B2B Video Marketing Essentials

B2B Video Marketing Essentials

The internet boom of the early 2000s led to the decline of print media and marketing, making way for photos, videos and graphic content. According to New York Times, we have officially entered the ‘post-text world’. In 2017, YouTube reported that people are watching a billion hours of video daily, and on an average, every smartphone owner watches at least 2 hours of video per day. As a result, Marketers are tapping into the trend and reorganizing budgets to allow more videos into their marketing plans. But what type of videos should you really be creating?

Corporate Video

Corporate videos are an integral part of a company’s communication strategy. They are non-advertisements created for and commissioned by a business to showcase the company’s core values, vision and ethos. Corporate videos downplay product/service sales, and focus instead on drawing customers to the brand story. They’re widely used for recruitment, proposal submissions, inductions, investor meetings and staff training to excite employees and prospective customers or investors. Here’s an example:

Sales Video

A sales video is just what you need to get a deal over the finish line — even if you can’t meet every potential customer face-to-face. A sales video lets a potential customer see what your product or service is all about, building a sense of trustworthiness and legitimacy even before they’ve demoed it. They have a high entertainment value and often include a crisp product demo. Here’s an example:

Feature Explainer

Also known as a solution marketing video, a feature explainer is a bite-sized video usually used for marketing or sales. It highlights a company’s product or service in a compelling and efficient way. This format zooms in on one aspect of your product, service, or platform and delves into it. Unlike a product tour, feature explainer videos describe how the feature works, common use cases and why it brings value to the consumer. Explain a great addition to your website or to send to interested customers directly. Take a look:

Product Walkthrough

Product walkthroughs explain the salient features, functions and benefits of a physical product or a digital app. They give a basic overview of the solution and elaborate on key features to convince the customer that your product is relevant to their needs. Walkthroughs are replacing long-copy in today’s visually driven world and tend to serve more than one marketing function. They can be a benefit-driven advertisement, a go-to visual guide for pre-existing customers, or an educational tool to build brand familiarity. Check out this adorable product walkthrough from Shopify.

Thought Leadership Series / Talk Shows

Thought leadership videos are the ultimate tool to positioning yourself as an authority within your industry. Often considered as a hybrid between content marketing and public relations, these videos are used to engage your audience on a regular basis to build meaningful connections, and to share perspectives with your customers. It is considered to be a long-term game — you build relationships steadily, so that when it’s finally time to make a purchase, your brand is the uncontested winner. Take a look at this insightful series from Drift:

Interviews

Recent video trends are seeing a rise in the number of interview videos. This format usually features one or two experts answering questions with candour and in an unscripted manner. Interviews feel genuine, spontaneous, and believable. They engage interviewees in sharing personal stories and perspectives. This sets the stage for a genuine dialogue that goes down well with viewers who respond to the authenticity of the format and content. Project kickstart, slice-of-life recruitment video, culture video, webinars — interview possibilities are endless.

Check out Sony and Airbnb totally rocking this format of videos:

Documentaries

Documentaries are a relatively new phenomenon in brand marketing, but they’re catching on quickly. And for good reason too — branded documentaries raise awareness, increase conversion and boost customer loyalty, all without a hard sell. They’re in-depth, factual stories or reports about topics that your brand is deeply passionate about. Of course, they plug in subtle branding cues or product placements. But these videos are so insightful and entertaining that the audience doesn’t realise they’re actually watching well-crafted advertisements.

Here’s a popular documentary about mindful consumerism by Patagonia, an outdoor clothing company:

Case study or Testimonial

When you talk about your products, it’s advertising. But when your customer raves about it, it’s proof that your product is truly worth it’s claim. Case study and testimonial videos focus on your customers’ pain points and how your product made a difference in their lives. They’re authentic, engaging and effective. No wonder they’re becoming a staple part of every brand’s video marketing campaign. Watch Coca Cola’s case study:

Another share-worthy testimonial:

Event videos

Event videos are a powerful marketing tool to increase your brand’s online presence because they’re more trustworthy than a slick, scripted and choreographed promo. A good event video shows, not tells. It highlights the best parts of a program, while subtly sharing information to the audience about your company, its culture and products. With live broadcasts and stories feature, you can leverage social media to create a buzz, reach all the right people and even build anticipation for the next event. They’re also a great way of sharing the excitement of the occasion with those who couldn’t make it. If a popular expert is speaking at the event, you can record their presentation/discussion, and boom, you have another great piece of branded content. Watch this video from Samsung’s Greater Than Party event.

With so many video formats in your arsenal, which are you most eager to create first? Write to us your brief and let’s talk!