B2B Videos, the Moon and the Stars
January 1, 2023 6:01 am
We live in a world of instant visuals. We Zoom. We Facetime. We take classes online. We can call up any news story on our computer. We can get a tutorial on virtually any subject. TikTok has made a handful of people both pop culture stars and rich. Even when we’re bored, there’s Bored Panda: a website chuck full of visuals and stories for people who are—well—bored! The point is instant access to visual content is everywhere. Shouldn’t that be the case with your business, too?
You’re probably thinking: “Well, duh, yeah!” But it’s always good to have the facts to back it up. So, let’s back it up.
THE STATS OF COMPANY VIDEOS TODAY.
87% of all businesses are using video as a marketing tool. They’re using it on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, paid media, and, of course, their websites. Some sources say videos on websites increase viewer engagement by as much as 200%. Others say by as much as 600%. Forbes Magazine reports 95% of video messages are retained by viewers.
Hmm… maybe this blog should be a video. Okay. If I’m preaching to the saved, let’s dive deeper.
LET’S TALK B2B.
Putting business-to-consumer (B2C) videos and messaging aside, is there still a value for videos in the business-to-business (B2B) realm? Of course! According to Statista in August 2021, 93% of respondents to this question said they used video content, while 90% said they used social media content. They use it to attract new customers and to reinforce the buying decision of current customers. They use it for dealers, suppliers, and other partners that are vital to their business. This makes perfect sense since more than 50% of B2B buyers are millennials and grew up in the age of instant visuals. In a 2022 report, 86% of B2B marketers said that video helps them attract more leads and increase conversion rates. 81% were more definitive: They simply said that videos helped them directly increase sales.
Just three years ago, a blog like this would have said videos in the B2B realm help your company to stand out and rise above the fray. Now—the fray is filled with videos.
So, if you’re a believer in videos for B2B—and you should be—how do you rise above that fray? Cut through the clutter? To answer that question, let’s first examine who’s producing corporate videos?
THE PITFALLS OF B2B VIDEOS CAN BE STEEP.
Many corporations have in-house marketing departments that produce their own videos. The good news is this is cost-effective, and those producing these videos really possess a deep knowledge of the company. The bad news is that deep knowledge can get you lost in the weeds, along with objectivity and what’s happening in the marketplace. When that occurs—and it does more than you might think—companies wind up talking to themselves. Their videos become a laundry list of what the internal decision makers “think” is important to say and that, frankly, may not be right. The perspective of the customer can easily be forgotten, and the person you’re making the video for should never, ever be forgotten.
Here’s just a small example:
Suppose there’s a five-minute corporate video that spends 60 seconds of that time talking about the company’s history. That may make someone in the corner office really happy, but it has nothing to do with solving your customer’s needs today. If you want to talk about the company’s 102-year-old history, it’s better to save time and money by the voice-over talent simply saying: “For over 100 years, XYZ Corporation has been solving the needs of customers by…”
Here’s another example:
In the previous example, I mentioned a five-minute video. In most cases, that’s too long. When videos exceed three minutes, people start to lose interest, and even video production companies who want to make corporate videos will tell you that. We’re used to watching 15-second videos on social media and 30- or 60-second commercials on TV. Even major films with 200-million-dollar budgets keep their trailers to around two-and-a-half minutes. Yet some companies will make much longer videos, and their in-house marketing departments get caught up in this.
Here’s still another example:
I recently saw a corporate video on the homepage of a very large IT software company that claimed: “We’re all about connecting people on a global scale.” The video was over two minutes long and was set to cool music with lots of flashy animation and graphics. But it didn’t show one single human being.
So much for connectivity.
Then there’s the production equipment in-house marketing departments use. Yes, some companies invest heavily in their video equipment, and it’s state-of-the-art. But, oftentimes, it isn’t, and that’s limiting in a highly competitive world. Most in-house marketing departments don’t have the drones, gimbals, dollys, lighting, greenscreen, and other production equipment needed to tell a really first-class story. And again, this can be vital when you want to rise above the fray. So, many corporations turn to a video production company. Problem solved, right? Well, maybe. Most times, video production companies come into a project after a script is already written or a storyboard has already been assembled. They’re asked to submit a bid and the project becomes a case of “Lowest price wins.” You may get some better production equipment out of this arrangement, but again, where’s that fresh perspective? That objectivity with a pre-existing storyboard?
VIDEO PRODUCTION COMPANY VERSUS VIDEO AD AGENCY.
Hybrid Moon isn’t a video production company. We don’t bid on scripts. We’re a VIDEO AD AGENCY. We’re not a “full-service” ad agency, but we’re still an ad agency. One that specializes in videos. That means we come into videos at the very beginning of the process. We sit down with clients and their marketing departments. We listen to their needs and what they want to accomplish with their video. We research. We draft outlines. We write the script. We storyboard. We collaborate with our clients every step of the way and consider ourselves an extension of their marketing department. But we also bring all important objectivity to the table along with over 30 years of award-winning production expertise. We offer other services too—like live event coverage and interviewing partners and team members for testimonials that can be used for several purposes—but first and foremost, we produce videos from the ground up. Videos that tell the stories your customers and partners want to hear. Because these stories are all about how they’ll benefit. Right now. Today.
We believe in entertaining, yes even in the corporate world. We believe in making emotional connections, creating a bond between a company and its customers. We also love the stars and the planets. So, you’ll see a lot of that in our marketing. We think finding your place in the universe is essential. And making our customers shine is why we exist. We’ve had the privilege to tell the stories of some category-leading brands—companies like Carrier, ExxonMobile, Fiserv, Lowe’s, Nike, and others.
Need a video ad agency in your future? Just remember, the Moon has a lot of pull. Reach out at info@hybridmoon.com, or call us at 503-295-1991.