, and the compelling reasons to start immediately.
Unlock the secrets to transforming your B2B marketing strategy and engaging your target audience more effectively than ever.
What is B2B video marketing?
Simply put, B2B video marketing is the use of video content to promote a business, product, or service to other businesses. It differs from B2C (business-to-consumer) video marketing in that the target audience is other businesses instead of individual consumers.
Businesses today are constantly looking for new ways to reach their target audience and stand out from the competition. B2B video marketing provides a unique opportunity to do just that. By creating engaging video content that speaks directly to businesses, you can capture their attention and build trust with your target audience.
Why is B2B video marketing important?
Now that we've defined B2B video marketing, you may be wondering why is video marketing so important compared to other B2B marketing methods.
Well here are 5 reasons:
- High engagement: Video is a captivating medium that can grab and retain the attention of your audience. This is especially crucial for businesses competing in crowded markets. On LinkedIn—the ultimate B2B marketing platform—video get 5x more engagement then other types of content.
- Versatility in sales funnel: Video marketing is effective at all stages of the sales funnel, from raising awareness and nurturing leads to closing sales. It's a versatile tool that can help drive conversions. More than 86% of marketers has said that video has helped them increase brand awareness, increase web traffic, generate leads, and directly increase their sales.
- Dynamic product/service showcase: Videos allow you to demonstrate your products or services in an engaging, dynamic way. You can clearly show how your offerings work, their benefits to businesses, and why they stand out from competitors. 91% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.
- Establishing thought leadership: By creating informative and educational videos, your brand can establish itself as an authority in your industry. This positions your brand as a thought leader and builds credibility. 83% of consumers prefer video over text for informational or educational content.
- Building strong relationships: Videos that address the specific challenges and pain points of your target audience show that you understand and are committed to their success. This helps in building stronger, more personal relationships with your audience. 87% of consumers say video quality impacts their trust in a brand.
Further reading: 23 facts you need to know about video in 2024
Creating a B2B video marketing strategy
Creating a successful B2B video marketing is easier said than done. Here are some key things to think about when you get started.
Set goals and objectives
Before you start creating videos, it's important to know what you hope to achieve with your B2B video marketing strategy.
Are you trying to increase brand awareness?
For example, if your goal is to increase brand awareness, you may want to create a series of videos that showcase your company culture, values, and mission statement. These videos can help potential customers get to know your brand and build trust with your company.
Further reading: Turn smartphone videos into employer branding content in 3 steps
Are you trying to educate your audience?
If you're trying to educate and drive demand for your product or service, then turning the content you already have into videos is a great way to do that. For example, you can transform the content in your blog into video so that it is in a more engaging and digestible format for social media.
Further reading: Steal this hack to turn your articles into videos that get 5x the reach
Generate leads?
If your objective is to generate leads, you may want to create a video that highlights the benefits of your product or service and encourages viewers to sign up for a free trial or consultation.
Further reading: Use your case study to create leads
Boost conversions?
Finally, if your goal is to boost conversions, you may want to create a series of product videos that showcase the features and benefits of your product in action. These videos can help potential customers understand how your product can solve their pain points and ultimately lead to more sales.
Further reading: How to use AI to turn your product pages into product videos
By defining your goals and objectives, you can tailor your videos to meet those specific needs.
Identify your target audience
You've probably heard this a million times, but knowing your target audience is key to creating effective B2B videos that resonate with your viewers. Take the time to understand your ideal customer profile – their pain points, needs, and challenges – and create videos that speak directly to those issues.
For example, if your target audience is small business owners, you may want to create a series of videos that address common challenges faced by entrepreneurs, such as time management, budgeting, and marketing. These videos can help establish your company as a thought leader in your industry and build trust with potential customers.
If your target audience is enterprise-level companies, you may want to create more technical videos that showcase the features and benefits of your product or service. These videos can help establish your company as a reliable and trustworthy solution provider.
Use a variety of videos
Hoping for that one viral video to generate a flood of leads?
It's a common dream, but the reality is usually different. It often takes multiple interactions with your brand before someone decides to become a customer.
This is where the 'Rule of 7' comes into play, suggesting that customers need to see your brand at least seven times, sometimes even more, before they commit to a purchase.
To hit these multiple touchpoints, it's crucial to create and distribute a variety of videos. Each type serves a unique purpose in building familiarity and trust with your brand. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Explainer videos are a great way to introduce your company or product to potential customers. These videos typically explain complex ideas or concepts in a simple and engaging way.
- Product demo videos are a great way to showcase the features and benefits of your product in action. These videos can help potential customers understand how your product works and how it can solve their pain points.
- Customer testimonial videos are a great way to build trust with potential customers. These videos feature satisfied customers sharing their positive experiences with your product or service, which can help convince other potential customers to give your company a try.
- Webinars and live streams are another great way to engage with potential customers and establish your company as a thought leader in your industry. These formats allow you to interact with viewers in real-time and answer their questions, which can help build trust and credibility.
Maximize your existing content - no need to start from scratch
A typical issue for B2B marketers venturing into video is lacking a clear strategy for creating the desired content. This often results in starting from scratch and unnecessarily complicating the workflow.
Here's a smarter approach: leverage your existing content.
Whether it's blog posts, ebooks, sales decks, case studies, product pages, or even the 'About Us' section on your website, these resources are goldmines for your video content.
Transforming existing text into video doesn’t mean abandoning your current strategy or starting something entirely new. It's about repurposing what you already have and know works with your audience. You already possess the insights and information they need.
Now, it's just a matter of presenting it in a more dynamic, engaging video format. Remember, the transition to video doesn't require a complete overhaul, but a strategic enhancement of your current content strategy.
Further reading: 22 ways to repurpose your existing content for social media with video
Creating engaging B2B video content
While B2B marketing is often associated with dry, technical content, videos are a great way to turn your "dry content" into compelling stories. Here's everything you need to know about creating engaging B2B video content.
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Make every video a story
"Whenever we talk to businesses, they often say they don't have stories to tell. But that they don't realize is that everything is a story!" -Jonna Ekman, Marketing Director, Storykit
Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to connect with your audience on an emotional level. By telling stories that resonate with your viewers, you can build a strong relationship with them and establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry.
But how do you do it?
Well, there are actually storytelling methods that you can use to make your video script more engaging, like:
- The most important information always comes first
- Open with something that catches your audiences attention
- Identify, amplify and solve a problem
- Etc.
Or... you could use AI to help you find your stories and present them through video in the best way possible.
For example Storykit's text to video AI takes your existing text and restructures it the ways that are proven to be the most engaging through video.
You can see how it works in this episode of "Let's Storykit it", where we take the text on a company's website and turn it into engaging videos using AI.
→ Storykit's text-to-video AI is free to start using now.
Focus on the script first, support with assets
It's time to challenge the conventional wisdom found in most B2B marketing guides about video creation.
You've likely come across tips like:
- 'invest in high-quality equipment,'
- 'use proper lighting,'
- or 'edit your videos carefully.'
But here's a bold suggestion: set these aside.
Why?
Because this advice often leads to confusion, misplaced focus, and unnecessary spending on equipment.
The truth is, creating one high-budget video isn't the game-changer; it's the messages that you are getting across through a bunch of videos.
In B2B video marketing, your story or message is the most important part of your video.
Remember, the goal is to educate your audience.
That's why it’s crucial to prioritize your script. A well-crafted script is the foundation of your video and should be supported by appropriate visuals and assets, not overshadowed by them.
Consider this: if you start with a compelling script and create a simple video — a black screen with your script displayed in white text, no sound, no images — you'll see the power of your words. If this minimalist video still communicates effectively, then everything else – sound, visuals, animations – is just an added bonus. A strong script ensures that even with simple visuals, your message remains clear and engaging. It's not about the flashiness of the production; it’s about making every word count.
Design for sound off, delight with sound on
Music and sound effects are great for setting your video's tone, but remember, they're not the main event.
With many viewers watching videos on mobile with sound off, your visuals and text take center stage. Craft your video to communicate its message clearly, even in silence. Then, use sound to add an extra layer of engagement for those who do listen. This approach ensures your video resonates with all viewers, whether they’re watching in silence or soaking in every note
Further reading: Scroll-stopping social media videos: Does sound matter?
Incorporate brand identity
Your videos should be an extension of your brand, so it's important to incorporate your brand identity throughout the content.
This includes using your brand's colors, fonts, and imagery, as well as incorporating your company's message and tone of voice. By staying true to your brand, you can help build brand recognition and establish a strong, consistent message across all of your marketing channels.
Further reading: Video for enterprise: Key criteria to empower more in-house video creation
Distribution channels for B2B video marketing
Creating a great video is only half the battle; you also need to know how to distribute it effectively. Here are some distribution channels to consider to reach your B2B audience:
Social media platforms
Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are excellent places to share your B2B videos. These platforms offer a large potential audience and a variety of ways to distribute content.
For example, you can use sponsored ads to reach a specific target market or share your videos organically to your followers. Additionally, social media platforms provide valuable engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, and shares, which can help you measure the success of your video content.
It's important to note that each social media platform has its own strengths and weaknesses when it comes to video marketing. For example, LinkedIn is a great platform for B2B companies targeting professionals, while Facebook is better suited for B2C companies targeting consumers.
Twitter, on the other hand, is ideal for short-form videos that can be easily shared and retweeted.
But remember, no matter what platform you decide to use, the most important thing is that you're not afraid to post A LOT. The social feed is competitive and if you want to catch your audience's attention then you need to be consistent.
Further reading: Smash out a social media plan for 2024 with repurposed content
Video hosting websites
Video hosting websites like YouTube and Vimeo are also valuable distribution channels for B2B video marketing. These platforms allow you to host your videos in one place, making it easy to share them across a variety of channels. Additionally, they provide valuable SEO benefits, as videos hosted on these platforms are more likely to appear in search engine results pages (SERPs).
When using video hosting websites, it's important to optimize your videos for search by including relevant keywords in your video titles, descriptions, and tags. You should also consider creating a YouTube channel for your business, which can help you build a loyal following and increase your brand awareness.
Email marketing and newsletters
Email marketing is another effective way to distribute your B2B videos to interested parties. By including videos in your newsletters, you can educate, engage, and delight your audience in a format that's easily digestible. Additionally, you can use email marketing to nurture leads and move them further down the sales funnel.
When using email marketing for video distribution, it's important to keep your videos short and sweet. Most people don't have the time or attention span to watch a long video, so aim for a length of 2-3 minutes. You should also include a clear call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your video, such as a link to your website or a sign-up form.
On your website
Embedding videos on your website pages is a winning strategy for both your content and SEO. Videos enhance your written information, making it more engaging and easier for your audience to digest.
This not only enriches the user experience but also favorably impacts your site's search engine ranking.
By integrating video, you're not just adding visual appeal; you're also creating a more dynamic and interactive online presence that both users and search engines love.
There are many distribution channels available for B2B video marketing, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. By using a combination of these channels, you can reach a wider audience and increase the effectiveness of your video content.
Conclusion
As you can see, B2B video marketing is a powerful tool for businesses looking to engage and convert other businesses. By following the strategies and tips outlined in this article, you can create effective B2B videos that help you achieve your goals and stand out in a crowded market.
