In an era where attention spans are fleeting and competition is fierce, video marketing stands out as a dynamic way to engage audiences, tell compelling stories, and drive measurable results. In fact, according to HubSpot, 72% of consumers would rather learn about a product or a service through video than any other medium.
While many think of video marketing as a tool for just B2C companies, B2B organizations can drive significant value from video, too. By leveraging video content, they can enhance marketing efforts leading to more meaningful interactions and stronger client relationships. B2B video allows businesses to present complex information in an easily digestible format, showcase their expertise, and create an emotional connection with their audience. With the power to convey authenticity and trustworthiness, video can be a game-changer in building and maintaining long-term business relationships.
In “The Ultimate Guide to B2B Video Marketing: Strategies, Benefits, and Best Practices,” we explore essential aspects of B2B video marketing. Discover the most effective video types, learn best practices for B2B video production, and see how other companies are successfully using video to drive B2B digital marketing strategies. Plus, learn the latest trends and technologies in B2B video marketing to stay ahead of the competition.
Why B2B Video Marketing is Essential
B2B video marketing offers numerous advantages for companies. It provides a dynamic and engaging way to communicate complex information, capture attention, and build trust with potential clients.
In a survey of 570 business leaders, 82% of businesses have increased video use over time, while 89% plan to maintain or increase video use in the future. The increased commitment to video demonstrates that these businesses recognize the true value of B2B video marketing. Here are some key reasons why they are continuing to invest in this medium:
- Drive engagement: Video is the most engaging medium and the preferred way to consume content. Video captures and maintains viewer attention far more effectively than static text or images,
- Simplify complex messages: Videos such as explainer videos, product demos, and tutorials can simplify and clarify complex messages, making it easier for potential clients to understand and remember the product or service.
- Build credibility and trust: Video demonstrates a B2B company’s expertise through video testimonials and case studies. Seeing real people talking about their experience with the product or service is far more effective than just reading about it.
- Increase lead generation: Video guides prospects throughout the entire buying journey with personalized and relevant messaging. From prospecting to onboarding, drive more qualified leads and higher conversion rates.
Types of B2B Marketing Videos
Every B2B video marketing strategy should incorporate a mix of video types tailored to the message, target audience, and desired action. Here are four essential types of B2B marketing videos you should have in your arsenal:
Explainer Videos
Explainer videos are short, engaging videos that explain a company’s products or services in a straightforward manner. They are particularly effective in breaking down complex concepts and demonstrating the value proposition of your offerings. By simplifying intricate details, explainer videos can help potential clients quickly grasp the benefits of your solutions, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Product Demos and Tutorials
Product demos and tutorials are vital for showcasing the functionality of your products. These videos provide a hands-on look at how your solutions work, allowing potential clients to see them in action. By offering step-by-step video guides and in-depth demonstrations, you can address common questions and concerns, making it easier for prospects to envision using your products for their business.
Customer Testimonials and Case Studies
Customer testimonials and case studies feature real clients discussing their personal experiences with your product. These videos highlight the success of your clients, demonstrating the tangible results and benefits your solutions have delivered. By showcasing real-world outcomes, they influence potential clients’ decision-making processes and are instrumental in building credibility and trust.
Onboarding Videos
Onboarding videos are essential for ensuring a smooth transition for new clients. These videos can guide clients through the initial onboarding and how to use your products, helping them get up and running quickly. By providing clear instructions and tips, onboarding videos enhance the user experience, reduce churn rates, and foster long-term client satisfaction.
Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Videos
AMB videos zero in on key accounts most likely to drive revenue. Instead of broad marketing campaigns aimed at a large audience, ABM videos are created for accounts mostly likely to generate significant business. These videos contain highly personalized content and messaging to address the unique needs and pain points of each target account, creating deeper engagement and higher conversion rates.
Best Practices for B2B Video Production
In recent years, the B2B video production process has evolved significantly thanks to enterprise video platforms (EVPs). What was once an inefficient and costly process is now simplified, allowing anyone, regardless of their level of video expertise, to create, personalize, and scale video content throughout the customer journey. To create compelling B2B videos using an EVP, follow these best practices:
- Planning and Strategy: Before diving into B2B video production, it’s essential to develop a comprehensive strategy so your videos are focused and engaging. Start by defining your goals and objectives by asking yourself the following questions:
- What is the outcome you want to achieve?
- Who is your target audience?
- What key messages do you want to convey?
- Production: Now that a plan and strategy are in place, it’s time to begin creating videos. Using an EVP, the B2B video production process is greatly simplified compared to legacy video creation. Within the platform, every stage of the video production process is easily executed, including:
- Creating custom media assets
- Configuring video scenes according to your brand guidelines
- Building dynamic animation
- Recording of narrations
- Adding scripting and text prompts
- Personalization: Personalized B2B videos are now a crucial part of the customer experience – and video personalization has never been easier. With an EVP, easily add the viewer’s first name, company name, industry information, and demographics to demonstrate your understanding of that buyer and their unique pain points and needs. Platform integrations, such as the SundaySky x Marketo integration, make accessing real-time customer data to create personalized B2B video content at scale even simpler.
- Post-Production: Post-production is where your video comes to life. Edit your footage, and add music, voiceovers, and captions to enhance the viewer’s experience, all within the EVP. Keep in mind what channel your video will be distributed through. For example, social media is best for shorter, more concise videos, while email is best for longer, more in-depth videos.
- Distribution and Promotion: Now that your video is ready, it’s time to distribute and promote it. To effectively reach the correct audience and maximize customer engagement, it’s vital to adopt an omnichannel video distribution strategy. This could include push and pull channels, from email, website landing pages, account portals, and more.
For all the B2B videos you’ll create, you’ll need the right EVP to create, personalize, and scale video across the customer journey. Discover more insights on the importance of B2B marketing videos and how to create them in this webinar: From Prospecting to Onboarding: How to Create Personalized B2B Video Content with SundaySky.
Using Video for B2B Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a substantial component of any successful business strategy, driving brand awareness, lead generation, and customer engagement. In the B2B landscape, where building trust and demonstrating value is paramount, video has emerged as a powerful tool to enhance digital marketing efforts. Discover these video strategies that are transforming B2B digital marketing:
B2B Social Media Strategy
Video content performs exceptionally well on social media platforms. Just take TikTok, this video-first social platform has more than 1 billion monthly active users, further confirmation of the video-first
world we all live in. Use platforms such as TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, X, and other relevant platforms to distribute your videos, and encourage your audience to share them with their networks.
For B2B video, LinkedIn is an especially powerful tool, with video driving 40% higher engagement than any other format. As a member of the LinkedIn Marketing Partner Program, SundaySky makes tailoring B2B video ads on LinkedIn easier than ever before.
B2B Marketing Automation
B2B marketing automation allows you to automate repetitive tasks such as welcome emails, reminder emails, automated booking or scheduling, customized web pages, and more. Incorporating video, especially personalized video, into your B2B marketing automation campaigns can boost engagement and conversions. For example, rather than sending a long and detailed welcome email to new clients, condense the information into one concise video. Add personalization, and you’re new client is guaranteed to receive a delightful first contact with your company.
B2B YouTube Strategy
YouTube is a powerful platform for hosting and sharing your B2B videos. As the second-most used social media platform for product research and purchasing, it can boost brand awareness, drive high-converting traffic, and ultimately lead to purchase decisions. To maximize your B2B YouTube strategy, optimize your videos with relevant keywords, descriptions, and tags to improve searchability. Additionally, create playlists to organize your content and make it easy for viewers to find what they need.
Case Studies of Successful B2B Video Campaigns
B2B video case studies are a powerful tool for building credibility and trust. Showcasing real customers sharing their experiences with your products or services allows potential customers to envision themselves achieving similar results. By examining successful B2B video campaigns, you can gain valuable insights and inspiration for your own video marketing efforts.
For example, take Okta, an access management software company that secures identity for an organization’s employees and customers. Okta sought a solution to support new customers through a self-onboarding flow. They aimed to achieve this through video but lacked the time and resources for traditional B2B video production methods.
Instead, Okta partnered with SundaySky to transform text-based email communications into engaging video experiences. Without needing advanced video knowledge, the Okta team utilized the SundaySky Video Platform to quickly build dynamic B2B videos. Thanks to the SundaySky x Salesforce integration, Okta’s customer data was readily accessible, allowing each video to be personalized to the specific action the customer needed to take.
“The ability for SundaySky to hook up into our Salesforce and our data warehouse where we know what customers have or haven’t done in the product really allowed us to provide personalized relevant guidance to our customers that are more likely to drive them to take action.” – Alana Stoltzfus, Sr. Digital Growth Manager, Okta.
With the SundaySky Video Platform, Okta’s B2B video marketing strategy was transformed. Customers are now successfully onboarding themselves to various products, significantly reducing the resources Okta needs to spend on this process. This story highlights how case studies are key to successful B2B video campaigns. Read Okta’s full customer story.
Current Trends in B2B Video Marketing
In Spring 2024, Forrester hosted a North American B2B Summit for marketing, sales, and product leaders. During the three days of analyst insights, roundtable discussions, and best-in-class practitioner breakouts, key trends in B2B video marketing emerged. From personalization to augmented reality, here are three current trends to help you stay ahead of the competition:
Personalization and Interactive Videos
Personalization continues to be a significant trend in B2B video marketing. Tailoring your videos to address the specific needs and preferences of individual clients, accounts, or companies can significantly enhance engagement. Interactive videos, which allow viewers to interact with the content, are also gaining popularity. With interactive elements such as questions, quizzes, clickable links, and more, an even deeper level of engagement is created.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning in Video Marketing
AI and machine learning are having a significant impact across all industries, including B2B video marketing. These technologies, like SundaySky’s AI Copilot, can help automate video creation, personalize video narrations and on-screen text, and aid in effective distribution. Using AI in video marketing is making it easier to deliver more relevant and effective video content with fewer resources.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
Virtual and augmented reality are emerging technologies that offer exciting possibilities for B2B video marketing. These immersive experiences provide a unique and engaging way to showcase your products or services. In recent years, there has been a surge in VR, with Meta and Apple both releasing VR headsets. In AR, leading brands such as L’Oréal, Addidas, and Gucci are creating AR experiences as a new way to shop for makeup, shoes, and apparel.
Level-Up Your B2B Video Marketing Strategy
B2B video marketing is a powerful tool to engage with your audience, showcase your products or services, and drive meaningful results. By understanding the different types of B2B videos, following best practices for video production, and staying updated with current trends, you can create engaging video content that resonates with your target audience. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to enhance your existing strategy, this guide provides the insights and strategies you need to succeed to succeed in B2B video marketing.
For more resources and insights on B2B video marketing, explore the SundaySky blog and customer stories. To learn more about the SundaySky Video Platform, schedule a free demo today.
