Why B2B Companies Should Be Using Video

b2b video marketing

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A staggering 81% of businesses claim to be using video as part of their 2018/2019 marketing plans – a figure that’s rocketed from 63% just 12 months ago.

There’s no doubt about it; video is powerful – but a host of studies suggest that B2B companies are slower at adding video to their marketing toolkits versus their B2C counterparts.

So, B2B companies are making a slow start – but that doesn’t mean video doesn’t offer a huge host of benefits if you’ve got a product or service designed for other businesses. In fact, this slow uptake represents a huge opportunity.

Here are 5 reasons you should be turning your focus toward B2B video as soon as you can…

1. Established businesses are doing it

81% of businesses use video – and 99% of them say they will continue to do so…

As far as no-brainer statistics go, they don’t get more compelling than this.

81% of all companies are already using video, and virtually all of them will continue to do so. That means 4 out of 5 companies have assessed the effectiveness of video and decided it represents a solid ROI.

This statistic singlehandedly ranks video marketing as preferred marketing approach when lined up against organic SEO efforts, paid search and paid social advertising. Now, don’t misunderstand, that’s not to say that video should be prioritized over these for everyone – after all, every business is different – it’s simply an acknowledgement that your competitors are using video; and it’s working well enough for them to keep funneling money toward it moving forward.

That’s your market research tied up. Now, onto your target demographic…

2. The people you want to reach prefer it

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60% of business decision makers prefer their content delivered as video

When CEOs, CFOs and other senior managers are offered content as either video or text, 60% of them will choose video – and there’s one overwhelming reason why:

Video packs more information into a greatly reduced time frame.

There’s a well-cited statistic about how words represent only 7% of a person’s overall communication; with tone and body language making up the remaining 93%. With video, you get 100% communication – and a far greater chance to truly ‘feel’ what’s being presented to you.

A huge number of senior company executives have climbed to their position because of an ‘intuitive’ sense that relates to decisions, deals, and the people they surround themselves with. So, when offered video or written content, you’re effectively asking “would you like a fraction of the overall information or all of it?” – so, it’s no surprise video is the source of choice.

3. Your potential customers are actively seeking video

The word ‘video’ in an email subject line increases open rates by 19%

You might think you don’t know a great deal about the person you’re pitching your product or service to – but you’re wrong.

When you’re ‘selling’ your product, the sales and marketing process is – in many ways – more important than the product itself. For instance, the best commercial photographer with no means to market themselves is always going to come second to an average photographer who’s putting themselves out there and asking people for the business.

So, you know more about the person you’re approaching than you think – particularly the fact that the people you’re trying to appeal to are proven to be seeking video.

Moral of the story?

Give people what they want, and they’ll respond accordingly:

  • People are seeking video – so it’s no surprise that those same people are more likely to open a marketing email that has the word ‘video’ in the subject line; 19% more likely in fact.

Examples like this are almost endless with video marketing:

  • 50% of B2B customers search for a video relating to a service or product prior to making an enquiry – so, if you give them the video, you get to steer their next move.

  • The majority of internet traffic is now mobile – so, optimize your video for mobile browsers and you’ll see more converting traffic.

Perhaps you know a little about your customers – perhaps you know a lot, either way, one thing is absolutely certain; they like video – and they’re actively seeking video when they’re making choices about the products and services they’re going to buy.

4. Search engines like video

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Done right, video can result in a 150%+ increase in organic search traffic from search engine results pages

Search engines are often misunderstood.

Their algorithms don’t represent a bizarre ritual you’re expected to follow in exchange for traffic, they’re simply a reflection of the human search behavior that they’ve witnessed previously. So, want to appeal to more people? Present what they’re looking for in a way that search engines understand.

Video is the very best current example here.

It’s currently easier to rank video on Google than it is to rank written content. Why? Because it’s what people are currently responding to.

When you create quality video that’s relevant and adds value, you’re appealing to Google’s sense of what people want to see. In turn, it’s put in front of more people – commonly resulting in 150%+ increases in organic traffic coming from search engine results pages…

5. You can still be ahead of the curve

Only 38% of marketers share video on LinkedIn…

Do you ever find a fantastic marketing opportunity, only to find your competitors have got it wrapped up long before you got there?

Well, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. LinkedIn is currently the biggest B2B network – with 91% of companies saying it’s the social media platform of choice for all things B2B. So how many of them are using video to appeal to their potential customers?

38%

That’s right; a lot less than half of your competition are using video on the world’s biggest B2B network. What’s more – 75% of that forward-thinking group are reporting video to be a huge success on LinkedIn.

If you start using video on LinkedIn, you’re on of the minority rolling out the most powerful current marketing tool in an arena that’s full of people calling out for it…

What’s next for you and video?

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The B2B video picture is very clear:

  • The most successful companies report video to be a success

  • The decision makers you need to reach prefer video

  • All customer demographics actively seek video

  • Search engines will rank your video

  • Not enough people are doing B2B video on the best platforms

There’s an ancient Roman phrase that says “luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity”. You won’t get many business opportunities as clear as the one that relates to the current state of B2B video use.

Now you just have to deal with the video preparation – and the business luck will take care of the rest…

Read next: How to Show Off Your Business With Stellar Photos

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