3 ways you can still do B2B video marketing when budgets are slashed

Someone said the word "recession" to me today.

I immediately thought "well, there go the marketing budgets!"

I hope not, of course, but I thought this would be a great time for me to share a few "survival strategies" for your marketing efforts in this increasingly video-centric marketplace when budgets are minimal or gone.

1) Use your phone

I know that to different people this may be obvious, or it may sound impractical, inappropriate, damaging, etc. but hear me out.

Gone are the days where every video had to be perfect to post.

The casual/raw/authentic values of purely 'recreational' social media are seeping into the business world.

LinkedIn is now prioritizing video in a big way.

It's still early and can be a strong differentiator.

Many CEO's and professionals at all levels are effectively shooting and posting un-edited videos right from their phone to LinkedIn.

If you can get over the cringe, get past perfectionism and take the plunge, it can really work for you...oh, and it's free, quick and easy...(or at least it can be, once you get the reps in).

The secret, the key point, the goal should be: Add value.

Help your audience learn something that you know.

Showcase your expertise on the issues they care about.

Help them with their problems, answer their questions, share your insights.

If you're doing that - and they can hear you and see you - that, often times, is enough.

Here's an example:

If the iPhone thing ain't for you, there's always the webcam!

2) Webcam video

Now that we're living in the post-pandemic, Zoom-enabled, broadband-connected remote work world, we all have a camera right in the place where we work.

You can record yourself talking to the camera, sharing insights like I shared in the example above.

You can also conduct interviews with subject matter experts, either in your company or just in your industry.

If you take those recordings, those can rather easily be edited and distributed into long form podcast style content as well as short form videos say 1 minute shorts or even 10 min deeper dive conversations.

These can go on social media, your website, in emails, newsletters, etc.

By using "non-video-expert" AI video editing tools like Descript, just about anyone can post professional video content with minimal effort and investment.

I call this repurposing by design strategy "video first" content marketing and I've written a lot about it before. If you want more details I suggest this primer.

Here's a couple examples of how that could look for you and your subject matter experts.

This is exactly the process I've been using for the last 6 months and I'm seeing great results.

I wrote about the stats and results in great detail last week but in case you missed it or want a refresher, here ya go.

OK, that brings us to number 3, which I like to call

3) Video without cameras

You don't need to be on camera to have a video content strategy that is helpful and sustainable.

One way you can do that is with "screengrabs" or "screen capture" - recording what you are showing on your screen.

There are free tools like OBS and I think even Quicktime lets you do this.

If you added voice over explaining what you are doing, or even AI voice over, or even just captions, that could be a way to create content that is helpful to your audience but doesn't require the camera shy to "ride that train to anxiety town".

Here's a different way to just use a photo of a person and bring it to life with music, motion graphics and text on screen...all you need is one photo.

Affordable remote video editors are widely available on LinkedIn.

There's also tools like Loom which allow you to record screens and have just a tiny little video of you off in the corner, which could be a compromise solution.

CONCLUSION

The big take away here is that just because you don't have a budget does't mean you can't "play the video game" on social media.

It can take some time, but there's quick and easy ways too.

The key, I believe very strongly, is that video isn't a 'nice to have' anymore.

It's a 'need to have' in this modern marketplace that is increasingly video-centric for customers and platforms.

If you don't show up frequently, consistently and in a meaningful way in the places where the audiences are spending time (watching video), you're leaving the spotlight right there for the competition to grab.

I've just given you a handful of ways to do that, effectively, free, quick and easy - the rest is up to you...just don't let your flimsy excuses do the deciding for you.

Perfection in the enemy here. Delivering unquestionable value consistently is the goal.

It can be a big hurdle to get over, but the alternative seems to be getting left behind, staying invisible while others get more visible.

If you have questions or want support, I'm right here, just reach out.

[email protected]

~Dane