The Evolution of B2B Video Marketing Strategies
B2B video marketing is constantly getting an upgrade. This is not just because of the latest high-tech video trends – like projection mapping, 360 degree videos and virtual reality-based videos – which provide marketing professionals today with an unprecedented number of visual mediums to work with. It is also because the landscape of creating, publishing and sharing videos is changing.
Videos are more accessible, better supported by technology and can be more easily consumed by audiences than ever before. This means, it’s possible to do more than create engaging video content. B2B brands are able to up their video marketing strategies to a whole new level of sophistication and reach.
It Costs Less to Create Good Video
One of the major factors that will drive B2B video marketing evolution this year is cost. It costs less to create and publish high-quality video content than it did in the past, thanks to newer technology.
Because of more affordable video production and editing software, services and other resources, overall costs continue to decrease while demand by marketers for video increases. Hubspot’s The State of Video Marketing in 2018 report revealed that 81 percent of businesses use video in their inbound marketing strategy. This is up from 63 percent in 2017.
Marketers Can Layer Their Videos for Long-Term Strategies
B2B marketers are starting to think more strategically with their video content because you can fit more video into the same budget. Instead of investing everything into one or two video assets, it’s now possible to take a multi-layered approach to video marketing, creating visual content to work at different points along the customer journey.
As Meryl Draper, CEO of video advertising agency, Quirk Creative explains, “The key to video strategy for B2B marketers is to mix brand (top of funnel) videos with direct response … (bottom of funnel) videos. … Working together, these different videos can accompany the buyer through a longer purchase journey, initially sparking interest for brand retention and later offering the consumer more relevant sales-converting information.”
B2B Videos Can Be Better Targeted
Emerging technology isn’t just making video cheaper, it’s also making it more effective with advanced targeting. Improved accuracy, enhanced audience targeting and contextual video placement will all boost video marketing’s potential ROI.
This is sure to draw the attention of more B2B CMOs and marketing managers over the next couple of years, pushing even more interest in what role video can play in their digital marketing strategies.
Approachable Video Creation Tools Have Emerged
From explainer videos to live streaming of B2B events, marketers no longer have to rely on an internal video production team or agency for every piece of video content they make. For most B2B brands, using professional video production will still play an important role in the overall strategy in order to maintain a high level of content quality. But, there are a lot of digital resources that you can use to expand your video marketing toolkit and stretch your budget.
- Animoto is a cloud-based video creation platform where you can use music, photos, video clips and text to put together professional-looking marketing videos. It’s perfect for social media posts and how-to videos on your website.
- Moovly is a cloud-based solution you can use for animation and video editing. You can use their digital assets or upload your own and then create videos using a simple drag and drop editor. Moovly is useful for making budget-friendly personalized video content for targeted audiences.
- Rocketium is ideal for quick social media videos like listicles, announcement videos and promotional video content. This text-based platform is also great for email newsletters.
- Wirecast is versatile video production software for live streaming and more. It can be used with anything from a basic webcam to a full suite of cameras and audio/visual gear. Use remote guests, graphics, and live footage of your conferences to create interactive, engaging video content.
The Storytelling Bar Is Rising
Storytelling via video content is something B2C brands have been doing well for years. Dove, Dollar Shave Club, Nike – these brands are great at connecting with their audiences on a deeper, more human level through video content.
B2B marketers are starting to build up their video content libraries as well, revealing the people behind the brand and giving customers more of a reason to be invested in their company beyond great products or services.
Look at this video on virtual reality by Intel. It does an excellent job of inviting customers to experience the company’s vision.
Zendesk is another B2B company that expresses their brand personality well through their video content. They are also really funny.
LinkedIn Has Finally Caught Up with Video Marketing
Sure, YouTube is the video platform and Instagram stories are loved by millions of the site’s users, but your B2B customers aren’t likely browsing on these social platforms – at least not during their 9 to 5 while they are in business mode and potentially tuned into your business services.
LinkedIn is undergoing a video revolution as we speak.
Last year, only 44 percent of marketers published videos on LinkedIn. The vast majority of those who did, however, claim it was a successful strategy and plan to keep using LinkedIn native video.
Using native videos will boost your brand’s presence on the platform – LinkedIn algorithms’ give videos uploaded directly onto the site more weight. It’s also a useful way to attract customers to your company’s other content.
Because of the professional context, LinkedIn videos are also more practical for livestreaming conferences and other marketing events, as well as explainer videos. You can easily make your business’s LinkedIn page a hub for your informational video content, boosting your brand’s reputation as an industry thought leader.
Not Just Better Technology, It’s Better Content
As video marketing plays a bigger role in B2B content marketing strategies, the whole playing field is likely to keep shifting. Not only are there more possibilities with video marketing innovations, video itself has become a more possible channel. Smart B2B marketers aren’t using this evolution in the game to create more videos – they’re using it to create better strategies.
Great article. Your point about how it’s gotten easier to tell stories with video and that brands are getting better at telling stories through video is supported by my research.
It was harder to make a viral video in 2017 than it was in 2016. It shows that companies are getting better at video, so it’s harder to stand out.