With more and more businesses launching and competing for market share, it can be difficult to stand out. This is especially true for B2B brands with long sales cycles that rely on content that speaks to different stakeholders.
While video marketing has been a boon for B2B brands, the strategy you once relied on it is probably outdated and losing traction. It’s not enough to have videos – they have to be high quality and impactful. Based on a marketing survey, pre-produced videos were leading the market for B2B content strategies.
Nearly 50% of brands are already using video content in their email strategy, and 50% of respondents also report using video on their landing pages. A boring point-and-shoot style won’t cut it in this competitive market – you have to tell a compelling story.
What Is Video Storytelling?
Video storytelling is a natural type of marketing that engages the audience in an organic way while distilling information. The days of salesy approaches are over. Instead, B2B buyers are looking for videos that showcase value and put products and services into real-world context.
This is where storytelling has power. The reliable narrative builds connection and gets the audience invested in the outcome. Story-driven content is compelling, engaging and shareable, creating exposure through new audiences.
For example, a polished ad that highlights product features doesn’t do much to help a B2B buyer understand how that product solves their problem. But a case study that highlights a business problem your audience faces and the specific ways the product facilitated results? That’s powerful.
Storytelling in B2B Video Marketing
B2B marketing has long been seen as boring, dry and abstract. Creating high-quality, inspiring videos was reserved for consumer brands, while B2B marketing focused on practicality, functionality and building long-term relationships.
However, videos can still highlight the important functionality and real-world benefits of a product or service for B2B buyers in an engaging way. A balance of emotion and rationality works – even for a B2B product or service.
For example, LinkedIn has become a popular platform for video storytelling. While these videos still appeal to reason more than impulse, there’s a cohesive story and emotional appeal that gets the user to stop scrolling and devote their attention to the conflict and resolution.
Elevate Your B2B Video Marketing with Storytelling
How does emotional connection work with B2B video marketing? There are many emotions that are used in marketing, including shock, fear, concern, happiness, enthusiasm and triumph. For example, a customer success story that chronicles a new entrepreneur experiencing success with their startup – with the help of a B2B product or service – combines real-world value with an emotional hook.
The Seven Ps of Video Marketing Through Storytelling
There are seven steps to creating a winning video story for B2B campaigns:
- The prospect (who is the story about?)
- The plot (what is the story about?)
- The point (what is the key message?)
- The players (who are the characters?)
- The panorama (what is the environment or setting?)
- The post-production (editing and audio)
- The path (the platforms for your video)
This is your video framework. For example, your prospect could be a long-term client, and the story could be about how your product boosted their stagnant sales. The key message is how your product solved the business problem with characters that represent different stakeholders and how the product addresses their unique needs.
Implement Repeatable Processes
Video creation can be time consuming. It’s important to develop a structured process that will streamline your creation and map out new concepts, production and campaigns. Don’t forget to keep track of your video performance and note the video qualities that get more views, more completed views or greater conversions. All of this data is important to inform your future content.
Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
The B2B market doesn’t appreciate videos that appear rushed and thrown together. It’s always better to produce fewer videos with higher quality than cranking out videos for the sake of having something on your pages. A lot of trust goes into converting B2B buyers, so don’t sacrifice your long-term credibility for short-term traction.
Don’t Overcomplicate It
Quality doesn’t necessarily mean complicated. A simple video with a clear message can be incredibly impactful, especially when there’s a story at its core. Keep your story streamlined to maintain interest and engage your audience.
Stay Consistent
Consistency can be challenging with video marketing. You need to be consistent in your brand messaging and appearance. Carry some of your successful tactics for written content to the video format, including your post times, number of posts and content ideas. Your audience expects a certain style from you, whether it’s an article or video.
Grow Your B2B Audience with Video Storytelling
B2B markets have different challenges from the consumer market. The sales cycles are longer, you may have to persuade different stakeholders with vastly different pain points and interests, and trust is the key to long-term relationships. Video marketing with storytelling can build that trust, showcase real-world value, and persuade your B2B buyers to invest in your solution.
