10 Ways of Using Video in a B2B Content Marketing Strategy
It’s not surprising to learn that watching videos is one of the most popular ways for internet users to spend their time online. Between 2011 and 2015, time spent watching video more than tripled and YouTube recently announced that its users watch almost a billion hours of video per day. Obviously, video is an excellent way to communicate information online, but it might be hard to image what video content for your brand would look like. Popular “fail” videos, or cats playing pianos would be inappropriate, so what is there to do? This is a particular challenge for business to business (B2B) marketers. While advertisers working direct with customers may be able to imagine the direct effect a product will make on a consumer’s life, B2B marketers may be at a loss for how their videos should look. However, with these ten tips it will become clear that B2B video marketing can not only be entertaining, it can be effective. In fact, 64% of consumers are more likely to purchase a product online after watching a video about that product.
B2B Vlogs
Vlogging is an enormously popular style of internet video. In it, a creator makes a video diary about their daily life. While, at first, it might seem like no one would watch a vlog produced by a B2B, in actuality, in the world of the internet today, quality content matters much more than where that content is posted. If your B2B creates a great vlog, the viewers will follow. Think about it. Most successful B2B brands publish traditional blogs, if once a month the written word were switched out for video, and the blog turned into a vlog, your B2B would be using the assets of video content to your advantage.
‘About Us’ Videos
In this hyper competitive market, it’s no longer good enough just to have a great product. Consumers are looking beyond the product and into who the company behind it is. With great ‘About Us’ videos, you can make sure consumers are getting a positive story about who you are as a company. Millennials in particular are sick of faceless brands making products. Show them the faces behind the industry in video and gain their trust.
‘Why Us’ Videos
Having an important product is (obviously) still an essential component to success. Processing visual information is, simply, easier than written information. By creating a video highlighting the assets of your product, you not only give information in a more compelling way, you make fact about your product more memorable. Studies suggest that stories are 22 times more memorable than facts. Use the medium of video to tell the story of your product, so the next time a consumer is shopping, they remember you.
Landing Page Videos
It is critical to create a proper sales funnel. Make the first thing a consumer sees while visiting your page the most vibrant way to communicate information on the internet today: video. Creating product specific video for your landing page can drive up your conversion rate as compared to static content like pictographic ads.
Video Testimonials
We live in the “Yelp” age. 70% of Americans cite that they read a review of a product before purchasing that product. Video testimonials have the capacity to make positive reviews of your product more personal and believable. Tone is often lost in messages conveyed in text. By putting someone who loves your company on screen, consumers can see how earnest they are in their facial expressions, which makes their praise more believable.
Product Education Videos
A large percentage of the population are visual learners. Creating engaging video content on how to use your product is integral to ensuring its effective use. When trying to learn a new skill outside of a classroom setting, a lot of people turn to internet tutorials, especially people starting a YouTube channel for video game addicts.. Video content is simply more effective at teaching than a simple list of instructions or confusing diagram. If you want buyers to use your product competently, creating educational videos on its use is essential.
Training Videos
Training via video is simply more cost effective than training person to person. Moreover, creating a truly engaging and informative video can make it just as effective. Creating engaging content will keep viewers focused on learning instead of drifting off, like with dry, static content. Moreover, creating video content allows your employees to learn on their own time, which creates camaraderie within the company. Respecting people’s time instead of making them waste days on trainings just as easily learned online is a great way to build trust and brand loyalty.
Executive Interview Videos
As has become clear with a litany of news stories featuring company executives falling from grace, having trust in your company’s executives is essential for developing brand trust. Creating video content that humanizes your company executives, shows their reasons for wanting to head the company, and shows their faith in the brand. Besides, there’s no one more qualified to talk about the company than them and this type of content can go a long way.
Creative Storytelling
Creating a narrative arc not only makes your content more compelling and memorable, neuroscientists also suggests that the brain reacts more positively to information conveyed by story than in any other form. Ergo, creating videos about your product that are truly creative will create good feelings in the viewers, eliciting a more salable response.
Social Media Ads
Social media has a real presence in the lives of most modern consumers. Putting your ads on the platforms they use to interact with friends, influencers, and businesses is an excellent way to expand your reach. Facebook users alone watch 8 billion videos a day, make your video one of them. Ad to that Snapchat and Instagram and social media becomes a real way to connect with potential consumers.
In conclusion, you don’t need to be a Hollywood screenwriter to make compelling videos about your products or services. The product itself, engineers behind it, and executives behind the whole thing are compelling enough. With a little bit of time, video marketing can launch a new era for your B2B. Not to capitalize on video in an age where video is such an important online presence would be folly. Fortunately, these ten tips will set you on the right path.