B2B marketing videos for business development strategies
If a business isn’t growing, it probably won’t endure. Business development depends on reaching the right leads at the perfect time with a good value proposition. Luckily, a B2B marketing video strategy can help to capture your potential clients’ attention and smoothly guide them through the sales process.
Creating marketing videos that support the sales process from pitch to launch is all about being aware of where you and your client are in the conversation. Each step of the sales process calls for a unique video that answers the client questions that come up for that step. Therefore, these B2B marketing videos should look very different depending on where you are in your business development journey.
As always, content is king, and planning is key. So, this article will lay out an effective game plan that incorporates into your business development strategy.
Marketing content for each stage of your sales process
B2B marketing videos can add the zing your business needs to pique the interest of new leads. Having delivered countless B2B videos, I can vouch for how effective they are in guiding a sales process to a closed deal. But B2B marketing videos must be used very purposefully.
Many businesses try to make a SINGLE video to cover all aspects of their marketing needs. Whether it’s due to a budgeting or timing issue, the instinct is to jam all of the ins-an outs of a product and company into one generic “corporate video”. This one-video-fits-all mentality will set you up for a fail! It overwhelms your potential leads with information overload before they can even consider your offerings.
Just like when you’re meeting new people, there’s a basic sequence of actions that EASE each interaction into the next. From a captivating intro to a gradual information campaign that leads to a deal; every video makes your lead a little more familiar with your brand.
Obviously, each company has its own unique business development plan and strategy. But for the sake of understanding the different messages for each part of the sales process, the core categories we’ll tackle today include:
1. Awareness: Make potential leads aware of your company and expertise.
2. Consideration: Solidify credibility and build interest with information about your product and services
3. Decision: Encourage a conversion with a word from satisfied clients
4. Retention: Nurture existing client relationships and create long-term value
Let’s dive in!
Promotional videos for an unforgettable first impression
You wouldn’t introduce yourself to a potential business client in flipflops, would you? As with personal introductions, powerful first impressions are VITAL for successful business client relationships. Think of promotional videos as the crisp suit and firm handshake that first presents your business to your potential customer.
A favorite for trade show booths and in introductory newsletters, promotional videos make for powerful icebreakers. Therefore, they make your potential clients aware of your company, your expertise, and the essence of your offerings. Typically lasting 30 to 60 seconds, promotional videos consist of a quick, eye-catching narrative format. As a matter of fact, of all of the B2B marketing videos this is one most often calls for a higher level of production value.
Promotional videos certainly make great YouTube pre-roll ads, programmatic ads, and content for social media. Moreover, coupled with a well-structured distribution strategy and a boosting budget, promotional videos will make your brand stand out among competitors.
But if you’re talking to investors, then what you need is a sales tape. It includes a product overview, potential markets, and investment opportunities, making the video a bit longer. Since sales tapes usually include confidential business development information, these don’t call for the distribution plans of teaser videos. However, both promotional videos and sales tapes have the power to keep your company top-of-mind when decision time rolls around.
Build interest with an EXPLAINER VIDEO
If you’ve played your cards right, your potential client is impressed and intrigued by your promotional video. Now that you have their ear, we can move to the consideration phase of the business development cycle. The goal here is to help clients visualize their business benefitting from your offerings with an explainer video.
This type of video highlights your value proposition, so this is your time to SHINE! Therefore, showcase and clearly explain the features and practical benefits your business offers. Explainer videos are typically two to five minutes long and feature content such as product demos, unboxings, and walk-throughs.
In order to make the most out of your explainer video, understanding how you will distribute it is key. In other words, if you’re presenting the video to a client face-to-face, you’ll have a captive audience. But in many cases, you’ll have to rely on a solid search engine optimization and web marketing strategy. Therefore you must leverage these tools to ensure that your video reaches your lead at the right time.
To maximize your exposure, these videos need to be front and center! Place them:
at the top of your company’s website,
featured on the business’ YouTube profile,
next to product descriptions in online stores such as Amazon,
as featured content on company social media profiles,
in the company website’s blog posts or web articles.
Since explainers are highly informational, make sure you keep your audience engaged by emphasizing the value this will create for your clients.
Clinch a lead’s decision to choose you with a TESTIMONIAL
You’ve made a killer first impression, your offerings look top-notch, and your client is pretty sure your services can satisfy their needs. Now that they’re flirting with the idea that your business is a perfect match, how do you get them to pull the trigger? Solidify your credibility and lock them in with a testimonial video.
Testimonial videos are powerful B2B marketing videos that recount your success stories. By showing how good your offering has been to your past and current clients, you can assure skeptical leads that they won’t regret choosing you.
Showcasing testimonials and positive reviews is a simple way to put a satisfied customer’s experience front and center without necessarily requiring a big investment. But if you really want to take it to the next level, a case study is a more complex narrative. Case studies outline the challenge your client had, how your offering provided a solution and the ultimate payoff of your work. Here, a video that exhibits your leadership, your team, and most importantly, your philosophy, can move the needle in a decisive way.
Continue to nurture your clients by building LOYALTY
Once you’ve made your sale, you may want to encourage repeat buying, assure other skeptical customers, or be filed away as a contender by future clients. Regardless of your primary goal, you must keep your company top of mind in your audience.
This requires some delicate strategizing for your b2b marketing videos, because sell, sell, sell, can end up being a turn-off! Nothing elevates your brand like making a personal connection that positions you as part of the community. To make videos that nurture existing and potential client relationships, create engaging or entertaining content that reflects your brand values.
Some ideas for videos that build loyalty include:
branded content videos,
news segments about the company’s day-to-day,
video blogs,
Influencer partnership content.
Make sure you position your company as a community in and of itself! Moreover, it really helps to focus on your company culture and mission to drive the stories you tell.
Planning goal-oriented marketing content
A bullet-proof business development strategy pushes for expansion by seeking to build lasting client relationships. So, remember that every marketing video is a different stepping stone to a lasting client relationship. Therefore, you must begin with an effective game plan to create videos that guide leads through the sales process smoothly.
To carefully plan your content for each part of the sales process, check out my article on planning and creating engaging video content. This will help you build strong foundations for a progressive outreach effort.
You know video is my passion, and I love to help people leverage visual media to support their businesses. reach out to me with any questions about how you can make B2B marketing videos that work for YOU!