Better B2B Video: 6 Key Tips

Looking to improve your B2B video marketing strategy? Here are six tips for creating a better video strategy to convert viewers into buyers.

Get to the point. Many people don’t have time or desire to watch a long B2B video, especially early in their consideration process. As Christa Tuttle writes on Business2Community.com, keep company overviews and explainer videos under two minutes long. Reserve the 15-20 minute videos for webinars or on-demand demos targeted to prospects interested in learning more about your product or service.

Know when to send. The middle of the week was prime viewing time for B2B video, with Thursday logging the most views (22 percent), according to a recent report from Vidyard. Close behind were Wednesdays (18 percent) and Tuesdays (17 percent), with Monday and Friday tied at 15 percent. Viewership definitely lags on the weekend, with Saturday and Sunday attracting only seven and six percent of viewers respectively. Regardless of the day, morning or early afternoon was the peak watching time every day, with 12 to 2 pm EST and 9 to 11 am PST being the sweet spots.

Don’t wait until the end for the CTA. Many brands wait until the last few seconds of a B2B video to share a call to action. That may seem the logical spot for a CTA, but as Tuttle writes, calls-to-action in the middle of a video, when viewers are most engaged, can have much higher conversion rates. Analysis from Wistia reported conversion rates just over 15 percent for mid-roll CTAs, versus 10 percent for end-roll. “CTAs in the middle of the video are viewed by more individuals and thus more likely to catch a few more of those people that otherwise drop-off in the second half of the video,” writes Tuttle. “Whereas a call-to-action at the end of the video is only seen by viewers that complete the video.”

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Source your in-house talent You don’t need to hire actors. Instead, find the natural-born stars in your company, writes Keith Richey. Most people in your company have some level of video skills. “There are a few great ways to suss out internal talent. One is to create a video contest; the winner could get free vacation days if not a monetary award,” Richey says. “Or, your employer’s social media channels are an excellent look into what kind of digital talent they have. Lastly, just ask. Send out a companywide email to see who wants to make videos on company time. Your in-company talent can include “on-air” personalities, videographers, film editors, copywriters and other creatives.”

Get emotional. Don’t forget that your B2B customers are living, breathing human beings. Create content that will engage their emotions, as well as their intellect. “There has been a very significant evolution in the way B2B buyers expect to interact and what they want to hear from the brands they partner with,” says Alicia Tillman, global CMO of SAP, which recently debuted a new online video and TV campaign themed “The Future of Business Has Feelings,” featuring actor Clive Owens. “We want to show experiences that people have with brands, and make the important point that every day, an experience can be different.”

Watch the competition. As you start to create your B2B video content, take a moment to see what your competitors are doing, to find out what you can do better. “Look for gaps in their storytelling that you can leverage or ways in which your product or service is different from what they offer,” Marilyn Heywood Paige, vp of marketing at Inciting Marketing Solutions told CMSWire. Then, outline what the most crucial elements are to feature to convey your message, to keep your content compelling from start to finish.