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B2B marketers face an uphill battle in getting and keeping our audience's attention. That’s nothing new, but in a world of 40-second TikTok videos, constant context switching and distractions from apps and messaging, we struggle to stand out. That’s where creative video content comes into play.
We should evolve the format of our content strategy to match today's customer behaviors. Blogs, eBooks, podcasts and case studies are still valuable, but video plays an important role as part of a holistic content strategy. It’s engaging, you can say a lot in a short space of time, and the format works across platforms, from events, to social media, and on your website.
Here’s a look at why video should be an essential part of your marketing strategy, which types of videos to create and how AI is changing the game so we can all become video marketers.
Why video should be part of your content strategy
Video is rapidly catching up with blogs as the most important form of B2B marketing content. Blame TikTok. Videos help your audience learn more about you in a short space of time. You can showcase your brand narrative in under 3 minutes.
The benefits of video content include:
- Capture your audience's imagination with stories: Take a look at this storytelling gold from Guinness, Lovely Day for a Guinness.
- Increase brand awareness and engagement: Be present on channels where your audience spends time.
- Stand out: Inspiring videos were typically reserved for B2C brands with substantial marketing budgets, think Ford, Apple, or Nike. However, with the right tools and a little creativity, B2B marketers can set themselves apart by following the playbook of their consumer-focused counterparts.
- Educate your audience: Let potential buyers see your product before they buy it. Showcase unique features and how you solve their issues.
- Enable sales: Provide sales with additional content to share with prospects and give them easy to learn talk tracks on product updates.
The challenges with video creation
You’re sold on making video assets but are worried about the cost, or how to develop something imaginative. Historically creating B2B video marketing videos was expensive and slow:
Expensive equipment and technical expertise
At one organization where I worked, there was a team of four expert videographers. As a result, our videos looked slick. They had quality equipment, and we had professional-looking interviews and animations to share. Unfortunately, most tech companies aren't able to make such an investment in expensive, bulky equipment, technical expertise for editing, or the space to film.
Creativity isn't easy
Scriptwriting, formatting, and thinking up unique angles are the work of Mad Men-style geniuses. Videos must be witty, eye-catching and deliver powerful messages succinctly. Most marketers today wear multiple hats and don’t always have the brain space to think up innovative concepts. Additionally, videos need to stand out from the vast quantity of content we consume each day in order to make an impact.
It takes time
If you’ve ever tried writing scripts, editing videos, adding captions, or chopping a ten-minute video into three, you’ll know it takes a lot of patience. Plus, each video must be formatted for a specific platform. Even YouTube now has two formats: Shorts and the more traditional landscape video style. Figuring out the formatting alone is why video creation is often left to the pros.
Keeping content fresh
Unlike blog posts, changing a video is tough once you’ve created and posted it. You can’t even replace an old video in YouTube with an updated version; you must upload a new one entirely, losing any rankings and likes. Plus with new feature releases and shifting markets, it can be hard to ensure videos stay relevant.
AI is changing the video game for content marketers
AI is helping everyone become video creators. It's fantastic news for those of us who want to quickly create high-quality videos on a budget. Here are just some of the ways AI will change video creation:
- AI voice overs. Some sound overly robotic, but they’re improving. I believe authentic human voices are still the better solution. However, finding someone to record the script perfectly without background noise can sometimes be challenging.
- AI avatars. Synthesia offers customizable AI avatars for your videos. Meaning there’s no need to find someone to appear on video. However, similarly to the voiceovers, think carefully about your brand image and why you're using avatars instead of your team. This approach could be beneficial for internal training videos.
- Script generation. Add your blog or product copy and automatically create a video of a specified length. You can do this with ChatGPT or a specialized tool.
- Turning videos into new assets. Whether this is to cut long webinars into short clips or even to create entirely new assets, like infographics or blogs from the recording. Parmonic is one of the emerging tools for doing just that.
- Adding captions. Adding transcripts to videos is time-consuming and frustrating. Even if the original recording comes with a transcript, there are often inaccuracies and spelling mistakes. The sooner we can use AI for this, the better!
- Removing filler words. Loom cuts 'ahs' and 'ums' so you can sound more polished. I’m sure this isn’t the only tool that does that. However, I did notice that my recording sounded a bit uneven, after filler words were removed.
- Animations. The next step is for AI to create the entire video from script to animation. We’re getting there.
- Video editing. Instead of watching every second of the video to cut awkward moments and edit out mistakes, you can now rely on tools like Descript to help you do it faster and with visual cues.
Whichever AI tools you choose, keep the human, authentic element in there. That's the reason why influencers have been so successful in marketing products. Like AI-generated articles, videos still need to be high quality, offer something of value and be eye-catching. Think through your strategy and test different formats.
Even when many aspects of video creation can now be done in minutes with AI, we’ll still need experts to record live events and interviews or to create superior imagery. And there are many great videographers and agencies out there that can help, if your budget allows.
Six types of videos for B2B marketing
Sizzle videos
Tell someone your company story, what you stand for and how you solve the pain points in 90 seconds. Think of it like a movie trailer: grab their attention and intrigue them to learn more about your company. Use a sizzle reel to drive top-of-funnel interest:
- Share with prospects in an email (similar to a one-pager)
- Showcase at a live event
- Pin to the top of your social channels
- Add to the homepage of your website
Product and feature overviews
From simple products to complex ones, videos provide a way to highlight specific features and explain their value in a more engaging format. That way, prospects can quickly determine whether the product will meet their needs or be easy to use. Three to four minutes is a good length to aim for. Use these to improve product and feature adoption:
- Promote a brand-new product as part of a launch
- Highlight an integration
- Educate existing customers about a new feature
- Train sales about your capabilities
- Share relatable use cases as part of the sales cycle
Ads
Ads with videos have been shown to have higher conversions. Think through your target audience and which messages or types of video might resonate. Try message testing with copy before launching full scale video ads. You'll have to tailor ads to the channel you want to promote them on. LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube all require different formats. Video Ads will help:
- Drive brand awareness
- Increase engagement
- Support outbound efforts
Customer training videos
I’ve never liked to read manuals. Who does? When I get a new product and want to learn how to do something with it, the first place I turn to is YouTube. And I’m sure I’m not alone. Give customers self-serve videos so they can pick up your product quickly and fix issues without having to reach out to support. Use these to improve onboarding and reduce support tickets:
- Provide logical steps to get set up with your product
- Solve common questions and issues for your customers
- Share tips or shortcuts for success with the platform
Customer case studies
Bring your case studies to life by filming your customers talking about how they use your products and the value they've seen. You can create snippets from a live webinar or film your customers independently. Of course, you'll have to convince key stakeholders to participate. Video case studies will help you:
- Build trust with prospects
- Understand customer reasons for selecting your product
- Validate your solution
- Provide extra sales assets
Thought leadership and opinions
Turn your company executives into influencers. This can be via longer webinar-style panel discussions, aka a 'fireside chat,' or short clips highlighting a key takeaway or controversial opinion.
The best way to build a brand and gain attention is by taking a stance and becoming an expert advisor to your audience. Use discussion videos to gain authority and trust:
- Share via organic social channels
- Add video links to email campaigns
- Pitch the media on a particular topic
- Gate longer videos on your website
The list doesn't end there, though. Some other uses for video include organic social, internal education or sales training materials.
Fitting video into a broader content strategy
Video works best as part of a broader content strategy that includes blogs, case studies, downloadable guides, podcasts and organic social posts. And don't forget about promotion; creating content is only one part of the plan. Your content strategy should be a multi stage effort incorporating:
- Messaging. The stories and products you showcase should be consistent across video, your website and other assets to build a bigger brand story. Set content topics on a regular basis, using AI for inspiration.
- Selecting outreach channels. Focus on the channels that make the most sense for your audience. The obvious ones are YouTube and LinkedIn, but you could expand into other social media or sponsored content.
- Content creation. Create the best content for your chosen channels, incorporating video alongside other assets. The volume of content or videos will be dependent on your resources.
- Promotion. If you've spent time creating a video or eBook, make sure people see it. Repurpose and share content on social media, at events, or via sponsored content, ads and newsletters.
Getting video marketing right
Today, videos are a necessity for B2B marketers, and AI tools are making it easier than ever to create them. Use videos to communicate your brand narrative, show off new products and educate customers. The benefits include developing a strong brand voice, building trust and expanding your reach. Use them as part of a broader content strategy with consistent messaging. And don't forget to promote them! If you've spent time creating these assets, ensure they're distributed widely.
