(WEBINAR) Video Content Marketing: Producing for the Buyer’s Journey

The phrase “video content marketing” used to hold little relevance to major companies back before social media platforms became a hotbed for curious consumers. In fact, blogs, web copy, and other written text have dominated the world of marketing for several years.

Until now.

B2B video marketing has become one of the most effective ways to market a product or service, and has made it easier to target consumers based on their current buyer’s journey stage. With a mix of visual appeal and personalization, videos are great for capturing the attention of your target audience.

Why Video Content Marketing?

In case you’re not convinced yet, here are some appealing stats about video content marketing:

• 54% of consumers want to see more video content from a brand or business they support.
• 84% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video.
• 66% more qualified leads are generated per year from video marketing tactics than non-video marketing.

When you think about the buyer’s market, it comes as no surprise that millennials have a strong preference for video content. And the recent emphasis on video marketing is comparable to that of blogging 10 years ago -- if you’re not using video in your marketing strategy, then you’re already behind the curve.

(Disclaimer: You should still blog too!)

And the best part is that your B2B sales or marketing video doesn't need to be a box office wonder to be effective. In fact, many smartphones now carry the camera quality needed to make an effective video, making it affordable to put together a video content marketing plan.

Major Platforms for Video Content Marketing

Facebook -- Facebook in recent years has been making a push to become more video-friendly. In fact, it’s now favoring video content when it decides what to show in your news feed. To compete with other players in the game on Facebook, you need to be producing video content.

LinkedIn -- LinkedIn allows you to incorporate unique aspects into your videos, including text overlay and hashtags, directly within LinkedIn. Many companies who choose to market video on this platform find it to be effective.

YouTube -- This one is a no-brainer. As one of the top search engines in the world, YouTube makes it easier than ever for consumers to find how-to’s and product demos. 

Make sure you upload your marketing videos directly to these platforms. Natively added videos are easier to find for visitors vs. links that take the user off-site.

Video Content Marketing Goals

There are three main goals for video content marketing strategies:

1. Identify gaps and existing opportunities in your buyer’s journey

Without this information, you’ll have no idea where to start.

2. Produce buyer-focused video content

Remember: The videos you produce are for your audience, not for you. Therefore, it’s important to speak with your buyer, not at your buyer.

3. Publish your videos in context for your buyers

This ensures your audience is viewing the right videos at the right time in their buyer’s journey. In other words, if a prospect is just starting to grasp his problem, don’t show him a video that screams “BUY FROM US TODAY!”

Video Content Marketing for Each Buyer’s Journey Stage

Awareness Stage

Goal: To identify a problem or opportunity for the consumer.

Context: Searching for symptoms to find the root cause of a problem.

Videos in the Awareness stage should be high-level and educational. Use this as an opportunity to present challenges and opportunities to your target audience. It’s also a good idea to include the consequences of inaction, which may help nudge them along in their buyer’s journey.

This type of content is especially helpful for video email marketing.

Consideration Stage

Goal: Provide potential solutions for the consumer.

Context: Buyer has ID’d the problem, and is now narrowing down options.

Now that your potential customer is narrowing down their solutions, make their videos as highly detailed and relevant as possible. Make sure they’re visually appealing and get directly to the point.

This is also a good time to present a specific category of solutions. This means you could address budget, time, facilities, or even the pros and cons of the solution you’re proposing. Try to restrain yourself from pushing your product as the solution -- yet.

Decision Stage

Goal: Present your type of product or service specifically as the solution.

Context: Buyer is educated and ready to make an informed decision.

Now that your potential customer is in the Decision stage and ready to buy, it’s time to present your product or service as the solution.

Use this time to showcase your brand and expertise while building trust with the viewer. Compare your product or service to the alternatives and show them why you have the best solution.

Want More Video Content Marketing Tips?

Hopefully this article has given you ideas for a video marketing strategy that truly follows the modern B2B buyer’s journey.

If you want to learn even more about video content marketing, then you’re in luck. Simply click below to view the video on-demand and gain special access to its corresponding slides: