The Importance of Video in B2B Marketing
How important is video? Let’s put it this way: You really don’t want to do marketing without it. Its ability to grab attention and illustrate concepts make it a must-have for pretty much any organization.
We saw some interesting statistics the other day about the role video plays in business-to-business marketing. For instance, social media posts with videos earn 48 percent more views than those without, and that a website that includes video is 53 times more likely to show up on the first page of a Google search. No surprise there. We know that videos can rightly grab attention.
Two statistics surprised us, though. One is that 72 percent of B2B customers preferred to learn about a service or product through video. We expected a percentage that high for consumer products and services, but for B2B, it was an eye-opener.
Granted, it depends on the service or product you are promoting. Some things simply don’t lend themselves well to a video demonstration, so still images may work better in concert with some well-chosen words. Maybe that accounts for why that 72 percent figure wasn’t even higher.
The other statistic – even more surprising to us – was that three out of five (specifically, 59 percent) of B2B executives said they would rather watch a video than read text. You tend to think of these folks as word people, wanting to delve into the details to derive greater insights into products, services, trends, etc. But apparently only two out of five such executives fit that description these days.
What this tells us is that if your website and your marketing and PR program don’t make good use of video, you are missing opportunities. All those video-loving site visitors and targets of your outreach may not be paying attention to you like you want them to.
Before you rush out and throw a bunch of videos together, though, it is essential that you give this the consideration it deserves. Video is easy to produce, but it is still an art form that must be done well in order to create a favorable impression.
In creating a video strategy, you have to consider your audience. You want video content that appeals to them but also reflects the impression you want them to have of your company. Are you hip and edgy? Are you the industry experts? Do you mix seriousness and fun in an entertaining way?
You can even take different approaches among your various video offerings, as long as the messaging is consistent and the quality is high. There is live video, of course, but you can also use in-motion graphics, animation, screencasts, or even animated PowerPoint presentations, depending on the specific aspects you want to spotlight.
And of course, video doesn’t draw viewers without some degree of promotion, just like any other content you offer. Through your website, your newsletters, and your social media, you can generate interest in your videos and find new connections with your customers and prospects.