B2B Content: We heard video killed the whitepaper

Content is king in B2B. People are constantly consuming content, from the TV they watch, to the books they read, and the music they listen to.

What’s a brand to do? Well, commit to making great content that builds your brand and gets your name out there. Having a B2B content marketing strategy that includes the most popular forms of content is crucial to meeting your audience where they’re at.

Of course, there’s a lot of rubbish out there and you need to understand what your audience wants to in order to make the strongest impression. So, which content types are the ultimate B2B buyer magnet? Let’s find out:

Are we live?

Coming in hot we’ve got webinars – here’s one we made earlier. 

Webinars have been around for a while, with Zoom webinars really coming into their own during the pandemic, with usage increasing 162% over the course of 2020. 

For those who love a good webinar (that’s 54% of B2B professionals) you’ll be pleased to know that they’re here to stay. 

Just make sure you keep a few things in mind when you’re creating yours:

The average webinar has around 260 registrants, most of whom sign up around eight days before the go-live date. And only 10% of attendees want to sit there for up to an hour, so keep it short and sweet. 

As B2B marketers, though, it’s worth noting that while people do like to attend them, they’re not quite the fan favourite when it comes to B2B content. 

Welcome back to another episode of…

Podcasts are putting in a shift. And it’s hardly surprising – people are constantly on the move and juggling a hundred things at once. 

79% of all listeners listen to podcasts on their phone for an average of 25 minutes, meaning they’re finding time to tap into content while on the go. 

Perhaps the busiest of those are the C-suite execs with so much to do and not enough time to do it. Yet, around 44% of them make time for podcasts. 

If you’re wondering how to start a podcast, here are a few pointers:

• Decide on your key theme 
• Identify subthemes and find participants 
• Do your best to stay on topic
• Keep it as short and snappy as possible  

Podcasts can be a valuable tool for engaging your audiences in an engaging but slightly different way. The use of audio in campaigns is becoming more popular among B2B brands, as many try to fight their way through the wall of content that’s already out there. 

Lights, camera, action

Here’s the real smoke. Video content is the clear winner, doing the absolute most when it comes to converting leads and securing buys. In fact, 95% of buyers say they prefer video content to written content. 

For much the same reasons that audio content is doing so well, videos are coming out on top – and not just for B2C TV ad campaigns. Top performers include explainer videos, presentations, testimonials, and sales videos (ads). And the consensus is that the optimal video length, according to over 450 million viewers, sits at around one minute long. 

Video is often used as the hero content piece for a campaign, and for good reason. Motion content gives you the opportunity to bring something new and creative to the table and truly excite your audience. 

So what?

Every day, people reading less and less, which means that if you really want to get your buyers interested in what you’re selling, you’ve got to get creative with webinar, audio, and video content. 

At Earnest we think, talk, and make content that cuts through the clutter. Let’s have a chat about how we might work together to help you achieve your marketing goals with some truly fab content. 

And for more insights like these, take a look at our Vital Stats for B2B Marketers. 

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(Header photo: Donovan Silva on Unsplash)