Video is a powerful tool to capture the attention and interest of your B2B audience. It can help you showcase your products or services, demonstrate your expertise, and build trust and credibility. But how can you use video effectively in your content marketing strategy? Here are some tips and best practices to help you create engaging and relevant videos for your B2B prospects and customers.
Before you start producing any video content, you need to understand who your audience is, what their pain points are, and how your solution can help them. You also need to know where they are in the buyer's journey, and what type of content they are looking for at each stage. For example, a video that explains the benefits of your product might work well for a top-of-the-funnel audience, but a video that shows a case study or a testimonial might be more effective for a bottom-of-the-funnel audience. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your video content to their needs and expectations.
Remember that, whether you’re targeting B2B or B2C, you’re still aiming B2P - business to person. Your audience is evaluating your content with business in mind, but the strategies that reach, resonate with or simply catch the attention of an individual consumer can still be applied when targeting a business decision maker.
Head - Product Development at Safetymint?; Principal Partner - Niyati Technologies;
As they say, "Begin with the end in mind". Most B2B solutions have a User Persona and a Buyer Persona. Depending on who you are talking to, you can engage your audience with the right messaging, duration, format and language. Embed appropriate CTAs at the right points to trigger desired actions. While creating chunks of small snippets are helpful, sometimes it may be annoying to search among a series of short videos. Most importantly, when you upload long duration videos, add a timeline guide in the description for your viewers to skip through easily. Another way to engage the audience through videos is to manage your playlist strategically... What you show at the end of the video is equally important as a sticky factor!
Video can be a powerful tool to engage a B2B audience in several ways. Firstly, creating informative and educational videos that address specific pain points or provide valuable insights can capture attention and establish thought leadership. Additionally, incorporating customer testimonials or case studies in video format can offer social proof and build trust with potential clients. Live streaming events, webinars, or product demonstrations can also foster real-time engagement, allowing for audience interaction and Q&A sessions. Finally, optimizing videos for various platforms and sharing them across social media channels can expand reach and attract a wider B2B audience.
A. Choose the right social platforms for the target audience and goals. Example, YouTube - long-form educational or entertaining videos, Instagram - short, catchy & visually appealing clips B. Create a plan for engaging content that showcases brand personality, values & benefits. Use storytelling, humor, emotion & creativity to capture audiences C. Keep it fresh & unique. Experiment with different formats, styles & topics to see what works best. Use analytics & feedback to measure & improve performance D. Stay up-to-date with industry & social trends & use them to your advantage. Use hashtags, memes or influencers to boost reach & relevance E. Be authentic & relatable. Show your human side & connect with audience on a personal level
Always Remember what your target market or audience is whether you're targeting B2B or B2C, don't forget in the flow of creating the video. all the points should be related to the audience you're targeting whether you're selling your product or service a single product or in bulk... In the excitement of making a sale, one can always forget what their goal was and who they were targeting. B2B and B2C both have different needs, both have different ways of thinking before buying something whether it's a product or service. Every segment of audience have different ways of making a decision like in B2B it's not just one person making a decision so you have to make sure that you're video content educates different groups of mindsets to grab a win
When engaging your B2B audience, there are many different types of video formats that you can use to achieve your goals and objectives. Explainer videos are short and explain how your product or service works and how it can solve a problem. Demo videos show your product or service in action, while webinar videos feature a live or recorded presentation or discussion. Customer story videos feature a real customer who has used your product or service and shares their experience. All of these videos are great for educating, informing, showcasing value propositions, demonstrating expertise, building trust, and influencing decision-making processes.
Video can simplify explanations by visually depicting what would otherwise require complex written descriptions. Its inherent ability to convey emotions enhances the message, making it more impactful. The combination of memorable visuals and engaging content can not only appeal to B2B customers but also to anyone in general.
Never forget this, Don't create content/video to make a sale, create your content to EDUCATE, that's where the WIN is. If you're target audience knows WHAT you're selling instead of just that You're selling Something... Try to make them know WHAT you're selling, What the thing you're selling does, and how to use the thing that you're selling (Demo videos) only in the end you can provide the CTA at the appropriate timestamps, and don't forget the reviews, Always make sure to include customer reviews if you have them and if it's something new that you're promoting, it's not hard to get customer reviews, you can always provide free demo & take ask people to use you product/service and provide honest opinion. Educate and you'll Win
Any video content that you create needs to be in the right format that truly resonates with where your audience is in the customer life cycle. ?? If they're TOFU, then they would need explainer videos to introduce your product/service to a broad audience and highlight key benefits. ?? If they're MOFU, then they would need either testimonial videos or interviews to build trust and authority. ?? If they're BOFU, they would need how-tos or myth-busting videos to break that barrier and convince them to take the plunge
Everyone is looking to learn when watching social media videos. Target time I feel is anywhere from 10 seconds-30 seconds, anything more you got them watching is bonus! Your vidoes should have the hook first and detail later and remember, you are trying to teach or share something meaningful with your audience.
Sale should never be the pitch, infact the need is. Therefore, start with creating awareness of how quintessential it is. Educating your audience of its key features that set it out and above from the rest.
Once you have created your video content, you need to ensure that it is optimized for your audience and the platforms where you will distribute it. Length is a key factor to consider; shorter videos usually perform better on social media, but longer videos can also be effective as long as they are engaging and relevant. Quality is also important; make sure that your video is clear, crisp, and professional, and that it matches your brand identity and style. Additionally, optimizing your video for SEO will improve its visibility and reach. Research and analyze the best keywords for your video using tools like YouTube's Keyword Planner or Google Trends. Add relevant titles, tags, descriptions, captions, and transcripts to optimize your video for search engines.
First and foremost optimize it for mobile devices. With the increasing use of smartphones and tablets, mobile optimization is crucial. Ensure your videos are responsive and compatible with different devices and screen sizes and test it on them. Use subtitles or captions to make your videos accessible, as many B2B professionals watch videos on the go or in environments where sound might be restricted. This is also a little SEO hack that can help you stand out in search engines. YouTube allows you to provide your own captions so your subtitles are as accurate as possible.
In recent times, what I noticed is that people around me like colleagues and individuals at food courts etc, where you can't get silent surroundings, prefer videos with subtitles embedded in the video itself instead of auto-generated which doesn't help when it comes to different accents and certain words that are not native to different audience around the globe, whether they're watching an Informational video, tutorial, or even a comedy sketch. Also, provide multiple snippets of information on different timestamps so you can later make multiple short videos as they perform better than long videos these days. Research before posting, what hashtags & titles you're competition is using which are performing better for reference & get inspired
Optimise according to different parameters: ?? Audience: Ensure what you're saying truly resonates with them ?? Quality: Ensure it's the right length and the video is clear for easy viewing experience ?? SEO: Ensure you're using the right keywords for the video to find your audience ?? Reach: Ensure you're posting it on the right platforms for your audience to easily access it.
I always re-edit my raw video software simulations to clean up extra mouse movement and shorten the overall length for a nice tight clip that is easy to consume and supports the exact teaching point. Then add captions, highlighting and pointers as added engagement features.
The final step in using video to engage your B2B audience is to promote your video content across the channels where your audience is active and receptive. You can use email to send your video directly, or invite them to watch it elsewhere. Social media is great for sharing your video with followers, and reaching new audiences. Your website can host or embed the video, and optimize it for conversions. Finally, you can use your blog to complement the video with additional information, or drive traffic to it by linking from blog posts. Video can help you stand out from the crowd, and deliver value and impact to prospects and customers. By following these tips and best practices, you can create content that is relevant, engaging, and effective for your content marketing strategy.
In my experience, the best platform currently to promote is wherever you can get maximum engagement. I know alot of people put effort in posting thier video content strategically on 3 or more platforms but if you do not see any consistent views, do not place or waste time any further on that particular platform. Target only where your content is getting views. Vidoes stand out due to the personal connection audience feels however, focus more on the timing and material instead of adding unnecessary talk.
Captivate Your B2B Audience with Video Marketing Tactics: Show, Don't Tell: Highlight how your solutions address audience pain points. Variety is the Spice: Utilize different video formats to cater to diverse preferences. Reach Beyond Your Website: Promote videos on social media, email, and other channels. Data-Driven Refinement: Analyze video performance to optimize your strategy.
Two things I keep in mind: 1. KISS (keep it simple and short…) 2. Show benefits, Not features. I know I twisted a bit the KISS acronym, but this one is a bit more respectful.
Engaging B2B audiences via video involves understanding their needs and addressing pain points. Create concise videos offering practical solutions, like tutorials or success stories. Keep videos short due to limited B2B audience time. Invest in professional production for credibility and share strategically on platforms like LinkedIn. Encourage interaction through comments, fostering a community. Combine valuable insights with accessible language for effective B2B engagement.
Video is so engaging for a case study or client testimonial! The script is the golden key...write it like a documentarian. Set aside AI and bring your personality to the set.
Keep it real. Realism is key as it’s relate-able. People are being bombarded with visuals every nook n cranny. The attention span is frizzling away or too fluid, few seconds visual becomes a yay or nay. The more it’s real the more it connects and garners attention.