B2B Strategy: How to Use Video Marketing to Build Your Brand
There’s no denying it now: Video is the future of B2B marketing. Time and again, studies show that B2B marketers get the most significant results and highest ROI from video marketing efforts. Perhaps it’s no surprise that 93% of marketers say that video is an integral part of their strategy, and 99% intend to continue using it, per Wyzowl research.
But one word from that study might have raised some concerns: strategy.
Strategy is key to maximizing your benefits from your video marketing projects. After all, the most beautifully crafted video won’t do your business any good if you don’t know how to leverage it.
The problem is that developing a B2B video marketing strategy can feel like a daunting challenge. Here are a few tips to help you get started as you establish your brand.
Key Elements of Any Effective B2B Video Marketing Strategy
Create Videos For Every Step of the Customer Journey
Most customers won’t be ready to jump onto every new product they find. Instead, many have to go through the marketing funnel before they can commit to making a purchase. Producing videos targeted toward each step of the customer journey can be a surefire way to help guide your audience through the process.
For example, when your customers are just becoming aware of their needs, you might develop product videos that advertise your offering’s unique features. Then, once your audience starts searching for further information, you may put together webinars and product explainer videos that provide all the details your audience requires.
Develop Audience Personas
“Know your audience” is one of the most common pieces of writing advice you’ll ever receive, and it’s just as crucial for creating video content as well. To ensure that your videos are always tailored toward your audience’s specific needs and interests, it’s vital to develop detailed buyer personas. You can do this through market research that identifies your target demographic’s buying habits, common pain points, and wants. Creating detailed personas can provide you with the necessary blueprints to help you determine the kind of content you want to produce.
Recycle Existing Content
You don’t have to start from scratch when you begin investing in video marketing. Instead, you can recycle your existing content in video form. You likely already have plenty of blogs, case studies, articles, newsletters, and landing pages in your content library, so don’t be afraid to repurpose them as videos.
Turning your content into videos can be as simple as having a speaker read your content out loud while basic graphics or B-rolls play on top of the narration. This might be a simple strategy, but it’s a surefire way to develop a video library without spending excessive time or money on production.
Leverage Native Social Media Videos
It’s no secret that social media is the best method for promoting content, and B2B video marketing is no exception. In particular, LinkedIn is an effective platform for B2B marketing – and perhaps that’s no surprise, given that the network is all about connecting business professionals with each other. A study by HubSpot found that LinkedIn was 277% more effective for lead generation than any other major social network, so it’s vital to make use of the platform.
However, it’s essential to post your videos on LinkedIn the right way. Don’t dump your YouTube links on LinkedIn posts; instead, make sure to upload your videos directly to the app’s native video player. Native social media videos are significantly more effective than other kinds of content, meaning that it’s vital to take this extra step for the best outcomes.
Use Videos to Promote Your Other Content
Your videos don’t have to sit on your social feeds or website. Instead, you can use them for a wide range of purposes to promote your whole business. Across the board, videos constantly increase engagement with most other kinds of content, so it’s important to make use of your content strategically.
Simply using the word “video” in an email subject line can increase open rates by as much as 13%, while landing pages with video content have an 86% increase in conversions. These are only two examples of how video can play a pivotal role in your other marketing tactics. Don’t miss out on these benefits of video content!
Adding video to your content marketing strategy might not sound easy at first, but it’s worth the effort if you take a step-by-step approach to getting started. Effectively utilizing video in your B2B marketing strategy can be just what you need to establish your brand in your audience’s minds – and keep it there.
Torrey Tayenaka is the co-founder and CEO at Sparkhouse, an Orange County based video production agency.
