B2B video content marketing: stay focused to succeed

There is little doubt that video marketing is grown up, and still growing in the business to business (B2B) sector, with the use of video content marketing increasing by 8% to 58% in 2014¹.

And during this period marketers have reported that video now delivers 70% more conversions than any other medium², with iPad users having the greatest attention spans, viewing video for an average of 5 minutes³.

Senior executive engagement

So video is a great way to target and engage B2B prospects, with 75% of executives watching work-related videos on business websites at least once a week, and 59% of senior executives claiming they would rather watch video than read text⁴.

There is also a significant degree of channel integration in video marketing with about 50% of senior executives who viewed an online video going on to make a purchase for their business⁵, and when marketers applied links through video in emails, click-through rates increased by 200 – 300%⁶.

So video is a great way to target and engage B2B prospects, with 75% of executives watching work-related videos on business websites at least once a week, and 59% of senior executives claiming they would rather watch video than read text⁴.

Sure-fire communications success?

Yes it is, in the right hands, but there is a lot of evidence that indicates client-side marketers are aiming to achieve too much through this channel by utilising it to do everything from driving brand awareness through to delivering sales engagement.

And while video is capable of achieving many such objectives, it can’t do everything at the same time, and needs careful strategic planning to not only segment communication categories to strengthen communication impact, but also to channel these via the most appropriate platform.

Pin-sharp strategic precision

For example, research shows that nearly 30% of millennials purchased a product after watching a tutorial or how-to video about it⁷ so, strategically it stands to reason that video is a best bet for engaging millennial prospects with executive authority in your sector.

We can use this as an example for video marketing strategy.

If we do this, we now have to ask the questions ‘how do I get to them?’ and ‘what with?’, and these two questions need to be applied to and embedded into your enterprises’ marketing line of attack to ensure this becomes a workable marketing communication – and not just another video.

Steely-eyed determination v. bright lights

So, before you hit the road to dizzying stardom, take a few steps back to assess, research, confirm and then refine your marketing message to an uncomplicated, compelling and engaging marketing communication.

As a part of this process, research will inform on your prospects’ behaviour and the optimum channel entry-points for the market sector you operate in, in order to maximise marketing impact on your target millennial prospect.

The road to MROI

When this information has been assimilated, it forms a powerful prospect persona and readily informs on target prospect aspirations and needs, allowing you to work with your agency to develop a script that delivers highly targeted video at a given entry-point or platform.

And if you treat this information as absolutely key in the development of your video script and subsequent production, and deliver the video through carefully researched and defined communications channels, then the outcome can deliver very positive performance outcomes.

Planning is everything

As can be seen from this blog, video is highly attractive to B2B prospects, and highly engaging and effective in marketing communication, from senior executive level right through to their aspiring millennial colleagues.

But to achieve the statistical marketing success video can deliver in the B2B arena, very careful strategic planning, preparation and collaboration with experienced digital agency professionals is key. If you take this approach, video offers a great route to B2B customer acquisition.

¹ Demand Gen ² MarketingProfs ³ Visible Measures ⁴,⁵ Forbes ⁶ Forrester ⁷ Google