5 Strategies from Video Marketing Experts: 2020 Tips and Trends

Video marketing experts are a dime a dozen in 2020. Who should you trust? 

Some people who have never filmed a video or edited a social media ad are sharing insights without getting dirty and doing the work.

The vetting of video marketing experts can take as long as implementing the recommended tactic.

With the world changing so quickly, B2B marketers need to constantly seek new tactics from video marketing experts to evolve their strategy. But who has the time?

We've done the heavy lifting for you and found some of the top video marketers in their field. They are sharing insights about how they use video to attract, engage, and convert prospects.

This article will highlight five leading video marketing experts and explain their strategies for using video to optimize the B2B funnel and drive revenue.

• Video Marketing Expert #1: Neil Patel, Founder of Kissmetrics and Crazy Egg
• Video Marketing Expert #2: Sam Shepler, Founder and CEO of Testimonial Hero
• Video Marketing Expert #3: Syed Balkhi, Founder and CEO of Awesome Motive
• Video Marketing Expert #4: Kara Manatt, SVP, Intelligence Solution of IPG Media Lab
• Video Marketing Expert #5: Rickard Hansson, Founder & CEO of Weavy

Video Marketing Expert #1: Neil Patel, Co-Founder of Crazy Egg

Neil Patel is the co-founder of Crazy Egg, Hello Bar and Kissmetrics. He is one of the world's most well-known digital marketers and has grown a loyal, passionate fan base over the years.

He has worked with companies like Amazon, NBC, GM, HP and Viacom to formulate their digital strategies and increase sales.

Neil recommends leveraging short videos in emails to increase open-rates and click-rates.

He goes so far as to recommend "Using the word 'video' in your subject line. It may make your video email attractive and more users are likely to click on it. And, if they do, half of your job is done."

Video Marketing Expert Strategy #1: Embed Videos in Emails

Most B2B marketers face two challenges when it comes to their email marketing strategy: getting prospects to open and subsequently click.

It doesn't matter if you've created the perfect email. If prospects don't open it, your work will be all for nothing. That's why B2B marketers need to grab the reader's attention immediately.

Sure you can hire snappy copywriters and A/B test copy, but why not entice readers with a high-quality video about your product or company?

It's like practically sending a video ad directly to your target audience instead of merely hoping they'll stumble upon it on a social media site like Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

Umbel, a fan engagement software company, used a short clip of their company story video as their featured content when launching their new brand. This generated buzz and brand awareness.

In all their announcement emails, this email was featured as the hero content at the top of the page. Immediately when someone opened the email, they were drawn in.

By embedding an email into the body, you can intrigue the viewer with great content that is just a click away. This makes it easier for the viewer to commit to learning more or finding out how the video ends. 

Neil's recommendation of adding "video"" in your subject line teases the video like the present that the receiver needs to open.

Data backs up the effectiveness of videos' impact on email marketing campaigns. Studies show that video can increase open rates by 19% and click rates by 65%. They even decreased unsubscribe rates by 26%.

This is likely because prospects are actively seeking more engaging content. When someone sees "Video" in the subject line, they'll be more likely to open it. Over 85% of people want to see more video content from brands.

Visual content will draw the reader in more effectively than written content. If you're just skimming, a video that's embedded and playing in the email will stand out.

The question that remains, though, is what kind of video should you embed? 

Types of Videos to Embed:

Depending on your campaign's objectives and target audience, different types of videos should be included in your emails. The most common types of videos include:

• Top-of-Funnel Campaigns - product demos, brand story, interviews
• Middle-of-Funnel Campaigns - how-to videos, comparisons, educational content
• Bottom-of-Funnel Campaigns -  testimonials, case studies

For email newsletters and campaigns sent to a wide audience, consider including introductory videos to explain your company and product. For prospects in the middle and bottom of the funnel, you'll want to get more specific with how-to videos, testimonials, and case studies.

A comprehensive email marketing strategy involves the promotion of a wide-variety of video content. To help ramp up video production, reach out to Testimonial Hero for a conversation.

Video Marketing Expert #2: Sam Shepler, Founder and CEO of Testimonial Hero

Sam Shepler is the Founder and CEO of Testimonial Hero and a video marketing wiz. 

He has produced hundreds of professional video testimonials for companies like Google, UiPath, Robin and more. 

He said, "Case studies and testimonials are essential social proof that B2B buyers need. Without testimonials to and case studies that reinforce your value proposition, the claims you're making simply aren't credible. Videos make it more engaging and real."

Video Marketing Expert Strategy #2: Customer-Centric Testimonials

Businesses can promote their product all day long, but if the strategy is wrong, it won't be effective. 

In fact, sometimes the promotion shouldn't even come from your company at all. It should come directly from your customers who highlight their positive experiences with your product.

Prospects want validation that your product is useful. Some are rightfully weary of the claims that businesses make. Approximately 3 in 4 customers don't trust advertising and outright promotion from companies.

Customers will want to fact check your claims and ensure that your product can do everything you say it can. Positive reviews and testimonials can help accelerate customer validation.

After all, over 91% of customers are more likely to purchase from a business with positive reviews.

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That's why companies need to deploy alternative forms of social proof to increase trust in their products and drive interest. 

Speaking and hearing from current satisfied customers can begin this process. These conversations can be the foundation for customer testimonials — a valuable, effective form of social proof.

Testimonials don't have to be elaborate. 

In fact, short, high-quality testimonials that get to the point are the gold standard for video testimonials. Video testimonials bring reviews to life by putting the product in the context of a story.

The prospect might already know about the product, but now they'll hear how it was deployed in a real-life application. And with a customer vouching for your brand, that might be just what the prospect needs to convert.

Testimonials don't always focus on the specific aspects of the product, but rather, how the product was used to improve the business and daily life. 

They focus on outcomes rather than the nuts and bolts of the product.

Look at this testimonial for UiPath.

Tim Poome, Supply Chain Executive for Tarsus Distribution cites "pure reliance" on UiPath to automate a lot of their manual processes. 

The implementation of UiPath has enabled their business to scale and evolve its strategy:

UiPath | Tarsus Testimonial from Testimonial Hero Vimeo.

In this short testimonial, someone who has never heard of UiPath will fully understand the benefit it provides.

If you don't want to produce your testimonials by yourself, Testimonial Hero is here to help deliver a memorable customer-centric video that will drive results.

Video Marketing Expert #3: Syed Balkhi, Founder and CEO of Awesome Motive

Syed Balkhi is the CEO of Awesome Motive, a company that helps small businesses grow by offering products like OptinMonster, WPBeginner, WPForms, and more.

The company specializes in lead generation and conversion. Over 15 million websites use their software to reach new customers.

He says, "GIFs allow us to express complex messages in a matter of seconds. And that makes them a powerful strategy for companies that want to connect and engage with their target audience online."

Video Marketing Expert Strategy #3: Leveraging Branded GIFs

Sometimes, in marketing, you need to be repetitive. There's nothing more repetitive than a looping GIF.

Branded company GIFs can be utilized in a variety of marketing campaigns. GIFs can help showcase complex products or specific features in a simplified way. 

There's multiple aspects of marketing that can benefit from branded GIF creation. 

Companies can produce these GIFs and use them for:

• Social media content
• Drip email campaigns and newsletters
• Blogs and landing pages
• Internal company communication channels (i.e. Slack, Microsoft Teams)

GIFs will make a company feel more personal. GIFs add color to conversations, so an employee can use one to build rapport with the prospect as they're pitching. By using them, the prospect might feel more connected to the salesperson in an authentic way.

This can lead to them wanting to do business with the company. 

86% of customers prefer brands with an authentic and honest tone in their communications.

GIFs are also good for top-of-funnel discovery and acquisition. Sites like GIPHY function as a search engine for GIFs. By tagging the appropriate keywords, your GIF may pop up when your target customers are searching for specific content.

Service Monster uses gifs to showcase product functions in their blogs and on their website. The interesting thing, though, is that the gifs are also public in GIPHY's search.

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When you search "software" in GIPHY, Service Monster's gifs appear among other related GIFs. This can be another potential channel for discovery. 

If your target customers were searching for "software" or other industry-related terms, your GIF might show up. Depending on the content, they might be intrigued to learn more about your company and check out your website.

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How to Create a Branded GIF

Thankfully, you don't have to be a video editing whiz in order to make a crop of branded company GIFs. In fact, there are free sites that can create your GIF for you in only a matter of clicks and seconds.

These sites include:

• GIPHY - the industry leader for GIFs with an editor and library for inspiration all in one
• EZGIF - upload any photo or clip under 6MB and convert it to a GIF
• IMGFlip - toggle between photo and video uploads with an easy to use interface

With these options, there is no excuse why you can't quickly and easily integrate GIFs into your strategy. By sharing GIFs with your prospects, you'll bring your brand to life and engage your customers in new ways.

Video Marketing Expert #4: Kara Manatt, SVP, Intelligence Solution of IPG Media Lab

Kara Manatt is the SVP, Intelligence Solution of IPG Media Lab. Her company is at the forefront of media innovations and trends that shape the way we interact and do business.

She has been working in advertising for most of her career and previously worked at Yahoo AdLabs.

"Interactive ads are a way to spend more valuable time with consumers," says Kara Manatt of IPG Media Lab. Her company's study found that interactive ads led to a 47% increase in consumer engagement, compared to static ads.

Video Marketing Strategy #4: Launch Interactive Ad Campaigns 

Marketers can burn money on ads if the people watching them aren't paying attention.

As consumers, we've all done it before. You see an ad start playing and you go get the laundry or put something in the microwave and let it run through. You aren't paying attention and just want it to run its course as you wait for the content you want.

Interactive ads solve this problem by forcing the viewer to perform an action in order to complete the add and move onto their content. Video plays a role in bringing these ads to life.

Paid media ads continue to get more sophisticated over the years. The magic of interactive video ads is that they transform viewers from passive onlookers into active participants. Now, viewers will have to pay attention in order to get to the content that they want.

Better yet, they will help your company stand out. Approximately 88% of marketers agree that interactive content is a core differentiator that distinguishes them from their competitors.

Most importantly, though, these types of ads are effective. Interactive ads result in nearly a 4X increase in engagement and conversion compared to traditional video ads.

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As you can see, linear video has a steep drop-off in viewership right at the beginning. Interactive video declines more gradually and levels off. Conversions increased by 10% when viewers watched the interactive video ad.

Creating Your Interactive Videos

Navigating the creation of interactive videos can be daunting. That's where a software like Mindstamp can help.

Mindstamp has the capability to make your videos interactive and capture prospect emails. You can create videos with interactive elements like buttons, questions, overlays, and art. 

After the viewer completes the video, you'll be able to access analytics in your dashboard. These insights will help you optimize your videos and understand your prospects viewing habits. 

You can see where they dropped off watching in a video and adapt your next video to ensure you don't make the same mistakes.

Video Marketing Expert #5: Rickard Hansson, Founder & CEO of Weavy

Rickard Hansson, is the Founder & CEO of Weavy, a company that executes in-app messaging across teams. Weavy provides companies with instant messaging, file sharing, and more.

Because of this, Rickard is no stranger to webinars and finding ways to make them more interactive. His tip: have a schedule. 

He says, "The ugly thing is that you have no control over if the audience is attentive. So make sure you get control. Give a concise but direct agenda."

That's why you need to map out a recurring webinar series and drive users to engage with your company on a weekly or monthly basis.

Video Marketing Strategy #5: Recurring Webinar Series

For businesses, the days of sporadic "one-and-done" webinars that seem to fall out of the sky on the content calendar are over.

Rather, B2B marketers are creating a recurring webinar series to engage their prospects on a more frequent basis.

Webinars have always been a popular source for lead gen for B2B marketers. In the technology industry, they are common.

Over 29% of webinars occur in the software and technology industry followed by 14% in the financial services industry.

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Webinars enable businesses to get specific and dive deep into a conversation that many people (including their prospects) are interested in.

Effective webinars don't cover broad topics. Instead, they bring data to the surface and are packed with applicable insights that the viewers can incorporate into their own marketing strategy.

When leveraged correctly and continuously they can be a meaningful source for new contacts and leads. Approximately 73% of B2B marketers consider it the best tactic for lead generation.

Webinars are a powerful lead magnet. Businesses can ask for prospects' emails in exchange for admittance into the webinar. By providing content that your prospects enjoy, they'll exchange their email for a chance to take part in the webinar.

This is significant and a responsibility. You need to ensure that the webinar's content is up to your business' standard. The worst thing you could do would be to create subpar webinar content after heavily marketing it and driving interest.

Webinars are a core part of an effective content marketing strategy. A digital marketer would promote them through various social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and even YouTube.

You could even launch a PPC campaign with a Facebook ad or YouTube ads to show a snippet of the marketing video to your target market.

However, the most cost effective method of webinar promotion is leveraging your guest as an influencer. Influencer marketing is an effective marketing tool used to drive registrants for your webinars.

Ask the guest who is featured in the webinar to promote the webinar to their ideal audience. This will expose your brand to a new set of people who might be interested in your content.

They'll be incentivized to share because it's like you're creating a video marketing campaign centered around them.

Once your attendee list is set, you're ready to go.

Typically webinars last an hour and leave time for a question and answer session at the end. The average length of webinars is 57 minutes; most viewers will watch the entire thing.

Oracle has an entire Cloud Infrastructure Webcast Series taking place this summer. 

Anyone can sign up with their email to participate in the webinar or receive it after the live version takes place.

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In addition, Oracle offers viewers the option to stream the webinars on demand at their leisure.

This gives viewers the option to find time in their own schedule to consume the content. It also opens the door to others who might not have been able to make the scheduled time.

They shouldn't stop there. Oracle should repurpose the content for their YouTube channel. YouTube marketing is an effective form of social media marketing. 

With proper YouTube video SEO, you can increase brand awareness and take advantage of all those searching for keywords related to your online video.

By adding that option, Oracle is maximizing their content and ensuring it reaches the widest group of interested people as possible.

3 Webinar Platforms You Can Use

Webinar software can help with the video production and promotion of your virtual event.

This can be a lifesaver for your team who is busy trying to execute a flawless production behind the scenes. Three of the leading webinar platforms include:

• GotoWebinar – the comprehensive software for webinars from start to finish
• Zoom – easily video conference with multiple guests in a live setting
• Click Meeting – browser-based webinar software that allows you to charge for webinars

By using a professional webinar software, you’ll improve the quality of your video production, while saving your team’s time and resources to reallocate to other parts of your business.

Conclusion

The video marketing experts have spoken. Now it’s time to implement their strategies.

Embed your videos in your emails to reach more people.

Produce customer-centric testimonials to provide prospects with a valuable form of social proof.

Create branded GIFs to capitalize on non-traditional channels.

Launch interactive video ads to stand out from the clutter.

Host a series of webinars to engage prospects on a regular, recurring basis.

By adapting these strategies, you’ll acquire, engage, nurture, and convert prospects like never before.

Reach out to Testimonial Hero for help with producing professional videos that you can use when you adopt some of the video marketing strategies listed above.