Website Video Spokesperson: Things to Avoid

Web video spokespersonTechnology has made it possible to place a website video spokesperson on your website. When done correctly, your virtual spokesperson can serve as a tour guide and sales agent. When done incorrectly, your Web video spokesperson can drive visitors away. Avoid these common mistakes and enhance the user experience.

  • Avoid allowing the website video spokesperson to speak before being clicked. It’s fine for your virtual spokesperson to walk onto the screen and wait, but the Web video spokesperson should never begin speaking until the user clicks.
  • Avoid low quality video. Your website video spokesperson should appear in full HD video. Today’s users are accessing websites on screens of all sizes ranging from tiny cell phone screens to massive flat screen TVs.
  • Avoid lengthy speeches. As with most online videos, your virtual spokesperson should respect your viewers’ time. Few Web visitors have the time, attention span, or desire to watch a lengthy video and many will resent been forced to listen to a long pitch.
  • Avoid having the video spokesperson read the website text. This can turn off site visitors, possibly even insult their intelligence. Allow your virtual spokesperson to contribute to the conversation, when clicked, not rehash what already appears on the page.
  • Avoid repeating the same video multiple times. Each Web page featuring your virtual spokesperson should have its own unique script tailored to the page’s content and desired call to action. Having the Web video spokesperson repeat the same information is redundant, boring, and annoying. Just as a real estate agent would point out the benefits of the family room while showing clients the family room and the merits of the master bathroom when showing the master bathroom, the same is true of the website video spokesperson. The script should be relevant to the page.
  • Avoid generic scripts. Your company is unique so make sure that your virtual spokesperson accurately reflects that. While a generic “welcome to our site” might have longevity on its side, it doesn’t communicate what’s unique about your product, service, or brand.
  • Avoid branded video players. Some entry-level Web video spokesperson service providers place their logos and links inside the video player as a means of keeping costs low. However, this is distracting and takes away from your core message.
  • Avoid borders. Today’s video technology allows for borderless video overlays. Your website video spokesperson can literally walk across the screen.
  • Avoid pushing and pull your visitors in. A virtual spokesperson can be used in many ways. You may be tempted to use your Web video spokesperson as a broadcaster who pushes a message to viewers. Put away the bullhorn and put your website video spokesperson to good use as a warm, inviting host. Write the script with user benefits in mind and create engaging copy. Use a soft sales approach and allow your virtual spokesperson to gently guide viewers to a compelling, relevant call to action.
  • Avoid choosing the wrong Web video spokesperson for your site. The website video spokesperson will become the face of your company, so choose wisely. Make sure to select a virtual spokesperson that reflects your company’s values and resonates with your customers.

Clearly, you have a lot of considerations when opting for a Web video spokesperson. Though it may seem like a lot to remember, it all comes down to this: attracting and guiding visitors. Avoid anything that could drive visitors away and embrace techniques that can draw them in. If you can accomplish these two key points with your virtual spokesperson, your campaign is sure to be a success.

What website video spokesperson techniques annoy you? Which ones work well? Share your thoughts in the comments section below:

Online Video Marketing: Success Factors

Online Video Marketing SuccessWhen it comes to Internet video marketing, there’s more involved than opening a YouTube account and posting the occasional promotional video. In order for your online video marketing efforts to pay off, you need a strategy that incorporates the following success factors:

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #1: Know Your Audience

It’s tempting to create a promotional video that appeals to you. However, will it appeal to your target audience? Before you begin any Internet video marketing campaign, you absolutely need to know who your audience is. It helps to imagine a single individual and then craft the promotional video to engage this individual. For example, an auto insurance company targeting older drivers might imagine an audience member named “Harold.” Once you know who will be watching your promotional video, you can write an engaging script.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #2: Creativity

Many business professionals want their online video marketing campaigns to “go viral” and produce creative videos they hope others will share. Going viral may or may not be your ultimate goal. However, creativity is a definite success factor. This doesn’t mean producing a wacky video or going overboard with special effects. It means developing an interesting Internet video marketing campaign that your audience members will want to watch. People online don’t have long attention spans, nor do they have time to spare to watch irrelevant or boring videos. Use your creativity to create an online video marketing campaign that presents your information in a fresh, but appropriate for your company, manner.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor#3: Benefits

Remember Harold, the older driver mentioned earlier? As you write your script, think about what’s in it for Harold. How will your offer make Harold’s life easier or better? Will your offer save him money on his car insurance? Will his driving skills improve? Will he experience peace of mind knowing that roadside assistance is available? These are all benefits. Focus on benefits and you’ll make a positive impression on viewers like Harold.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #4: Length

Because your audience has little time to spare, it’s crucial that your online video marketing efforts respect that. It’s tough enough to prompt viewers to watch a promotional video and few will watch a lengthy one. Keep your videos short and make every second count. In general, each promotional video should be between 30 and 90 seconds in length. If you have more to say, consider creating an Internet video marketing series with each video focusing on one key topic.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #5: Video Distribution

How will you use your promotional video once it’s produced? Will you post it on your website and optimize it for the search engines or will you upload the video to various video-sharing sites like YouTube – or both? Make sure you understand how you will use the video before you produce it.

Online Video Marketing Success Factor #6: Call to Action

No matter how creative, benefits-focused, concise, or properly distributed your Internet video marketing campaign may be, if you forget the call to action, it won’t reach its full potential. Ideally, you’ll know exactly what action you want your viewers to take before you write the script. Identify this action in advance and use your script to guide your promotional video viewers into taking that action at the end. A call to action doesn’t need to be overly complicated, but it does need to be in place.

As you plan your next online video marketing campaign, incorporate these success factors into each promotional video you produce. By doing so, your video will be more likely to: resonate with your target audience, communicate the benefits of your offer, and compel viewers to take the next step.

What do you think about these online video marketing success factors? Did we miss any? Share your experiences in the comments section below:

Website Video Spokesperson Checklist

Website Video Spokesperson Checklist

After much thought, you’ve come to the conclusion that adding a website video spokesperson to your website is the logical next step. After all, the virtual spokesperson serves as a friendly and welcoming host, provides useful information and tips, engages visitors, and gently guides them around your website toward a buying decision. But where should you begin? Which type of Web video spokesperson is right for you? We’ve created this checklist to help you make the best decision possible.

  • Choose the video production company first, not the individual virtual spokesperson – While you may be tempted to look for the perfect website video spokesperson on various websites, it’s smarter to choose the video production company first as not all companies have the marketing skills you need in order to incorporate an effective spokesperson strategy. In addition, once you find a production studio with the expertise you need, the producer can help you select the best virtual spokesperson for your website.
  • What to look for in a Web video spokesperson video production company: a blend of video production and online marketing skills. While many studios are fully capable of producing a website video spokesperson video to overlay on your website, not all are well versed in the online marketing profession. By finding a hybrid studio that excels in both areas, you’re more likely to have an effective finished Web video spokesperson production that engages, converts, and nurtures your website visitors.
  • Analyze your target audience. If you don’t know who you are targeting, it will be virtually impossible to select a website video spokesperson that appeals to them. Use surveys, market research, focus groups, and other resources to gain a deeper understanding of your target audience.
  • Create a list of actions you want visitors to your website to take. This ensures that when the time comes to craft a script for your virtual spokesperson to follow, you’ll know exactly what you want to accomplish and where you want to lead your audience.
  • Start casting your website video spokesperson only after completing the steps listed above. Not only will you have an experienced producer and marketer to help you with this task, you will have a solid idea about the age and gender of the actor you should hire as well as the role the virtual spokesperson will play.
  • Pay attention to each actor’s qualifications. When watching demo reels, you may feel that a given actor has the general look you want, but isn’t quite right. Perhaps the accent is too strong or the current costume too formal looking for your site. However, actors are extremely versatile. By paying attention to the skills each actor lists, you may find that your favorite “not quite right” website video spokesperson is fully capable of conforming to your specifications.
  • Be involved in the writing the script. Though your video production company will likely provide you with a scriptwriter, you should provide direction. Using the list of actions you developed earlier and what you know about your website video spokesperson’s abilities, collaborate with the scriptwriter to create a script that conveys your message and leads to results.
  • Build in room to improvise. Your website video spokesperson is a creative professional who understands the goals of this profession. Take advantage of these creative talents by allowing some room for improvisation. You may be surprised at the warmth and spontaneity that a little wiggle room produces – and your virtual spokesperson’s warmth will resonate with most website visitors.

Adding a Web video spokesperson to your website does take some effort on your part. Follow this virtual spokesperson checklist to: ensure that you have a capable video production and marketing company behind the scenes; a website video spokesperson that appeals to your target audience; and a script that carefully guides your website visitors to an informed buying decision.

What do you think about our website video spokesperson checklist? Did we miss any important key points? Share your ideas in the comments section below:

Website Video Production – 5 Mistakes to Avoid

goofy man holding movie clipboard

Small handheld video cameras and online video-sharing websites have led many businesses to believe that website video production is a simple process involving point, shoot, and upload. While that process is fine for personal videos, serious Web video production for business marketing purposes is a different matter. Complexities throughout the process make the entire video production vulnerable to mistakes. Some mistakes, such as failing to choose a reliable video production company, can be disastrous. Below are five common website video production mistakes you’ll want to avoid:

Website Video Production Mistake #1: Choosing the Wrong Video Production Company
Choosing a video production company to produce your Web video production is one of the most important decisions you will make. However, did you choose the right video production company for your project? Like many professional service providers, video production companies specialize in different fields such as consumer video (weddings, parties, and events), legal video (depositions, “day in the life” videos, etc.), and commercial / business website video production. Select a company that specializes in Web video production and you’ll be more likely to have a technical crew skilled in video production, online video formats, search engine optimization, video sharing, and online video marketing concepts.

Website Video Production Mistake #2: Not Using a Video Production Company
Think you can handle Web video production in house? While inexpensive HD video cameras and low-cost editing software have their appeal, putting website video production in the hands of the untrained could be a costly mistake. Not only is your Web video production more likely to look as if an amateur produced it, the time your employees spend scripting, producing, and editing the video could be better spent working in their areas of expertise.

Website Video Production Mistake #3: Failing to Script the Video Production
A high quality Web video production generally begins with a well-written script. The script serves as the roadmap for the entire production. If you fail to script your video, it will show in the final product. For example, speakers may ramble on without ever reaching their points or the editing may be excessively choppy as you attempt to piece various shots together so that they make sense. Avoid these problems altogether by scripting your Web video production. Depending on your preferences, you can write your own rough draft or ask your video production company to develop the script for you.

Website Video Production Mistake #4: Failing to Engage Your Audience
Even with the most qualified video production company working on your behalf, if you fail to engage your audience, the website video production will be a failure. Never lose sight of your audience, what problems it has, and how your products and services can solve those problems. Your video production company can keep the pace of the Web video production moving, but only you can truly keep your audience engaged by communicating the benefits of your offer.

Website Video Production Mistake #5: Allowing the Video to be too Long
Early in the planning process, schedule time with your video production company to discuss the appropriate video length. Depending on the nature of the Web video production and its intended audience, your video may be as short as 30 seconds or up to 10 minutes long. In general, opt for a short website video production, especially if your audience is primarily composed of prospects. A short Web video production can deliver the information you want to communicate and show prospects that you respect their time. As you build credibility and trust with your audience, you may later have the opportunity to present a longer website video production.

From hiring the wrong video production company or doing it on your own to failing to script the Web video production, failing to engage your audience, and allowing the video to run too long for your audience’s limited attention span, these five mistakes could doom your website video production.

Did we miss any deadly website video production mistakes? Which mistakes have you made? Share your experiences in the comments section below:

B2B Video Marketing: The Power of Content Marketing

b2b video marketing

When you think of B2B video marketing, do you think of it as its own marketing channel or as part of a larger content marketing strategy? Whether you think of your business video efforts separately or as part of a larger B2B marketing plan, B2B video marketing is a powerful option for businesses that want to get seen, get heard, and get results.

What is Content Marketing?

In order to best understand content and B2B marketing, let’s look at what “content” is. Content is a broad term used to describe the material that fills a website, blog, or other informational repository. For example, this blog post is “content.” A corporate video posted on a website’s About Us page is “content.” Photos, case studies, white papers, advertising, polls, games, user reviews, mobile apps, and forums, are all “content.” Generally speaking, branded media that you create and distribute, whether it’s an article, business video, or Facebook status update, is a form of content marketing.

In fact, according to study published by King Fish Media, Junta42, and HubSpot in June 2010, the most widely used form of content marketing for social media campaigns involves branded content that you create (73 percent). Expert videos were next (72 percent) followed by videos (51 percent), case studies (45 percent), and user content/reviews (41 percent).

With these figures in mind, think about how B2B video marketing fits in. First, you might create and distribute a corporate video as part of a B2B marketing campaign. This branded content that you create can also be shared by others if you provide an easy way to share or embed it.

As the figures above illustrate, 51 percent of social media content involves sharing videos. When this happens, not only have you done your part to get your branded B2B video marketing content seen by others, others have willingly shared your corporate video through their own social media channels. That’s the power of content marketing!

Planning B2B Video Marketing Content

No matter where you publish your business video, and no matter how easy you make sharing it, no one will embed your corporate video if it’s not engaging, entertaining, or informative in some way. Similarly, if the business video is excessively long or of poor quality, it’s not likely to “go viral.” Use a professional video production company to ensure the quality of your business video.

As you plan your B2B video marketing campaign, keep the above points in mind. In addition, take a “magnetic” approach. For example, with content marketing, your business video needs to pull business customers in – not push them away. You also want to entice customers to perform a specific action such as visit your website, watch additional videos, sign up for a newsletter, or call your office for a quote. To be most effective, your message B2B marketing message should focus on the benefits to your business customers; it should show that you understand their problems and have the best solution. And then it should prompt them to take a specific action.

Before you produce your business video, think about where your B2B marketing customers will view it. While you may initially post the corporate video on your website, someone else may embed a link to it into a social media platform such as Facebook. Because it’s likely that some viewers will watch your business video somewhere other than your original website, make sure that you include an overlay with your website address directing viewers back to your website.

Encouraging Others to Share Your Business Video

Once you’ve produced and posted your business video, make sure that it’s easy to share. Most website video players and plugins offer some sort of sharing or embed feature that you can turn on. However, this isn’t always enough. Ask your visitors to share it and you may be surprised at their generosity in sharing it. In addition, take advantage of your existing social media networks by posting links to the business video and asking others to share or retweet it.

What do you think about B2B video marketing and content marketing? Share your thoughts in the comments below:

Video eMail Marketing: Improve Click-through Rates

someone clicking mousing button

Video email marketing campaigns are much like their text-only counterparts in that you can spread your message to prospects that have opted in. The addition of video adds a human touch and provides for an engaging medium. However, recent surveys reveal some startling information about including videos in email marketing campaigns: dramatic improvements in click-through rates. Including a website video in your next campaign could make a big difference.

Video Email Marketing Surveys

In March 2011, Get Response released its Email Marketing Trends survey results. Among the results focused on video email marketing were the following:

  • Nearly 64 percent of SMB marketers surveyed said that including website video in emails significantly increased conversion rates
  • 50 percent of SMB marketers surveyed believe that video email marketing increases click-through rates
  • 1 out of 3 SMB marketers surveyed believe that video email marketing positively affects branding and/or loyalty

The Web Video Marketing Council is currently conducting its 2011 Video Email Marketing Survey. While those results aren’t in yet, last year’s survey reveals the following:

  • 73 percent of those surveyed believe that video email marketing increases click-through rates
  • Nearly three out of four respondents believed that customer purchases / conversions are more likely with email campaigns that include website video.

Another study, 2010 Social Media Usage, Attitudes, and Measurability: What Do Marketers Think? by Kingfish Media, HubSpot, and Junta42, revealed that website video presented on a company’s website is the most common way video is shared (61 percent) followed by video-sharing sites (56 percent) and video email marketing (13 percent). This same study also concludes that educating customers is the top reason marketers use website video. The second reason is to bring company employees to life.

Video Email Marketing Opportunities

Though these surveys aren’t the definitive word, they’re thought provoking. A large percentage of marketers that use video email marketing reports significant improvements in click-through and conversion rates, yet only 13 percent of marketers appear to be actively promoting website video via email marketing campaigns. The opportunity to reach consumers with website video through your opt-in list is compelling. Not only are consumers unlikely to be overwhelmed with video marketing messages, they’ll be more likely to click-through to your website in order to view your message.

Assuming you already have a strategy that engages, converts, and nurtures your prospects, including video in your existing email marketing plans could be a relatively simple matter. For example, if your email marketing campaign delivers a series of useful tips related to your product or industry, adding a “how to” video that illustrates one of the more visual tips could be a good fit with your existing campaign. If your website sells kitchen gadgets and you regularly send emails with recipes and special offers, consider adding a video on “chopping onions like a sous chef” or a short cooking video. Once your prospects land on your page and watch your website video, you have the opportunity to keep them on your website, entice them to explore your catalog, and so.

Putting Video Email Marketing to the Test

Using your last traditional email marketing campaign as a “control,” you can put video email marketing to the test by including a website video in your next campaign. After the campaign is over, compare its click-through rates and conversions with your control campaign. How did video email marketing work for you? Did click-through rates improve? How about conversions? If you take part in this challenge, please come back and post your results in the comments section below. We’d love to hear your experiences.

Testimonial Video Production: Why are Video Testimonials Effective?

Testimonial Video Production

Effective testimonial video production is a powerful tool that can influence prospects and help them make buying decisions. Each customer testimonial video on your website serves as social proof that your company has delivered on its promise. As prospects look at client testimonials and see that other people, many just like them, have had successful experiences with your company, they’ll feel more confident in buying similar products and services from you.

What makes a customer testimonial video so effective? Featuring client testimonials in video format allows future site visitors to see and hear your customers speaking favorably about your products or services. They’ll see that despite the strong testimonial video production values that went on behind the scenes, these are real people relaying real experiences. This builds trust and reinforces your credibility.

In fact, effective testimonial video production centers on the following three important factors:

  • Credibility
  • Word of mouth
  • Relationships

Build Credibility with Client Testimonials

Whether you have one or dozens of client testimonials featured on your website, each customer testimonial video adds credibility to your claims. While you could broadcast high quality commercials touting how wonderful your product or service is, having a customer echo those claims is far more credible. Anyone can say their company will do a professional job; but if a satisfied customer says so, that’s much more credible. Ideally, not only will your testimonial video production team capture your client’s describing your product or service, it will also record images of your client enjoying the finished product.

Leverage Word of Mouth Advertising through Testimonial Video Production

Each customer testimonial video also harnesses the power of word of mouth advertising. People trust the recommendations that come from other consumers. Even if your site visitors don’t know your clients personally, they can relate to the people featured in each customer testimonial video.

Testimonial Video Production can Serve as a Relationship Marketing Tool

Client testimonials can reinforce your company’s commitment to becoming partners on each project and serve as social proof that you aren’t just a company, you’re a team of professionals that takes the time to get to know your customers and their needs. Your prospects will see a series of satisfied customers who were taken care of so well that they were willing to share a few words about their experiences via a customer testimonial video.

How to Ensure a Successful Testimonial Video Production Campaign

Clearly posting video client testimonials on your website can influence prospects due to the increase in credibility that each customer testimonial video provides. However, not all testimonial video production procedures are created equally. Some tips to follow include:

  • Using a professional video production company
  • Using real customers
  • Using a diverse mix of customers
  • Keeping each customer testimonial video short and focused on just one key benefit
  • Presenting different benefits from different customers
  • Addressing common objections via client testimonials
  • Inviting customers to contribute their own testimonials

Testimonial video production requires a mix of traditional video production techniques and marketing expertise. Your video production team should be prepared to allow your clients to speak freely while gently guiding them about which points to cover. Your clients should feel comfortable in front of the camera and be genuinely pleased with your products and services. After the shoot, the video production company’s editor will select the best parts of the customer testimonial video and create a final cut that delivers the client testimonials perfectly.

What are your thoughts on what makes an effective testimonial video production? Share your comments below:

Product Demo Video: Engaging Viewers and Calling Them to Action

man looking at computer with engaged expression

Have you been tasked with producing a product demo video for your website? While you have numerous options as far as producing and uploading the final video, you’ll need to carefully plan your product video to ensure that it’s as effective as possible. Not only should your product demonstration video clearly show your product’s features, it must also:

  • Engage viewers
  • Show its benefits to viewers
  • Prompt viewers to take action

Using a Product Demo Video to Engage Viewers

Engaging viewers is one of the most important tasks your product demonstration video must perform. After all, if your product video is boring, poorly produced, or uninformative your prospects will quickly tune out. Today’s online video viewers are pulled in all directions with little leisure time. Make sure that your product demo video engages viewers and keeps them tuned in by:

  • Keeping the product demonstration video short. Your product video should be no longer than three minutes. Viewers that see a long video length may not bother to push the play button no matter how entertaining your video may be.
  • Getting to the point quickly. Online video viewers don’t have the patience for long introductions, even beautifully produced ones.
  • Staying on topic. Your product demonstration video is just that, a product video. This isn’t the time to delve into the history of your company or its accomplishments.

Demonstrating a Product’s Benefits in a Product Demo Video

In addition to engaging viewers through product video length and pacing, your product demo video must speak to your viewers by addressing what’s in it for them. For example, your product likely has several features that you’ll want to showcase in the product demonstration video. However, how do these features solve your viewers’ problems? Make sure that each feature you introduce in your product video is balanced by its benefits. This helps keep viewers engaged, shows you understand their problems, and most importantly, positions your product as the solution.

What Action Do You Want Viewers to Take after Watching the Product Demo Video?

No matter how engaging and benefits-oriented your product demonstration video may be, it can be even more effective if you add a call to action at the end. Think about what actions you want your viewers to take after watching the product video. For example, do you want them to order a free sample? Download a trial version? Request a custom quote? Request a product brochure? Order the product right away?

Carefully consider what action you want viewers to make and use the product demo video to guide them toward taking that action. At the end of the product demonstration video, explicitly prompt your viewers to take that action. You can do this in several ways. For example, you could have the narrator of the product video say, “Call our office to schedule a free consultation” or you could have a popup screen appear at the end of the product demo video prompting viewers to “Download a free trial version now.”

An effective product demo video is one that engages viewers, positions the product as a solution, and prompts viewers to take some sort of action. Once your prospects answer the call to action, you can then follow through with other sales steps.

What do you think the most important part of a product demo video is? Share your thoughts in the comment section below:

Website Video Production: The Pros and Cons of Online Video Players

video players

Your website video production has been shot, edited, and is now ready for the Web. However, before you call it a wrap, you need to upload the video to your website. Depending on the services you’ve contracted with your video production company, this may or may not be part of the actual Web video production. In order for the video to appear on your website, you’ll need to upload the files and install a video player on your site.

If your video production company offers comprehensive Web video production services, it will likely handle this as part of the package. If not, you’ll need to research the various options and choose the player that makes the most sense for your needs. In some cases, it makes sense to upload your website video production files to YouTube and then embed the code into your website. In other cases, you may want greater control over your video or want to do away with the YouTube branding. You may even want clickable links embedded into the final Web video production. In these cases, you’ll need to install a video player on your website.

Start by asking your video production company for a recommendation. Which video players do they use for their own website video production files? Why? Is the player affordable?

Next, use the Internet to research various players. Free and commercial players are available. For example, FlowPlayer offers a free version (with FlowPlayer branding) as well as several commercial versions (without the branding). Another popular, and free, player for your website video production files is JW Player. This video player can easily be extended with additional features thanks to numerous plugins, modules, and skins. For example, if you want to run your own advertisements within the player, you can add this function with a plugin.

Vimeo is yet another player to take a look at. The Plus and Pro versions eliminate the banner ads that come with the free version as well as add additional features such as high definition capabilities, the ability to fully customize the player itself, and analytics.

These are but a few of the many options your video production company may recommend for your Web video production. Which one is right for your website video production? That will depend on what’s important to you. Some priorities might revolve around:

  • Whether or not your Web video production was shot in high definition
  • You want to brand the player with your own logo
  • You need bundled video hosting
  • You want to analyze the Web video production’s performance
  • You need HTML5 support
  • You’re concerned about bandwidth
  • You want your video to look more professional
  • You don’t want your video on YouTube
  • You want the ultimate control over your video and its distribution
  • You want to host your website video production files on Amazon

While YouTube has a huge viewing audience and offers numerous capabilities, your video production company may recommend an alternative player for several important reasons including:

  • Video length restrictions. If your Web video production is over 15 minutes long, you can’t host it on YouTube.
  • Some companies block YouTube. If you’re targeting B2B customers, they may not be able to access your YouTube videos while they’re at work.
  • Related videos. Your competitors’ videos might be featured alongside yours.
  • Your account can be closed at any time by Google.

Which video player do you use? Share your thoughts about website video production and online video players in the comment section below:

B2B Video Marketing: What Do Your Business Customers Need To Know

woman thinking

As you brainstorm ideas for your next B2B video marketing message, it’s easy to take the wrong perspective. You may want to focus your corporate video on how wonderful your people are or showcase the bells and whistles of your products. While this is understandable, your business video and its B2B marketing message may fail to resonate with your business customers. To avoid this, you need to adopt the customer’s perspective. What do your customers care about? What do they need to know? How will your product or service benefit them?

B2B Marketing Brainstorming Prompt: What Do Your Customers Care About?

During your B2B video marketing brainstorming session, ask yourself what your business customers care about. When you understand this and address it in your corporate video, you’ll be more likely to develop a connection with your customers. Your business video can communicate that you understand the problems faced by your customers and share their concerns.

One of the best ways to find out what’s important to your customers is to ask. B2B marketing is an ongoing process requiring a dialog between you and your business customers. Take your B2B marketing customers out to lunch, read the same trade journals they read, and ask probing questions at every opportunity. You could even watch their own corporate video productions to gain a better understanding of their concerns. Before producing a single business video, make sure to incorporate questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, and surveys as part of your B2B video marketing strategy.

B2B Video Marketing Brainstorming Prompt: What Do Your Customers Need to Know? Corporate video is an excellent platform for communicating new information. In fact, your business video should be both engaging and informative because your business customers have little time to spare. In addition, you may only have 60 to 90 seconds for your entire business video, so you don’t have time to spare either.

As part of your B2B video marketing brainstorming session, consider what your business customers already know and what they need to know. For example, if your B2B marketing customers are well aware of a new regulation and its affect on their industry, your corporate video on that topic needs to quickly move beyond what they already know and position your solution as the best one. What do they need to know about your solution that makes it better or different than other solutions. What don’t they know about your solution that they should know? Answer these B2B video marketing questions and incorporate your answers into your corporate video.

B2B Video Marketing Brainstorming Prompt: How Will Your Solution Benefit Your B2B Marketing Customers?

Finally, your business video brainstorming session should focus on how your solution benefits your B2B marketing customers. Rather than focusing your business video on bells and whistles, focus it on benefits. Your corporate video viewers may be momentarily impressed by your product’s features, but the benefits are what will win them over. For example, a car that gets 30 miles per gallon has an impressive feature (good gas mileage) but its benefits (save money, reduce carbon footprint, and fewer trips to the gas station) are what resonate with customers. Similarly, if your B2B video marketing involves a business video touting accounting software with online reports, the online reports are a feature whereas the benefit might be anytime, anywhere access to real-time financial data. Focus your corporate video on the benefits and your B2B marketing campaign is sure to be successful.

Brainstorming ideas for your corporate video involves getting into the heads of your B2B video marketing customers. What do they care about? What do they need to know? What benefits will they realize by choosing the solution your business video proposes? Answer these three B2B marketing questions and write your corporate video script around your answers. In short, your B2B video marketing campaign answers the question on your B2B marketing customers’ minds: What’s in it for me?

What do you think? Are there any other questions a corporate video should answer? Share your B2B video marketing ideas in the comments section below.