When it comes to video marketing, B2B marketers are in a tight spot. Traditional pillars of advertising like TV are heading into decline, with their sponsorship appeal fading with them. In their place, online video, social media stories, and video streaming platforms are gaining popularity with their promise of engagement and precision targeting.
So, with all these different emerging platforms and directions to take your strategy, where do you start?
Organizing your video content into a marketing funnel is a great way to build out your video strategy. A marketing funnel is a conceptual framework representing the customer journey from first impression to purchase.
Understanding the new video marketing landscape
B2B videos are evolving from monotonous infomercials to compelling stories that intrigue, inform, and invite the viewer into a conversation. This storytelling approach taps into the very fabric of human interest – the need for connection, relevance, and engagement.
With the right approach, crafting video content that resonates with a B2B audience can become a powerful instrument in your marketing arsenal, increasing brand awareness and ultimately, sales.
Video Formats That Resonate with B2B Audiences
The video format type can be as impactful as the message itself and play a key role in organizing your funnel strategy. Here are several video formats proven to resonate with B2B audiences that can be matched with different marketing objectives and audience preferences:
- Explainer videos
Explainer videos break down complex concepts into digestible bites, making them ideal for introducing a new product or service. They usually blend animation, screenshots, live action, and narrative storytelling to illustrate how a company’s offering solves a specific problem.
- How-to-videos and tutorials
Similar to explainer videos, how-to videos provide step-by-step instructions on how to use a product or service. These videos go beyond telling to showing, often resulting in better comprehension and retention of information.
- Testimonials and case studies
Testimonial videos and case studies showcase real-life success stories and endorsements from satisfied clients. Leveraging customer success stories builds credibility and trust with a prospective buyer.
- Webinars and live streams
Webinars and live streams connect companies directly with their target audience in real-time, allowing for interaction and engagement that can personalize a B2B relationship. This video content can also later be repurposed into other formats like blogs or bite-sized videos for social media platforms.
- Thought leadership videos
Thought leadership content positions company representatives as experts in their field. These videos can create a sense of authority, influence, and trust and are particularly effective on professional networking platforms like LinkedIn.
One common subset of thought leadership videos are founder videos, or content featuring a company’s founder or CEO. These videos are valuable because they put a face and a story to your company for a more personal audience connection.
- Influencer marketing
Similar to thought-leadership content, consider using an influencer to level up your video strategy. Influencer marketing is unmatched when it comes to increasing visibility and creating brand awareness.
Collaborating with industry influencers or forming strategic partnerships with complementary brands can significantly expand the reach and impact of your B2B videos. This is especially true when working with influencers who have a strong following and credibility in the same industry.
See: How to Choose the Right Influencer for Your Marketing Campaign
Organizing Your Videos in a Marketing Funnel
Speak to our marketing experts!
1. Analyze your customer journey to turn curiosity into conversions.
The first step of building a marketing funnel is analyzing every step of your customer journey and nailing down your target audience.
Understanding the buyer’s journey is critical for B2B companies aiming to create impactful video content. This alignment not only enhances brand awareness but also contributes to a more streamlined and efficient path to purchase.
There are many different types of marketing funnels, but to simplify things, we will break it down into just three stages: attract, convert, and connect.
2. Build and bolster your funnel with strategic video deployment.
Positioning different video formats at specific stages of the buyer’s journey helps to nurture leads and guide them through the sales funnel. The goal is to ensure that the right video reaches the appropriate target audience through the most effective channels to support the buyer’s journey and increase the likelihood of a sale.
The top of the funnel attracts your potential buyers, with key metrics at this stage being maximum reach and engagement. Explainer videos, branded content, how-to-videos, tutorials, and videos featuring influencers are great formats for the top of your marketing funnel because they serve as an introduction, or hook.
As you move down the funnel, your focus shifts to nurturing your buyer’s curiosity about your product or service. These videos should answer questions and build credibility.
Your meaningful metrics at the conversion and connect stages are sales, sign-ups, and leads, so your video formats should work to further pull in your potential buyers.
Testimonials, case studies, webinars, influencer partnerships, and thought leadership videos work well in the bottom of your funnel because they offer more information about what you are selling and your brand’s identity.
3. Continually strengthen your strategy with testing and analytics.
Your campaign doesn’t end with creation and distribution. It’s about optimizing that B2B video marketing strategy over time which allows you to take bigger risks for bigger rewards.
Today’s video analytics allow us to track which parts viewers watch, re-watch, or skip. This allows marketers to easily identify which parts of their funnel are working and which parts aren’t working.
Implementing a marketing funnel offers the distinct advantage of engaging with your customer’s journey as it unfolds. As your customer interacts with your content, you can continually optimize the customer experience by making small adjustments throughout their journey.
In order to keep up, today’s marketers need to adopt an out with the old, in with the new mindset.
An excellent marketer needs to be highly adaptable and willing to take risks. Even in the B2B sphere, we’re moving away from generic corporate content and toward more engaging, creative content.
B2B videos that showcase real people, real environments, and genuine emotions stand out. After all, it’s a human on the other side of that negotiation table or Zoom call.
95% of B2B customers say video plays an important role in deciding to purchase products or services. Showcase your brand with a narrative-driven, expertly crafted video that hooks you from the first frame. Book a free consultation with Skyline Studio today.
Book a quick strategy call with our marketing experts!