According to one recent study, 80% of all consumer Internet traffic will be video-based by as soon as the end of 2019. Mobile video consumption on YouTube alone rises at a rate of about 100% every single year. All of this means that as popular as video already is, it’s only going to become more ubiquitous – and more essential for B2B marketers everywhere – as time marches on.
[Credit: Uscreen]
However, “not all video content is created equally.” So, which formats should B2B marketers experiment with that will really strike a chord with their intended audiences? In truth, there isn’t one major type of content you should rely on.
There are five.
1. The Explainer Video
For B2B marketers, in particular, explainer videos are the perfect opportunity to capture someone’s attention early. These are utilized at the “awareness” stage of the sales funnel. In roughly two minutes, provide a high-level outline of not only what your product or service does, but what problems it will solve in the lives of your ideal customers.
You could talk about your product as a whole, or break down individual features into a series of smaller videos. What matters is that you’re using video as a way to illustrate not what your product or service does, but what it can do for your customers. In essence, you’re outlining the raw value only you can provide.
Take this video, for example, a Squarespace employee explains the difference between web hosting and a domain, and since Squarespace provides both, any viewer can be a good customer!
You can publish completed videos
- On your website
- In emails
- In social media ads
- On your company’s YouTube channel!
2. The Vlog
The Vlog is a bit more personal than most video formats on this list. But that’s exactly what you’re about to leverage to your advantage.
Whereas explainer videos dive deep into your products and services, vlog content (usually five minutes or less) peels back the curtain and gives people insight into yourself and the brand you represent. Consider it your opportunity to take people “backstage,” so to speak. Use them to provide insight into who you are, what you do and – most critically – why you do it.
When finished, this content is also ideal for social media channels, and YouTube in particular. This is because the intimacy of these videos plays nicely on those formats that are already very personal in nature.
3. Webinars
If B2B marketing is all about education, webinars are certainly one of the most powerful tools to that end.
Webinars are almost like long-form explainer videos. You have perhaps 30 minutes to educate your buyers and establish yourself as a thought leader. You can dive very deep into your marketplace, the problems you solve and the value your products and services generate. The other forms of video content simply don’t afford you this level of detail.
You could host a live webinar on YouTube, for example, and create a sense of urgency to get people to attend. Once the session is finished, you could also host that content on your website in perpetuity. Or you could send it out as part of a larger email campaign. All told, webinars are a great way to catch someone’s attention in the “awareness” phase and move them into “consideration” in a nice, organic format.
4. Culture Videos
For the savvy B2B marketer, culture-centric videos are a bit like the vlog, but they’re targeted at customers at a very different point in the buying process. Instead of trying to raise awareness, you’re now trying to help cement someone’s decision or retain existing customers. They’re already pretty sure that your product or service does what they need. Now, they want to know that the brand behind it is every bit as reliable. A great example of this type of video is MailChimp’s “Meet MailChimp: Joanna” video. In this video, Joanna, MailChimp’s front-end developer talks about her role in the company!
You can use these types of videos to show off your company, your people and your personality. Don’t be afraid to film local events that your company will be participating in. Or use culture videos for team building exercises that you use to bring your workforce together.
Let people see as much as possible about the company that they’re theoretically going to be entering into a relationship with. When these videos are done, they’re great for everything from the “About Us” page on your website to social channels like LinkedIn and Facebook.
5. Social Content
Speaking of LinkedIn and Facebook, last but not least we have content that is specifically designed for social networking distribution.
The key thing to understand here is that these videos need to be short – typically around one minute or so in length. They can be about any topic – from current projects you’re working on to customer success stories and beyond. Just be sure to tell your complete story in a bite-sized chunk that looks great on a mobile device.
Social-first content is great for not only creating a new level of brand awareness but for driving engagement across your various social channels as well.
Wrapping This Up…
In the end, the most important thing for you to understand is that VOD (Video-on-demand) is the future. And there’s no one item on this list that will be able to generate all the results that you’re after. For the best results, you’ll want to make strategic use of all of these videos across your video marketing campaign.
Certain types of content are great for raising brand awareness and capturing someone’s attention while others are more targeted at getting them to come down off the fence to make a sale.
But together, they’re able to be something much more powerful than any one of them could be on their own, And that is where your true gateway to success really lays.
You may also want to read: How To Improve Your Lead Generation With Video Marketing
How To Use Video Marketing In The Era Of Short User Attention Span
4 Ways To Amplify Your Content Using Video Marketing
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CURATTI GUEST