[updated 30/10/18]
Are you using video in your B2B campaigns yet? If not, why not? In a recent study, 70% reported that video performed better than other content in terms of conversions (ReelSEO). Furthermore, 82% said they had success overall with B2B video marketing campaigns (Vidyard).
As a B2B marketer, you may feel that your scope to get creative is rather more limited than in the consumer market. It could be that you’re selling (dare we say it) “boring” products. But that’s where the power of video comes in. A creative video marketing strategy can help you to uncover the stories behind your products or services – no matter what you’re selling. Here are 5 B2B video marketing campaigns which work well to tell brand stories.
Use your imagination
We always remind clients to remember the emotional and human side of their B2B products. GE does this with style in its “Childlike Imagination – What my Mom does at GE” advert. From a child’s point of view, they show all the amazing things that GE is turning into a reality.
The key takeaway here is to get emotional and think about the humans behind your products and what they are doing for the clients. This campaign was also used internally as an employee engagement strategy. Again it’s getting to the emotional core, with employees being inspired by their children’s reflection on what they do for a living.
Humour in B2B video marketing
Humour, if used well, can help your brand stand out, build trust and increase shares in B2B just as effectively as in the consumer market. Your B2B video needs to connect with the people who are making the decisions for the business and they will be using their emotions as well as the logical part of their brain. A Nielsen survey of trust in advertising showed that 47% of global respondents agreed that humorous ads resonated the most.
And your business does not need to be the most ‘exciting’ to use humour. Take this video below for a cloud invoicing company which takes a humorous look at what could happen if you don’t use their product:
Again this ad is addressing the human behind the B2B purchasing decision and the emotional factors involved; in this case how it could affect your career. A more recent example comes from a brand highlighting Office 365 Security Risks in a comedic spy spoof – The Spy Who Hacked Me.
When thinking about the story to tell in your video, it’s important to focus on the pain points of your target customers and how you can solve these. UPS does this effectively in its United Problem Solvers campaign. The brand films innovative clients and shows how they work with them to solve their business problems together. One of the stories features an entrepreneur who follows his dream to create a ‘flying machine’. [Watch a shortened ad below]
This film really follows the ELE narrative we recommend – emotional, logical, emotional. It begins with the emotional resonance of turning a childhood dream into reality. Then we have the logical – getting the parts on time and distributing them to clients around the world. It ends on the emotional with the tagline “Bring us your dreams. We’re here to help.”
Where is your B2B audience?
Many B2B firms are dealing with data which can be difficult to translate into entertaining content. Video can really help to transform dull facts and figures into something more engaging – and even shareable.
This content marketing campaign for IBM thinks of the target market as individuals with interests and passions rather than just an anonymous business audience. They used Wimbledon, which people would be watching anyway, as a case study of what their data analysis could do for businesses. They enhanced fans enjoyment of the tournament by populating pre-made videos with real-time data, including what Andy Murray needed to win the tournament. This B2B video marketing campaign illustrated in a fun way how IBM could help businesses engage their audience more effectively with real-time data and analysis.
Customer testimonials
Testimonials are a key staple of the B2B marketing video suite as these reviews help to build trust in your brand. We came across this case study by cloud computing and data service, Juniper Networks, which works well to show how its services work in the real world. They chose a company and setting that is interesting visually, Joe Gibbs Racing, which features footage of the racing track with CTO Jim Foley’s testimonial. The video illustrates how this software is making a real difference to the results of this racing company.
If you haven’t already used video testimonials to market your brand, it is certainly worth thinking about adding it to your YouTube channel. These videos can be useful in a range of contexts by your sales team and to convert customers towards the end of the sales cycle.
A combination of content
The “Meet the Makers” videos from Intel are another good example of this. In the video below they follow Ken Krieger and Project Buendia, which created an Ebola-proof tablet and server with Intel tech. With Intel’s tools, they achieved in two months what would normally take two years.
Intel combines this idea with a contest to find American Greatest Makers. User-generated content for the B2B market is worth thinking about; it can help build partnerships with businesses which are keen to gain extra publicity for their brand too. Intel combines B2B and B2C on their channel. We would normally advise separating these out, although adding one of their funny ads featuring Jim Parsons, from The Big Bang Theory, could still work for the B2B audience.
When planning your B2B video marketing output, create content for each stage of the buying cycle from awareness raising to conversion; including your brand video, how tos, testimonials, events as well as videos designed for your social channels.
Have you spotted any effective B2B video marketing recently? Check out our campaign for Airbus for more tips, and if you’re looking for advice on your next campaign, do get in touch for a chat.