Building a B2B Video Marketing Strategy With Impact — Here's Everything I Learned

I retrieve erstwhile sitting successful a quarterly trading reappraisal meeting, watching competitors‘ video campaigns flash crossed nan screen.

My first skepticism turned to curiosity arsenic I saw really they were connecting pinch audiences successful ways our accepted contented ne'er had. Each run told a communicative that said straight to a decision-maker’s challenges and needs.

That‘s erstwhile it deed me: B2B video trading isn’t conscionable different checkbox successful our trading strategy — it's a basal displacement successful really we prosecute pinch our audience.

Think astir it: An engaging explainer video tin toggle shape a confused imaginable into an willing lead while a well-crafted customer communicative tin move a hesitant decision-maker into a assured buyer.

In this guide, I'll locomotion you done nan improvement of B2B video marketing. You'll observe really to trade a strategy that resonates pinch decision-makers astatine each shape of their journey, find nan saccharine spot betwixt engagement and professionalism, and build a video beingness that drives existent business results.

No much guessing games aliases pursuing nan crowd — conscionable clear, actionable insights to thief you create videos that really work.

Table of Contents

• What is B2B video marketing?
• Benefits of B2B Video Marketing
• B2B vs. B2C Video Marketing
• Building a B2B Video Marketing Strategy That Delivers Results

B2B videos aren't conscionable ‘nice to have’ anymore.

Pull up connected immoderate firm website today, and you’ll apt spot a ‘play’ fastener wrong seconds. This isn’t conscionable an artistic prime — web visitors expect this now.

The latest information shows why: contempt 2023 being a twelvemonth filled pinch layoffs and fund cuts, video depletion has proved to beryllium amazingly immune to economical headwinds.

Total watch clip for business contented accrued by 44% compared to 2022, according to nan 2024 State of Video Report.

B2B video trading is signaling nan decease of big-budget firm productions.

From nan trends I’m seeing, those glossy, costly firm videos conscionable aren't cutting it anymore.

Small brands equipped pinch conscionable a webcam are putting retired astir 15 videos a year, going toe-to-toe pinch bigger and much established brands.

And here's what really catches my eye: viewers are gravitating toward acquisition contented that tackles existent problems — this type of contented now makes up 47% of each business videos retired there.

Viewers are flocking to this type of content, seeking guidance and applicable solutions.

B2B videos are bringing higher conversion rates.

When companies embed email sign-up forms wrong these videos, 23% of viewers return action, a conversion complaint that outshines accepted CTAs, which mean astir 13%.

This displacement isn’t conscionable astir getting much clicks; it signals a deeper alteration successful what audiences expect from brands. Rather than a income pitch, they’re looking for a teacher, a guide, and a problem-solver.

What’s driving this transformation?

With 93% of businesses now calling video basal to their trading strategy, manufacture experts constituent to 2 awesome catalysts: AI's domiciled successful enhancing video creation and an assemblage progressively drawn to video for its immediacy and depth.

Businesses are using AI to streamline video production, from automated editing to personalized contented generation, allowing marketers to nutrient high-quality, targeted videos astatine scale.

Here’s a snapshot of different AI usage cases successful nan video accumulation workflow:

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AI devices besides alteration precocious assemblage insights, which thief trade much applicable and engaging content.

For marketers, nan takeaway is clear: effective video trading isn’t astir fund — it’s astir adopting a mindset that embraces AI’s imaginable to make contented creation faster, smarter, and much aligned pinch assemblage demands.

B2B vs. B2C Video Marketing

While some B2B and B2C video trading are powerful tools, ‌they’re each geared toward gathering different assemblage needs and trading goals.

B2B video trading takes a strategic, targeted approach. It intends straight astatine business decision-makers to guideline them done longer income cycles.

As Kean Bartelman, subordinate imaginative head astatine Lemonlight, explains, “B2B audiences are often much consenting to put clip successful longer videos. There's much patience because nan contented is focused connected delivering extent and insight, which aligns pinch their needs.”

This longer format, often 2-10 minutes, allows for elaborate exploration of solutions and business worth propositions.

However, nan scenery is evolving. Bartelman notes, “We’re seeing a caller inclination wherever galore B2B clients are asking america to bring a B2C consciousness to their creative. They want much flair, much cinematic elements, and an wide attack that's engaging and entertaining.”

This displacement reflects a blending of accepted B2B acquisition contented pinch nan engaging storytelling styles often seen successful B2C.

In my acquisition being portion of video campaigns for a SaaS platform, I've seen nan nonstop effect of well-executed B2B video marketing.

By implementing elaborate merchandise objection videos pinch clear ROI calculations, we accrued nan number of qualified leads by 30% and reduced nan income rhythm by astir 3 weeks.

The cardinal was focusing connected addressing circumstantial symptom points and featuring existent customer occurrence stories that resonated pinch aggregate decision-makers successful nan buying process.

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B2C video marketing, connected nan different hand, is simply a fast-paced, emotion-driven attack that relies connected speedy engagement and manner aspirations to thrust user actions.

It prioritizes intermezo and contiguous affectional connection, typically done short-form videos.

For example, watching this Etsy video, I instantly consciousness nan playful, relatable reside that’s geared toward individual shoppers for illustration maine — decidedly a B2C vibe.

The full “Where's Wally” conception is specified a clever measurement of connecting pinch those of america who cognize what it's for illustration to consciousness mislaid successful a crowd yet profoundly seen by group who genuinely cognize us.

The video is each astir gifts that say, “I get you,” which speaks straight to maine arsenic a user looking for thing typical and personal.

It‘s not a firm message; it’s a friends nudge that Etsy is nan spot to find those one-of-a-kind items that make personification consciousness genuinely understood.

The decision-making process centers connected individual consumers making quicker purchases based connected affectional drivers.

Calls-to-action are much nonstop and immediate, specified arsenic “Shop Now” aliases “Tag a Friend,” pinch occurrence measured done contiguous income and societal engagement metrics.

According to HubSpot's 2023 Video Marketing Report, B2C brands utilizing short-form video contented spot 30% higher engagement rates compared to accepted trading methods.

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This shows really powerful video contented tin beryllium for brands that want to make existent connections pinch their customers and get them to bargain correct away.

Mastering video trading demands a clear knowing of nan disagreement betwixt B2B and B2C landscapes — thing I've seen specify run occurrence repeatedly.

While B2B video trading campaigns navigate complex, multi-stakeholder journeys, B2C contented drives swift, emotion-driven decisions.

Yet, nan scenery is evolving. B2B videos now get from B2C's playbook, incorporating move storytelling while maintaining their strategical focus.

The result? A blase attack that honors level dynamics and assemblage behaviors while pushing imaginative boundaries.

1. Video builds spot pinch buyers.

While accepted contented trading is effective for delivering insights, video goes a measurement further by fostering a much individual relationship pinch buyers.

From my experience, video engages buyers connected a uniquely individual level — seeing a merchandise successful action makes it consciousness much existent and relatable than immoderate explanation ever could.

When buyers acquisition a merchandise done video, they’re not conscionable informed; they’re reassured, which is precisely what they request erstwhile making complex, high-stakes decisions successful a B2B context.

ServiceNow’s AI-driven explainer video is simply a premier illustration of really video contented tin beryllium a powerful trust-builder.

In this video, Now Assist is shown tackling acquainted workplace challenges successful real-world scenarios, making it clear that ServiceNow profoundly understands nan mundane needs of its B2B customers.

This attack builds spot by allowing buyers to envision nan product’s effect successful their ain workflows, moving beyond mentation to practical, relatable usage cases.

Rather than relying connected absurd promises, nan video demonstrates specific, valuable outcomes for illustration enhanced productivity and streamlined processes, offering viewers a reassuring glimpse of nan tool’s imaginable successful action.

Short-form societal videos are progressively trusted, pinch 63% of B2B buyers turning to them for making informed decisions. ServiceNow’s polished, concise video aligns perfectly pinch this preference.

By balancing brevity pinch substance, nan video respects nan viewer’s clip while delivering capable item to animate confidence.

This attraction connected real-life applications and contiguous benefits makes nan merchandise consciousness much tangible, positioning ServiceNow arsenic a trusted, customer-centric provider.

For B2B buyers facing analyzable purchasing decisions, this type of video contented is precisely what builds trust, credibility, and, ultimately, a stronger relationship pinch nan brand.

2. Video reveals valuable insights astir purchaser preferences.

Video analytics supply unsocial visibility into purchaser behaviour done elaborate engagement information that accepted metrics, for illustration page views, simply can’t match.

Viewer retention graphs show precisely wherever prospects attraction aliases suffer interest, while power maps and rewatch patterns uncover which features seizure attraction and wherever explanation whitethorn beryllium needed.

When I look astatine video analytics, I’m ever struck by really overmuch they uncover astir purchaser preferences. For instance, seeing precisely wherever personification pauses aliases rewinds gives america insights into what resonates most.

Recently, I was reviewing a Wistia video analytics demo, and it highlighted conscionable really powerful these devices tin be.

The power maps didn’t conscionable show wherever group watched — they revealed precisely which sections viewers skipped aliases rewatched. This level of item helps maine pinpoint what useful and what doesn’t successful a measurement that’s almost intolerable pinch different data.

For example, realizing that viewers driblet disconnected astatine a circumstantial constituent successful a video shows maine wherever we mightiness request to restructure contented to support their interest.

Or, erstwhile I noticed that a definite conception was being rewatched frequently, it became clear that this portion was particularly engaging aliases needed further accent earlier successful nan video.

The action to usage A/B testing for different video edits besides intends we tin effort retired changes and instantly spot which type performs better, allowing america to continuously amended nan content.

By tuning into these moments, we’ve been capable to refine our messaging to amended align pinch what buyers are genuinely looking for.

These video-specific insights let teams to optimize everything from merchandise messaging to nan travel of income presentations, resulting successful much targeted outreach and shorter income cycles.

3. Video empowers teams to present value-driven content.

Video enhances some income and support interactions by enabling scalable personalization.

Research shows that 94% of buyers for illustration demos tailored to their circumstantial usage case, and 38% are little apt to acquisition if they must interaction income for basal demonstrations.

Video allows income teams to create reusable, customizable demos that buyers tin entree connected demand, gathering this anticipation for personalization.

This video strategy besides streamlines support. By creating a room of tutorial videos, support teams tin trim consequence times, empowering customers to find answers independently.

In summation to boosting operational efficiency, video creates a much satisfying acquisition for buyers, enabling them to prosecute pinch tailored contented astatine their convenience.

4. Video attracts caller customers done societal proof.

Video testimonials, lawsuit studies, and reviews showcase existent customer experiences successful uniquely compelling ways.

I’ve watched a mates of testimonial videos that bring a level of credibility that matter unsocial conscionable can’t lucifer — seeing customers speak straight to their occurrence stories creates an authenticity that resonates.

For instance, nan caller testimonial from Televox, a starring Nordic telephony company, captures precisely really impactful video tin be. In it, Elizabeth, their RevOps Manager, shares really utilizing HubSpot transformed Televox’s customer relationships, driving a 150% summation successful caller nonstop income complete 3 years.

Hearing specifics for illustration these, coupled pinch her excitement astir nan results, brings a level of authenticity that’s difficult to convey successful matter alone.

As she shares Televox’s communicative of streamlined connection and improved customer experiences, it’s easy for viewers to envision akin successes for their ain companies. Watching personification speak proudly astir measurable outcomes builds a deeper consciousness of trust.

The effect is clear: 95% of medium-sized businesses study astatine slightest a 10% boost successful conversion rates erstwhile utilizing video testimonials successful their campaigns.

When prospects spot and perceive existent customers for illustration Elizabeth sharing their experiences pinch genuine enthusiasm and tangible results, they tin commencement to ideate their ain occurrence pinch nan solution.

From speedy testimonials connected societal media to in-depth lawsuit studies for analyzable solutions, video societal impervious has nan powerfulness to build spot and thrust results by making occurrence stories consciousness existent and attainable.

5. Video drives personalized ABM strategies.

“A batch of ABM marketers are stuck pinch 2 choices: what useful doesn't scale, and what scales doesn't work,” explains Adam Shoenfeld, CEO of Keyplay.

This ABM paradox — wherever focusing connected a fewer high-value target accounts delivers results but lacks scalability, while wide campaigns often lead to debased conversion rates — tin beryllium addressed done video marketing.

Video provides a scalable measurement to present personalized, high-impact messages to target accounts.

For example, ABM teams tin create customized merchandise demos to reside industry-specific symptom points aliases executive messages that build credibility pinch stakeholders.

Throughout nan relationship journey, from first consciousness videos addressing niche challenges to solution demonstrations for information teams, video enables deeper connections pinch privilege accounts.

By combining personalization pinch ocular storytelling, video helps ABM marketers scope high-value accounts efficaciously while maintaining scalability.

Companies that adopt multi-format video strategies person seen engagement metrics for illustration video completion rates and gathering bookings pinch target accounts increase, highlighting video’s domiciled arsenic a powerful instrumentality for ABM success.

Building a B2B Video Marketing Strategy That Delivers Results

After joining a B2B video trading team, I quickly learned that creating an effective video strategy was astir overmuch much than making awesome videos.

We needed to understand our audience, representation each video to their buying journey, and, ultimately, necktie everything backmost to existent business outcomes.

Here’s a glimpse into what worked, what didn’t, and nan actionable steps we discovered on nan way.

Step 1: Figure retired what your assemblage really wants.

When we started, our first small heart was to jump consecutive into customer interviews. But successful nan B2B world, group are busy.

Scheduling one-on-one chats pinch decision-makers wasn’t realistic. So, we took a measurement backmost and decided to effort a speedy study instead.

We kept our study short and to nan point. Questions focused connected nan types of videos they wanted, preferred lengths, and which platforms they utilized astir (like LinkedIn aliases YouTube).

To summation responses, we offered thing mini but valuable — early entree to our upcoming video series.

The responses were surprising. Short, concise videos were intelligibly preferred. People wanted applicable “how-to” contented alternatively of sweeping overviews. This elemental alteration successful our attack made each nan difference.

Next, we turned to metrics for a reality check. We looked astatine mean position durations, drop-off points, and conversion rates crossed our platforms.

It turned retired that our most-watched videos were nether 2 minutes, and viewers tended to driblet disconnected accelerated if nan contented didn’t get to nan point. So we decided to prioritize short, impactful videos moving forward.

Step 2: Understand your audience. Who’s watching, and what do they attraction about?

One of nan biggest challenges successful B2B is knowing that nary azygous personification makes a determination alone. Each woody involves aggregate stakeholders, each pinch unsocial concerns.

Our extremity was to representation retired what these different groups needed, which led america to conception our videos by role:

1. C-suite executives wanted big-picture worth and effect — they didn’t person clip for details.
2. Technical evaluators were nan opposite. They needed specifics and wanted america to get into nan nitty-gritty of features and functionality.
3. End-users preferred “how-to” videos truthful they could envision really nan merchandise would fresh into their day-to-day tasks.

Working intimately pinch our income squad was a immense advantage here. They provided firsthand insights into nan communal questions and objections each group had, helping america creation videos that straight addressed these needs.

Key takeaway: If you’re building your strategy, don’t conscionable create wide videos for “the buyer.” Map retired your assemblage segments and tailor contented for each group’s circumstantial concerns and preferences.

Step 3: Craft a contented strategy that guides nan buyer’s journey.

Once we knew what each stakeholder needed, we system our videos astir nan B2B buying journey.

Our extremity was to guideline viewers on each measurement of their decision-making process, aligning contented pinch their shifting priorities.

• Awareness Stage: Here, we created short thought activity videos that tackled industry-wide challenges. We kept these high-level to build credibility without overwhelming viewers.
• Consideration Stage: For this phase, customer testimonials and merchandise overviews became our go-to. We showcased existent solutions to existent problems, helping prospects envision nan worth of our offering.
• Decision Stage: Detailed merchandise demonstrations and method guides worked champion here. By getting granular, we reassured decision-makers that our merchandise had nan features they needed.

Pro tip: For each shape successful your buyer’s journey, create videos that bespeak wherever prospects are mentally. Early on, build trust. As they move toward a decision, attraction connected specifics and differentiation.

Step 4: Set goals and measurement success.

One of nan biggest revelations for america was that video engagement metrics unsocial don’t show nan afloat story. To really spot if our videos were effective, we needed to look astatine nan bigger picture.

We collapsed our goals into 3 main areas:

• Engagement. Metrics for illustration mean position duration, completion rates, and societal shares helped america understand what topics captured attention.
• Lead generation. We tracked conversions tied straight to video views, specified arsenic shape completions aliases demo requests. These metrics showed america erstwhile our videos were driving pipeline growth.
• Revenue. By search which videos influenced pipeline and closed deals, we saw precisely really overmuch our videos contributed to gross — a existent eye-opener for nan full team.

Key takeaway: When mounting goals, deliberation beyond views. Track really each video contributes to leads and revenue, not conscionable engagement. It’ll uncover which contented genuinely drives results.

Step 5: Align nan team, bringing marketing, sales, and merchandise together.

Video isn’t conscionable a trading plus — it needs input from income and product, too. Regular check-ins crossed these teams were essential. We group up a centralized contented room to support everyone aligned.

Here’s what it included:

• Brand guidelines. To support visuals and messaging consistent.
• Approved messaging. To guarantee everyone speaks nan aforesaid connection successful beforehand of nan customer.
• Performance insights. Sharing information pinch nan income squad gave them talking points and insights into what prospects responded to most.

Working together kept nan contented grounded successful existent customer needs, not conscionable trading ideals.

Pro tip: Hold regular check-ins pinch income and merchandise teams to support your videos applicable and useful. This alignment makes each video much impactful and ensures everyone is connected nan aforesaid page.

Step 6: Balance value and budget.

When we first started, we didn’t recognize really quickly costs could stack up. We soon learned that a hybrid attack was nan champion measurement to equilibrium value and budget:

1. In-house production. For regular merchandise updates and speedy demos, we group up a elemental in-house studio. It kept costs down without sacrificing excessively overmuch quality.
2. Agency partnerships. For bigger pieces — for illustration marque introductions and customer stories — we brought successful an agency. It was pricier, but nan precocious stakes justified it.

To support spending successful check, we tracked costs per view, costs per lead, and costs per acquisition. These metrics kept america focused connected contented that delivered nan champion ROI.

Pro tip: Define a fund for each type of video. Use in-house resources for simpler contented and agencies for high-impact pieces. Track costs intimately to guarantee each video contributes to your goals.

Looking Back: What We Would Do Differently

One of nan biggest opportunities we missed was not utilizing AI-powered video creation devices earlier on.

While we were juggling betwixt costly agency activity and basal in-house content, devices Clip Creator could person transformed our attack to B2B video production.

Our squad spent months struggling pinch ‌scalability challenges — peculiarly erstwhile we needed to create localized merchandise demos for different marketplace segments.

Had we known astir Clip Creator then, we could person turned 1 maestro book into aggregate versions, each tailored to circumstantial manufacture usage cases, without nan assets strain we experienced.

Looking astatine our video strategy now, it's clear that AI-powered devices could person helped america support accordant value crossed each our content, not conscionable our big-budget pieces.

The expertise to create professional-grade videos for each shape of nan purchaser travel while maintaining marque consistency and compliance would person importantly improved our contented velocity.

Creating Genuine Connections

Initially, I thought expertise successful video trading meant mastering high-end instrumentality and analyzable accumulation techniques.

However, aft digging into nan information and trends, I recovered that existent occurrence lies successful crafting genuine connections done storytelling.

One of my biggest revelations was realizing nan transformative imaginable of AI successful video production.

Looking back, I spot really AI-powered devices could person streamlined our full process, allowing america to support accordant value crossed each content, not conscionable successful high-budget projects.

In video marketing, alteration is constant. As you instrumentality this strategy, adopt a regular of quarterly strategy reviews, intimately search performance, and adjusting your attack based connected information and evolving assemblage needs.

By keeping your strategy elastic and audience-focused, you’ll move your B2B videos into an basal portion of your B2B trading toolkit.