Why video is the perfect platform for B2B marketers
Video marketing is often closely associated with B2C brands, but it’s increasingly making waves in the B2B marketing world too. In fact, a recent survey of B2B marketers by LinkedIn found that 62% now regard video as the most important content format, ahead of the likes of email, social media creative, and infographics.
As a result, more than 1 in 4 are planning to spend over £300,000 on video advertising during the next 12 months.
So, what exactly is it about this approach that is rapidly winning the favour of B2B marketers?
There’s a huge audience waiting to be reached
According to figures from HubSpot, three-quarters of executives watch work-related videos on business websites at least once a week. This clearly suggests they’re highly receptive to getting information in this format and, in many cases, actively seeking it out.
Convey complex ideas in a short time
The research also shows that more than half of videos published by businesses are less than 2 minutes long. As a result, the average video retains nearly 4 in 10 viewers to the very end. This suggests that many people aren’t always prepared to make a huge time commitment when consuming B2B marketing, and expect it to be engaging, easily digestible and attention-grabbing or else they’ll move on to something else. Videos meet all these requirements, allowing brands to convey complex and important ideas in a brief format, without asking for too much from the viewer.
Videos let brands showcase creativity
Videos allow brands to display creativity and a sense of fun, even when they are trying to convey relatively dry information, such as statistics and data. This can prove to be a key distinguishing factor for a business, particularly those in fairly saturated markets.
According to a LinkedIn survey, this benefit of videos is certainly being noticed and appreciated by B2B marketers. Indeed, 93% of those polled agreed that videos enable their brand to take advantage of creative storytelling opportunities.
Videos can promote brand, products and services
Nearly two-thirds of B2B marketers polled by LinkedIn agree that videos help build brand awareness, while half said this tactic enables them to promote the goods and services they offer.
Boost lead generation
According to the LinkedIn study, 77% of B2B marketers believe they are getting more leads as a result of investing in video marketing. Meanwhile, 78% said the leads they are getting are of a higher quality. However, it’s worth stressing that if the aim is to convert a viewer into a lead, then the act of clicking to watch a video in the first place suggests they’ll already have some interest and knowledge of your firm. In this case, the video should speak to people who have moved beyond the awareness stage of the customer journey, and target those who are actively considering making a purchase.
What videos are proving most popular?
The LinkedIn survey found that product videos, how-to videos and explainer videos are performing particularly well for B2B marketers. The professional networking site also found that they’d be more likely to watch a B2B video if it was clearly relevant to their job titles.
As a result, many B2B marketers would like publishers and platforms to refine their video targeting capabilities, so it can be shared with the right audience, in the right place and at the right time. If this happens, the marketing potential of B2B videos could be set to soar further and deliver unprecedented growth for brands.
Source / Further Reading
62% of B2B marketers see video as priority format, finds LinkedIn study The Drum
16 Video Marketing Statistics to Inform Your Q4 Strategy [Infographic] HubSpot |
