Video marketing in B2B: the do’s and the don’ts

But there is actually such a thing as a bad video in marketing. Of course, any video can physically look bad, but a poor-quality marketing video can be rubbish for so many other reasons. Perhaps it doesn’t appeal to the intended audience, or it sits on the wrong platform, or it answers all the wrong questions about the product.

The possibilities for getting it wrong are endless, so it’s fair to assume that brands trying to bag a bunch of new leads should err on the side of caution when devising a video marketing strategy.

However, the returns for those who get it right can be big. And in this post, I’m going to show you how you can do just that.

Video do’s

Do define a clear message

Let’s say you’re working on an awareness campaign for a business that’s trying to sell its 5G offering to the healthcare industry. An explainer video is a perfect asset to hero the campaign.

Your video needs to have a clear message and a focused narrative. In this instance, it’s best to stick with the theme and the facts.

You’ll want to think of three to five ways that 5G can help improve the healthcare industry, and use that as your basis for the script and storyboarding.

Crucially, don’t try and pack too much in — explainer videos have a very clear goal, they’re supposed to be light and educational, so ditch the sales waffle.

Do keep it concise

It’s almost impossible that you’ll find anyone willing to watch a video that’s more than five minutes in length, so keep it short and sweet.

For example, if you’re creating a series of testimonial or use case videos, make sure you’re only including information that the viewer will find useful.

For case studies, consider laying down a problem, solution, outcome format from the get-go. This will help you trim the fluff and get to the point, without sacrificing a stellar narrative of course.

Do invest in production

The impact of a well-produced video can’t be underestimated — we know budgets are lacking, but if you’re going to do video, production is everything.

A promotional video, for example, brings to life the story of a brand, or the journey a product has taken from inception to completion.

If you want the audience to take this piece of content (and, by extension, the brand), make sure to invest the time, money and effort needed to get it right.

Do include a clear CTA

You’ve produced some kind of video that sits somewhere along the funnel — excellent! But what next?

Think about the aims of your campaign, and the journey your users will be taking from A to B. If your ads lead them to the landing page where your video lives, what’s the next step? Or, maybe your video is a standalone piece on YouTube that you’ll send via email nurture, where do your viewers go after they’ve watched it?

Think about the next phase of the user journey for your audience, and make sure to include it in the video.

Video don’ts

Don’t make it super salesy

As a general rule, videos sit within the awareness and consideration phase of a marketing campaign. Although there are exceptions (e.g. sales presentations), salesy rhetoric won’t land with the audience.

Even when you are creating a video to aid your salespeople in presentations, you want to think about focusing more on the product benefits or use case information over being super sales oriented.

Nobody likes to feel like they’re being sold to. Pushy salespeople are the worst, and it’s the same for videos.

Don’t ignore mobile optimisation

These days, people aren’t watching videos on their laptops like we used to. Most people consume content on their phones.

So, it’s crucial to make sure your video is configured to look great on a smaller screen.

Similarly, you should make sure you’re not just optimising your videos for mobile, because if (by chance) someone does fancy watching on a bigger screen, it’s gonna look mighty pixelated.

Don’t forget about analytics

Don’t lose out on valuable insights just because you’ve forgotten to analyse the success of your video. Create some KPIs, work out what good looks like to you. For instance, do you want a ton of engagement?

Or are shares more important? These are the questions you’ll be wanting to know the answers to before you make any big decisions.

You can measure your success against your target performance indicators with the data you collect.

Lights, camera, action

With so many brands producing masses of content these days, it’s important to make whatever you decide to do stand out.

Video is becoming increasingly popular as B2B brands look to capture the attention of younger audiences, the likes of which have grown up watching screens and seldom read articles all the way through. But if you’re going to do it, it’s important that you do it well.

Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss how we could help you bring your brand’s video marketing vision to life.

(Header photo by Thomas William on Unsplash)