Video in B2B Marketing? (Yes, B2B Customers Are People Who Watch Videos Too!)
From YouTube to TikTok to your Insta scroll to the thousands of live pictures on your phone, video is BIG. That’s because video commands attention in our fast-paced world. When it comes to using video in marketing, B2C has led the way – but B2B marketers can benefit just as much from a strong video strategy. (Maybe even more…)
So when should B2B marketers use video? The answer: whenever you want to keep that “B2B” from meaning “Boring-toBoring.”
To help get the ideas flowing, here are 4 ways to try using video in B2B marketing:
1. Introduce a New Product
When the premium Indian food brand Maya Kaimal was launching their new line of Everyday Chana (ready-to-eat chickpea meals) during the pandemic, traditional face-to-face meetings with retail purchasers were simply not possible. How could we add more power to the sales team’s email / phone call / Zoom outreach? You guessed it: video in B2B marketing! We created this video that did more than say “here’s a new product.” Rather, it wove the fabric of Maya Kaimal’s rich brand story; it shared important details about the marketplace; and it showed what is so special about the new Everyday Chana line. This mouthwateringly beautiful video drew viewers in while educating them about why this product was right for their shelves – and that paved the way for more successful sales outreach.
2. Sales Meeting Follow Up
For many of us, the mass adoption of video meetings has resulted in a higher number of meetings per day – and the all-too-common complaint of “I have no time to get my actual work done.” One meeting blends into the next, and by the end of the day we are often left with an overall feeling of fogginess. To help your hard-earned sales meeting stand out, try following up with some video in B2B marketing! A video that succinctly summarizes the most powerful points of your presentation will be more appreciated than any PowerPoint – because TLDR is really real.
3. Personalized Thank You
After you land a new order (thanks, of course, to all of the great B2B video marketing you’re doing), don’t stop there! Take a minute to capture your appreciation with a video selfie, no ad agency needed. A quick, heartfelt thank you can be shot with your phone and emailed to your contact the same day you receive the order. It’s a uniquely personal touch – and to that end, make sure it IS unique by saying their name and maybe even referencing something about the order. (That way they’ll know this isn’t a “mass video” email.) Pro tip: keep it short and simple – and make sure you have decent lighting.
4. Order Status Update
Your company got the order and your team is hard at work on fulfilling that order. But how is your client to know that? Once again, it’s time for video in B2B marketing! Rather than relying upon one-off selfie videos for this, consider automating the process as part of your customer journey email programming — and perhaps including a video peek into the production process. By managing expectations in terms of when delivery can be expected and adding in some behind-the-scenes footage, video can once again help you deepen your B2B customer relationships.
There are so many reasons to leverage video in B2B marketing – so don’t stop here! Social media, websites, advertising, event streaming, and more…video is a broad category and can encompass highly produced as well as self-made options. Lights, camera (or camera phone), action!
Warning: the more you do it, the more you’ll want to (because it really does work).
