Business-to-business (B2B) marketing must appeal to company decision-makers rather than consumers. This often requires different practices and types of videos than those used by business-to-consumer (B2C) companies.
Corporate videos are among the best options for grabbing viewers' attention and establishing a clear message about your brand. However, the best approaches vary by your objectives and audience, which you need to consider as you craft your B2B video marketing strategy.
B2B marketing differs from the usual advertising strategies directed at consumers. These campaigns must be targeted and solution-oriented, clearly laying out all the details businesses need to know. They must also persuade multiple decision-makers within a company to have any impact.
Short-form videos are the most popular type of social media content today. High-quality videos capture and maintain viewers' attention, directing their eyes to essential details. Plus, with voiceovers, text graphics, and quick editing, videos give you multiple ways to communicate critical information in a limited timeframe.
Videos are especially beneficial for B2B businesses because they're easy to repost. Professionals can share your videos on social media, via email, or in person. Plus, videos demand less focus than written text or presentations, making them easier for viewers to follow.
The best business-to-business strategies often vary. B2B marketers must follow trends across different industries and companies to understand their target audience's needs. In doing so, they can set stronger goals and objectives that help them attract potential clients.
Start by defining what you're advertising, such as a product, service, or brand. This will help you determine your best approach and types of videos. Next, set a measurable goal for your campaign, such as the number of leads, increased web traffic, or level of social media engagement. These outcomes will help you identify your most beneficial strategies as you go and determine if you have a reasonable video budget.
That said, some B2B goals are more challenging to track than others. For example, online engagement can indicate better brand awareness, but you can't actually measure how many decision-makers know about your business.
Furthermore, business leaders likely won't break existing contracts or partnerships to partner with your company. B2B brand awareness and growth occur organically over time. So, you should set realistic objectives and work with B2B video production teams that understand your goals.
Defining your target audience can be tricky, depending on your industry and what product or service you're marketing. At a base level, you're marketing to business leaders age 30+. However, the specific decision-makers you target may depend on what you're marketing. For example, business software is often marketed to office managers and team leaders, whom you may need multiple platforms to reach.
Most professionals use LinkedIn to expand their networks and learn more about industry developments. LinkedIn is generally the best social media platform for reaching B2B businesses, even if your target audience is younger.
Social media metrics automatically track which of your ad campaigns are most successful, often categorized by demographic. Additionally, many companies ask businesses to complete “Where did you hear about us?” surveys to track the most successful strategies and platforms across the sales funnel. Learning more about your target audience will help you determine better practices as you go.
Business video marketing takes many forms depending on what you're advertising. The most common types of B2B videos include:
Videos are a unique medium that blends visuals and audio for attention-grabbing results. They help you communicate complex information creatively in a short time. Motion graphics, music, transitions, B-roll, and other elements can enhance your B2B video production for unique results.
A good B2B video marketing strategy must engage viewers and persuade potential customers to consider your brand in the future. Most business decisions aren't made overnight, so your message should be memorable and impactful.
The best way to build a marketing narrative is to consider the needs that your solution solves. For example, if you're marketing cybersecurity software, identify the main risks B2B businesses face from cybercrime—and show how your software mitigates them.
Avoid fearmongering or pandering in your B2B videos, as these tactics can harm your brand’s credibility. Instead, focus on positive elements such as benefits and customer success stories. A B2B video agency can help refine your message and strategy.
Social media and search engine optimization (SEO) are crucial to digital marketing. Algorithms prioritize content based on relevance, which often depends on keywords and engagement patterns.
Keywords consist of single words or phrases that align with a user's search intent or activity. For instance, LinkedIn might show posts containing “AI software” to users interested in artificial intelligence. Captioning your videos and including relevant keywords makes them more discoverable and clear to viewers.
Adding captions and creating transcripts make your videos accessible to a wider audience. Over 50% of TV viewers in the U.S. now use subtitles. Captions help social media users follow videos without sound, while transcripts allow others to consume content as text.
Businesses often include transcripts in video descriptions or turn them into blog posts to improve accessibility and SEO. However, auto-generated captions can contain errors. A reliable B2B video production team can provide accurate transcripts and captions with correct grammar and timing.
LinkedIn remains the most effective platform for reaching business leaders, but other apps like Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok may be useful for specific demographics. For example, TikTok ads can target younger entrepreneurs or startups.
YouTube is also valuable for long-term content visibility. Uploading webinars or product demos creates a shareable, evergreen library. Ensure all videos follow platform-specific requirements, including aspect ratios and length, to maintain professionalism and viewer engagement.
Partnering with a B2B video agency ensures your videos are exported in the right formats for every channel.
Videos for businesses should be high-quality and visually appealing. An experienced video production company like Charter & Co can help you craft the best possible content for your B2B video marketing strategy.
Contact Charter & Co today to discuss your video and distribution strategies.