5 Innovative Examples of Video on your B2B Website
June 16, 2017
By Sarah Hecker
While video certainly isn’t a new concept in marketing, it is a practice that has evolved over the years, so much so that it can hardly be considered the same practice it was in 1941 when the first television ad aired. With the explosion of the internet and the emergence of social media platforms—such as YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram—dedicated to sharing digital content, TV spots are no longer the only way to use video in your marketing strategy. However, while video has grown significantly in recent years, it has long been considered a trend geared toward B2C businesses. In reality, video content is one of the best tools marketers can use on their B2B websites. Here are 5 examples of how you should be using video:
1. Create a Cutting-Edge Website
Using video on your homepage can be a powerful web design tactic when executed appropriately. This design can make your website visually appealing and help visitors to stay on your website longer. It can also highlight a key call to action on your homepage, so as eyes are drawn to the moving video they also focus in on a button such as “contact us” or “request a demo.” Additionally, the longer time spent watching your video can give you an SEO boost as dwell time is a contributing factor to your overall rank. Be careful when using video in web design, as slow load times and websites that aren’t optimized for mobile can negatively impact your business.
2. Showcase Your Products
In the B2B market, it can be difficult to get your message across in a short period of time—especially if your product or service is more technical or complicated. While technical readouts and product manuals are always an option, they might not be the most engaging way to market your solutions. In fact, people are more likely to watch a short video than they are to read product descriptions. Using an explainer video on your B2B website can help deliver your message in an engaging format and has the added bonus of being easily shareable.
3. Build Trust Around Your Brand
You might have the best product in the world, but if no one trusts your brand then your sales will suffer. Using video customer testimonials to support your claims will build trust around your brand and encourage leads to eventually make the sale. Study after study has shown the power of social proof when it comes to making purchase decisions; if your B2B website isn’t already showcasing customer testimonials, it might be time to start filming some.
4. Generate Leads
Ultimately, the goal of any B2B website is to generate more leads—and you can use video content to do just that. While the simplest method of generating leads from video is by gating your content behind a landing page, there are numerous other ways you can use video content to boost your lead-gen initiatives. Using products such as Wistia’s Turnstile can help draw your viewers in and then ask them for contact information to continue watching the video. This will ensure your viewers know the content is high-quality and make them more willing to divulge their personal details. Additionally, videos are incredibly shareable: 54% of senior executives share work-related videos with colleagues weekly—meaning that your video has the power to gather leads as it is shared from person to person.
5. Share Your Knowledge
Creating video content such as webinars can generate leads, but it can also demonstrate your trustworthiness and build brand awareness. While not every visitor who lands on your B2B website will be willing or able to purchase your product, you can influence later sales by convincing them of your industry knowledge. Creating useful webinars that solve problems, discuss hot topics, and branch outside your niche can boost your sales later down the pipeline as it introduces you to more leads who had possibly never heard of you. While they might not be ready to invest in your services immediately after watching your webinars, it gives you a foot in the door that hadn’t existed previously.
Not Using Video? It’s Time to Start
While marketing trends are in a constant state of flux, video content is here to stay. By investing in video marketing you’ll be able to spice up your website, converting more leads and building better brand awareness as you go. With platforms like YouTube and Wistia making video content more accessible than ever, there’s no reason B2B businesses shouldn’t be using video content on their websites.
About the author
Sarah Hecker was formerly a Marketing Consultant here at SmartBug Media. She has a passion for all things digital which catapulted her into the marketing world post-college. After being introduced to HubSpot during her first full-time job, she fell in love with inbound marketing. Read more articles by Sarah Hecker.