Your B2B business is up against steep competition. You're marketing on multiple channels, but you're struggling to connect with your audience.
What can you do to stand out and drive measurable results?
The answer is brand videos.
Brand videos are powerful marketing tools that enable your business to reach and convert more prospects.
They can also help your business gain a competitive advantage, especially over companies that aren't utilizing video to its full potential.
In this article, we'll look at what brand videos are, why your business needs them as well, and how to create your own.
What Are Brand Videos?
Brand videos offer your business a highly personal, visual, and engaging way to communicate your core message.
They help you communicate your unique value proposition, show your brand personality, and set your brand apart from competitors.
In 2020, 85% of businesses are using video as a marketing tool.
More companies are now investing in this content format than ever. The industry has seen a 39% increase just over 4 years:
But now you might be asking: just how effective are videos?
Very.
B2B companies have seen tremendous results with brand videos.
Zycus, a global provider of procurement software, saw a 6.6x return on their investment and generated more than 250 qualified leads with video.
Zoom created a short video of Zoom Meetings with a simple description of how businesses can use the software to hold online conferences. It has over 1.6 million views on YouTube.
Our own customers have also seen positive results by using video testimonials in their B2B business.
There are plenty of other examples, but the key takeaway is simple: video works.
88% of marketers are satisfied with the ROI of their video marketing efforts on social media, which brings us to our next point...
Why Your B2B Business Should Use Brand Videos
Still need more convincing?
Here's why you should invest in brand videos for your B2B business:
1. Video Influences Purchasing Behavior
Consumers find video more engaging than other types of content:
That in turn has led directly to more sales.
76% of consumers report making a purchase after viewing a video. Videos can show off a product in a way that text can't.
Sara Larsen, Chief Marketing Officer of Brightcove, said the following:
"Video today has a significant impact on consumers' choices and buying decisions, so it's essential for marketers to understand the most valuable ways to use it."
53% of consumers engaged with a business after viewing a brand video on social media.
The most common actions were visiting the brand's website (20%) and conducting further research (20%).
2. Video Has Higher Engagement on Social Media
Social media users interact with video more than other types of formats.
Just check out the following statistics:
- Facebook videos receive 135% more organic traffic than a photo.
- Tweets with video see 10x more engagement than those without.
- Instagram posts with videos get more comments than images or carousels.
These statistics emphasize the need for businesses to prioritize brand videos. If your followers are barely interacting with your brand, you can use video to boost engagement.
3. Consumers Want Brand Videos
Nobody likes in-your-face advertisements with pushy sales messages.
But it's a different story with brand videos. 58% of consumers want more video content from brands they support.
Video can be a powerful tool to help your brand build awareness and connect with your audience.
But creating brand videos isn't something you can whip up in a single afternoon like a promotional image.
You may not have the financial resources either to work with a studio to shoot and edit your videos.
Fortunately, there's another option: Create your own videos.
Even with limited resources, you can produce professional videos that drive measurable results.
First, let's look at some of the key differences between hiring an agency and producing your own videos in-house.
Agency vs In-House Video Production
Brand videos can benefit your B2B business. Unfortunately, they're not going to make themselves.
Let's look at your options:
1. Hire a video agency
If you have the budget, working with a video agency allows you to outsource your video production.
Agencies have their own specialist equipment and software. They also have an experienced team who know how to utilize those tools to their full potential.
Working with an agency like Testimonial Hero means we handle your brand's video production for you. Our team will take the time to understand your needs and then get to work on creating a professional video strategy to grow your business online.
2. Produce videos in-house
Doing things in-house means taking the DIY approach. You buy all the equipment (or rent them) and assign the marketing department with the task of creating a brand video.
Producing videos in-house gives you more control over the creative process. But it also means having to manage the entire process from start to finish.
So which option is right for you?
The answer depends. Both options certainly have their advantages and disadvantages and it's important to weigh them carefully before moving forward.
Here's a step-by-step guide on creating brand videos for your B2B business.
How to Create Brand Videos
Going with the in-house option?
Here are the exact steps to creating professional videos that can help you grow your business.
#1: Draft a Video Production Brief
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
It's an old cliche, but it's one that rings true here.
Producing a video isn't easy. That's why creating a brief is so important as it lays out the parameters of your creative project.
Define each of the following in your video production brief:
- Target audience
- Primary objective
- Location
- Equipment
- Actors or presenters involved
- Budget and deadline
- Schedule
- Key metrics
Then share the brief with everyone involved and elicit feedback.
#2: Plan Your Vision and Key Points
Proper planning is a must to create brand videos that drive measurable results.
Plan your vision before you start shooting. Otherwise, it can be costly to redo parts of a video that were poorly executed.
Jot down a few key points you want to cover. Doing so gives your videos a clearer purpose and keeps your message more focused.
Here's a basic structure you can follow as you write your script:
- Start with an opener: The first few seconds are crucial to grabbing your viewers' attention. Grab their attention with a hook and make it clear what your video is about.
- Address the problem: What problem is your audience having? This is where you'll cover the key points you wrote down earlier.
- Present a solution: 70% of B2B buyers watch videos for product research. Explain how your product or service addresses a problem.
- End with a call to action: What exactly do you want your viewers to do? Make it clear what you want them to do next.
Here's an example of how Slack highlights how their solution addresses the problem of managing conversations from different platforms:
#3: Get Your Gear Ready
Think you need fancy equipment to create quality videos?
Michael Gondry, a French director, shot this 11-minute short film using his iPhone 7:
Having directing experience certainly helps. But it goes to show that you can create impressive videos with equipment you likely already have in your pocket—your smartphone.
Take your brand videos to the next level with the following equipment:
- Tripod
- Microphone
- Key light
- Fill light
- Backlight
#4: Shoot Your Video
You can record in a studio, but it isn't necessary. Many of the video testimonials we create for our clients are shot on-site.
Think about B-roll or supplemental footage as you shoot. B-roll footage adds depth to your video as they provide supporting imagery like visuals of your office.
You can see this in action with one of our own video testimonials for Pandora:
Avoid using a single light source. Instead, use the standard three-point lighting method to get better lighting for your videos.
Don't be afraid to do multiple takes. You'll have an opportunity to edit your video later.
#5: Add a Voice Over
Voice overs are narrations that you add to your video. They provide an overview of your products or services.
A good microphone is a must for viewers to hear what you're saying. Find a quiet area to record your voice over and speak clearly.
Nest uses a voice over with its explainer video here:
Don't want to do the voice over yourself? You can hire a professional voice actor on Fiverr to do the recording for you.
#6: Edit Your Video
It's time to edit all that raw footage into something presentable.
If you use a Mac, you can use software like iMovie to edit your video. Alternatively, you can use OpenCut, which is available as a free download for Mac and Windows.
More professional options include Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro.
You could probably go on for hours talking about your brand. But most people don't have the patience for that, so keep your video to less than 2 minutes.
Here's the average engagement for different video lengths:
Include some music to set the video's mood and tone. Moov, a company that makes wearable fitness trackers, uses upbeat music in its product overview video:
Don't use another artist's work without permission though. Use HookSounds or Bensound to find royalty-free music you can use for a small fee.
Remember to edit in any branding assets you have to your video.
#7: Include a Call to Action
A call to action or CTA is a prompt to encourage your visitors to take action.
In other words, what do you want viewers to do after they watch your video? Make it clear instead of leaving it up to them.
Mint adds a simple CTA at the end of this explainer video encouraging viewers to sign up and get started in less than 5 minutes:
There you have it. By following these steps, you'll be well on your way to creating awesome brand videos for your business.
If this all feels overwhelming, don't hesitate to reach out to the B2B brand video experts at Testimonial Hero.
Brand Video Examples
To inspire your own brand videos, here are some examples from leading businesses like yours.
We've broken these examples into brand videos you can create for your business:
About Us
An about us video provides more background about a company's founding and their vision for the future.
Explainer
An explainer video provides a brief overview of how a product or service works and the problem it solves.
Product Demonstration
The purpose of a product demonstration video is to show off some of the features of a product or service.
Customer Testimonial
Customer testimonial videos are effective because you're letting customers market your brand for you.
OneEleven:
Case Studies
A case study video details how a company used a product or service to solve a problem (e.g., managing customer data, generating more sales, etc.).
Company Culture
A company culture video highlights the personality of a company. It also helps companies attract talent.
Behind the Scenes
A behind the scenes video shows viewers a glimpse of what goes into manufacturing a product.
IKO - Roofing Elevated:
Final Thoughts
Companies that utilize brand videos can stand out from the competition and even form personal connections with their audience.
Follow the steps outlined here to create your own brand videos or reach out to the video experts at Testimonial Hero today.
