Poke around your website a bit. What’s missing? What could you be doing better? For many B2B companies, video is the missing piece of the puzzle. Not only does video add visual elements to websites and presentations, it also presents valuable information about your company in an easy-to-consume format. Plus, it supports the old adage “People buy from people” by helping to convey your company’s personality and brand “in person” rather than through written text.
With employees – including the C-suite – accustomed to being on camera with videoconferencing tools forced by the pandemic, having them partake in short videos should be no big deal. But it is a big deal for customers; Elite Content Marketer finds that 66 percent of people would prefer to watch a short video compared to 18 percent who would rather read text in an article or website. More than half of executives (59 percent), who are often decision-makers for B2B technology, agree that if both text and video are available on the same topic, they are more likely to choose video, Small Biz Trends says.
In addition, viewers retain 95 percent of a message when they watch it in a video, according to Insivia, compared to 10 percent reading the same message in text. So not only do potential buyers prefer video, they also pay better attention to the messages – your messages – in the video vs. text.
So, what do you need to think about regarding video for your website? Here are four key considerations:
- Understand cost and usability. According to a survey from Sociallive, 51% of marketing respondents cited the time required to create video content as their biggest pain point. The same survey showed that the majority (83%) of respondents believe their company would create more video content if technology made it easier.
But it doesn’t have to be difficult – or expensive – to get started with videos. In fact, there are several cost-effective, easy-to-use platforms on the market that can help you get moving. In addition to choosing a video platform, you’ll also need to consider format: will your audience respond better to product demos, explainer videos, case studies, CEO interviews or interactive infographics? Talk to your various teams, such as product marketing, sales and, of sourse, executives. What format would best suit their purposes – and their personality?
- Be consistent. Once you have your first round of videos live, start thinking about what content you want to include in the next round. Where will you use it? Your resources page or your blog might be a natural place for ongoing content, and of course you need to socialize it across your channels such as LinkedIn and Twitter.
- Don’t forget to repurpose your video. Think about how you might use your content in several different ways. Video content can be the basis for a white paper outline, a speaking proposal, an infographic, and so on. And remember that it’s a two-way street – just as videos can be turned into a blog, a blog topic can be turned into a video. Aim for five ways you can repurpose each piece of content.
- Think about your buyer’s journey. What content makes sense at each stage? How can you use video to advance buyers to the next stage? What about existing customers – how can video be used to continue to engage customers after the sale, which might help them buy more from your company? One stat to keep in mind: according to Google, 70 percent of buyers watch videos at every step of the buyer’s journey. Potential customers are craving more information about your company, so give it to them!
Still looking for proof that videos should be integrated into your marketing plan? Invideo has put together a list of “135 Video Marketing Statistics You Can’t Ignore in 2022.” Need help with content for your videos? Contact Calysto.