It’s official. We’re living in the age of video content. YouTube, TikTok, Twitch, Instagram reels – people are no longer content with static content. They want a narrative, to be entertained, to feel emotionally connected to creators and brands.
If you want to thrive in the competitive digital world, you need to have a strong video content strategy. Businesses with a strong foothold in commercial marketplaces understand this. They know how to leverage video content to convert audiences into advocates. Video is shaping decision-making. Driving search engine rankings. Inspiring brand loyalty. It’s informing, educating, entertaining us all.
Indeed, 93% of marketers believe video marketing to be one of the most important aspects of any marketing strategy.
But here’s the question: what type of video content should your business create to maximise B2B campaign ROI? Let’s have a look a just a few options.
Explainer Videos
All of us have asked Google to help us with a problem at one time or another. Whether it’s to troubleshoot a niggling problem with our laptop or discover how to tie a bowtie, we’ve all been reliant on search engines to help us.
The explainer video is basically helpful content 2.0. You don’t need to read through thousands of words to find the answers you seek; all you need to do is to watch a 2, 3, or 5-minute video.
Ideal for highlighting a product, service or idea in a compelling and easy-to-digest way, the best explainer videos are short, typically around three minutes. They focus on a problem and how to solve it. Have a clear CTA and direction about what they want an audience to do. They match brand with audience and feature a high production quality.
Product Videos
These days consumers want to learn much about a product. The more expensive the product, the more they want to know before putting their hands in their pockets. For this reason, product videos have become staple video content for some of the biggest brands in the world.
So, what is it about product videos that strikes such a strong chord with consumers? Well, the use of a strong narrative can help a brand to leave a lasting impression in consumer’s minds. But don’t forget showcasing how the product functions in the real world, emphasising its USPs to businesses, including how it will improve processes and ROI in an immersive way is a powerful marketing tactic.
Product Commercials
Short, often no more than 30-seconds long, product commercials generally follow the AIDA model or attention, interest, desire and action. Basically, the purpose of product commercials is to get consumers to get in touch or buy from you – right now.
The next time that you’re casually browsing online, pay attention and you’ll see that amongst viewing the highlights of the big game or checking out that killer song by your favourite artist you’ll likely view a product commercial.
Why? Commercials tap into our suggestibility, helping us to make decisions. Businesses maybe on the fence, unsure if they want to optimise their remote operations with software like Slack, subscribing to Microsoft Office 365 or Dropbox cloud storage. One product commercial could change all that.
Illustration-Based Brand Videos
How you choose to communicate is just as important as what you’re trying to communicate. Brands must have a strong identity, one that prospects, and customers immediately recognise. Without this there’s no buy-in.
So, how can you distinguish yourself from the hundreds, thousands or more content creators out there? Well, why not create illustration-based brand videos.
Illustration-based brand videos are a great way to build some brand personality. They’re immersive, engaging. Something fun, different. They give your brand a strong sense of identity – one that prospects, and customers will easily remember.
Photo-Based Videos
As the old saying goes, ‘images draw attention. Words sell.’ Would you feel compelled to explore if a brand can help you to achieve your goals without an immediate, standout hook? Unlikely.
Remember: prospects and customers buy into people. Unless you’re Apple, Amazon Disney, Microsoft or some other ginormous brand, your prospects and customers will want to see who they’re buying from.
Not only that, but they’ll also want to see the end-product, what could be theirs, if they decide to put their hands in their pockets. Simple photo-based videos like introducing the team prospects and customers will be working with or the end result of, let’s say, a fully planted garden design, will go a long way to securing vital trust.
Interview Videos
Interview videos are a great way to engage your audience and show off your expertise. Though they may seem somewhat straightforward – after all, it’s just a person talking directly into the camera – but if you really want to nail your interview videos there’s a lot more to consider.
Choosing the right setting, lighting and sound are all important, but what’s more important is to make sure that your interview videos have a specific purpose.
You might want to interview colleagues to find out what’s so special about their workplace, or answer a specific question, like how to get the most out of your telemarketing agency.
Being authentic, having great storytelling, and showcasing what goes on behind closed doors are all clear benefits of creating interview videos.
What’s more, you can blast your interview videos on social media, upload them to your website, even build additional content, like podcasts and email marketing campaigns around them.
Case Study Videos
In today’s competitive digital marketing environment, instilling trust by promoting value is something that businesses must do from the outset. Now, if we’re honest, there’s many ways that businesses can do this, however, case study videos are a powerful way to showcase how much your brand can offer your prospects and customers. Get them right and this compelling content can persuade audiences to act. And think, why would people spend hours reading case studies when they could watch a 2-3 minute video?
Not only that, but case studies videos are also a great way to showcase project lifecycle. You can illustrate the challenges faced and the solutions in a short, engaging, creative and – just as important – digestible way!
Fun, Personality-Based Videos
How often do you search online only to find bland, uninspiring content? If you’re like us, it’s all too often! These days, good content focuses on ‘experience’… and is there any better experience than one that’s fun?
Let’s not forget that most businesses want to appeal to all or a wide range of personalities at the very least. Spread a wide net and you’re giving yourself the opportunity of influencing and ultimately selling to more customers.
Make people feel happy, that you understand them, and that your video content speaks to who they are and what they’re looking for and you’ll be in a good position to get strong buy-in. This is the beauty of fun, personality-based videos.
Product Demo Videos
As the old adage goes, seeing is believing. Before shelling out their hard-earned cash, most of us want to see that what they’re buying actually works – whether it’s the new iPhone or a subscription to a service.
Just think about when Apple launch a new iPhone, iPad or any other product in their line. It’s an event, one that unveils the new product and shows you how it works. And these product demo videos are viewed by millions of people worldwide. But it’s not just tech products that benefit greatly from product demo videos. Subscription services do too. Just look at Headspace. Is there anything harder to sell online than meditation? Yet, Headspace have managed to do just that, using quirky, inclusive video content that communicates much of what they offer without ever once overwhelming the audience.
Ever wondered by Sage accounting software has a plentiful number of product demo videos?
Product demo videos can be a significant weapon that businesses can have in their arsenal. Have you thought about communicating how what you offer works? Now’s the time.
Video Content Energises B2B Marketing Campaigns
The bottom line is that the right B2B content energises B2B marketing campaigns. It allows businesses to promote awareness, make personal connections, build trust, have a strong identity and do something a little different.
In short, it works.
We’ll leave you with one more thought: video content is here to stay – it’s what Google wants to see.
