After encouraging industrial clients to include videos in their inbound marketing strategy, the first question we typically hear is, “About what?”
Video content marketing is a fantastic way to share compelling information about your company and its products, services, and culture. When done right, the combination of sight, sound, and motion can be far more engaging than the written word — and allows for a more thorough telling of the “stories” you want to share.
A higher likelihood of engagement doesn’t just help boost the number of eyes on your content, it also helps boost ROI:
Not convinced? Click here for more compelling B2B video stats
All right, so video content marketing is a good idea, but back to the question, “About what?” Here we’ll give a snapshot of 10 types of video marketing content you can create to attract prospects and demonstrate your company’s expertise by offering helpful solutions:
After sending your proposal to a prospect, you have another opportunity to convince them that you’re the partner they need. A personalized web page that includes video allows you to share more about your company, introduce key team members, show your product in action, explain the reasons you’re a good fit for their needs, and more.
Personalized sales videos don’t necessarily need to be a major video production. A simple video recorded with your computer or smartphone’s camera can serve as an excellent one-to-one follow up to a sales proposal or even an introduction. Send the link through email, and you’ve just upped your chances of increasing your click-through rate. We’ve used Wistia’s easy Soapbox online platform with great results.
RELATED: How to Shorten Sales Cycles for B2B Companies
Create social teaser videos that pique viewers’ interest and get them to click on a link that takes them to content on your site. The key is to keep them short, ideally around a minute or so. Once again, use your computer’s camera to record an informal introduction to a content offer or your latest blog, or use it to announce your new website or product launch with a link to check it out.
Here’s an example from a HubSpot influencer sharing about a new educational opportunity in HubSpot Academy.
Here’s another sharing about how to use YouTube videos in your content marketing strategy.
People want to know who they’re working with, and you can put faces to names for your customers and prospects with quick “who I am and what I do” videos. These can be featured on your website as blog author bios or on a “Meet Our Team” page.
Also consider including videos as email signatures for customer-facing team members. Include a thumbnail image of the video in your email signature that links to a dedicated landing page for each employee. You can also include relevant CTAs on the landing page to potentially engage them further.
Video blogs, or vlogs, give more dimension to your content, with a combination of sound and motion that’s easier to consume than written blog posts. Sometimes they can be easier to create, too — not everyone has the skill (or comfort level) to write 800-word articles. Tools like Otter can help you transcribe the video to help improve SEO.
Note, however, that not everyone has the comfort level for being on camera, either. So, choose your “talent” carefully to ensure your brand is represented properly.
Watch Every Weidert Vlog Ever Created!
(Or one. One will do.)
Remember trade shows? We promise they’ll be back some day, once the pandemic is a memory (please!). And, when trade shows return, how will your company stand out? It’s not easy to grab attention on a crowded trade show floor, but when you have a video showcasing your product (or even just acting as a lively, colorful backdrop), you give passersby a reason to stop and engage with your staff.
The pandemic also emphasized the importance of video as many conventions and trade shows went virtual. Every year, we participate in the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance's expo, Manufacturing First, and last year we needed to find a way to make our virtual booth and breakout session stand out to virtual attendees, and video helped us do that.
In fact, one video did triple duty: we promoted our session to contacts in our database via email, shared it on social media to invite our audience to attend, and put it in our virtual booth to entice conference attendees to join our session.
Speaking of webinars, 2020 saw 62% of marketers leveraging webinars to stay connected with prospects and customers compared to just 46% the year before. What’s more, 91% of webinar marketers reported success!
You might be surprised how easy it is to put together a webinar. It might be as simple as hitting “record” when giving an online presentation on Zoom or other video chat platform (with everyone’s permission, of course) and then adding it to your website with a landing page. Or you could record one or more people on your team discussing a topic or explaining a concept or process, then schedule a webinar for prospects and customers to view it. This gives you the flexibility to connect with your contacts at their convenience.
Here’s the aforementioned webinar from the virtual manufacturing convention about using the flywheel instead of the sales funnel, so check it out!
Knowing that people are much more likely to watch a video than to read text, why not tell your story that way? About Us videos typically provide relevant overviews of a company’s history, facilities, products, capabilities, and more. The video can be used on your website, in sales presentations, and as recruiting tools. Remember that stories are compelling, and knowing the “why” behind the “what” helps build an affinity between you and your customers.
Here's an example from one of our clients, Kaysun Corporation:
Videos showing your product in action give viewers a first-hand look at how well your product works. A side-by-side comparison or review pitting your product against the competition can be very compelling, too. People believe what they see, and if they see that your product does what they need it to do, your sales outreach just got more effective.
Some concepts and processes are difficult to capture on video (the inner workings of scientific injection molding equipment or financial strategies, for example) but can easily be represented using animation. Whether this is done digitally (which requires an experienced video producer) or videotaped showing whiteboard animation, simple visuals help your audience more readily grasp complex ideas. Explainer videos are the most common type of video used by marketers, and for good reason. Customers who watch a demo video are nearly twice as likely to buy than those who didn’t.
View More Explainer Video Statistics
Despite record unemployment in the past year, some industries still don’t have enough of the right workers to fill open jobs. Feature videos on your website that introduce job seekers to their potential coworkers, show them around your facility with a virtual tour, provide an overview of benefits and perks, and explain “a day in the life” of a typical employee. Presenting your workplace proudly will help convince workers that your company is the right one for them.
Here's an example from our client, GMI Solutions:
One of the best ways to convince a prospect that they’ll be happy with your products or services is to introduce them to other customers who already are. While many video tactics focus on the awareness, consideration, and decision stages in the sales and marketing funnel, customer testimonial videos help emphasize the delight stage — the delight a potential customer can expect to have if they choose your company.
Not only will prospects appreciate the perspectives of a third-party endorsement, but the customer featured in the video probably won’t mind the extra exposure for his or her company either. This type of video case study is definitely a win-win all around.
RELATED: B2Bs Need to Follow These 3 Content Marketing Trends
No matter the type of video content you choose to create, make sure the message you’re sending is focused squarely on your customer and how your product or service can help them. While each of these ideas presents part of the story of your company, what viewers are interested in is what you can do for them.
Need more compelling reasons to use video in your digital marketing strategy? Check out our infographic below!
Topics: Video Marketing
