B2B marketers have yet to explore the power of video content, says Prue Cox. Here are nine tips informed by LinkedIn’s own research for capturing business’ attention with video.
For too long, video marketing has belonged to the realm of B2C. No more. Video has undoubtedly become the most compelling way marketers can humanise their storytelling and amp up theiremotional engagement with their audiences.
B2B marketers have traditionally relied on thought leadership reports, white papers, presentations and customer case studies as tools to engage with their buyers. Professional audiences have sadly grown accustomed to dry and often too lengthy informational content. Video offers B2B marketers a chance to wow their audiences.
Video presents a differentiated way to stand out on business-oriented social media feeds, and data tells us that executives and decision-makers value this content highly while researching solutions. LinkedIn’s recent study found that B2B marketers in Australia are looking to increase video budgets by 36% in 2018.
Given the explosion of video content, breaking through the digital clutter to achieve genuine engagement is becoming increasingly difficult.
The single most important element of a B2B video? Liveliness.
Avoid the all-too-common trap of being dull, boring or humdrum. Creating something compelling and engaging needs to be a continual focus throughout development.
With videos filling our news feeds, how do audiences decide what to watch? We sought to answer this question, conducting research that investigated which factors influence video views. Here are a few top tips based on these insights to help you maximise your engagement:
1. Create a catchy headline
As 52% of Aussies indicate that the headline or video title has the greatest influence on whether they watch a video, the headline of the video is the most crucial feature to get right. You want this to highlight the most exciting aspect of the video, featuring a key insight to encourage viewers to stop and pay attention. However, be careful when using clickbait-inspired headlines, if the title is misleading, you will likely leave your audience feeling less than impressed.
2. Keywords key to success
The second most influential factor (50%) on whether someone watches a video in Australia is the summary of the content, so make sure this grabs the viewer’s attention. Like the blurb on the back cover of a novel, the summary offers a snapshot of what is to come, with the aim of providing suspense and a desire to find out what happens next.
3. First impressions matter
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The study found that the video’s cover image has the third greatest influence (47%) on Aussie video views. Viewers decide if they will engage in content in a matter of seconds, so first impressions of the visual content counts. A good tip to ensure your thumbnail attracts your audience is to make sure the image is high-res, simple, emotive and relevant to the subject matter.
4. Find the sweet spot
Timing is everything. Optimise the length of your video for maximum impact, the ideal video length sits between 30 seconds and two minutes, with a third of Australians indicating they preferred 30 seconds (26%), one minute (24%) and two minute (24%) videos respectively. That said, make sure you feature your most captivating content at the beginning of the video, to discourage audiences from losing interest.
5. Aussies love a laugh
LinkedIn’s study found Australian viewers are most likely to watch videos if the headline is relevant to their job (85%), unique (76%) or humorous/witty (76%). When compared to APAC findings, the desire for humorous content is a factor specific to Australians, so put on your thinking cap to come up with something hilarious, if appropriate to the content. A good way to get started is using funny anecdotes or identifying current pop culture references or truisms you can leverage.
6. Avoid plugging the who’s who
While influencers can be effective when used authentically within marketing efforts, LinkedIn’s study found that headlines that mention famous people (38%) or are provocative (22%) are least likely to make viewers watch. Tell your story first, namedrop later.
7. Balance your content
Create the right balance between brand (top of the funnel) and response (bottom of the funnel) related video content. Sponsored video posts can be used throughout the entire sales funnel; from explainers and thought leadership to client testimonials and product updates.
8. Amplify for impact
One popular rule of thumb for content creation is the 1:10 rule and video is no different. If you spend $100 on production, you’ll want to spend $1,000 on distribution. So, don’t eat up all your marketing budget creating the video; remember to prioritise distribution over production!
9. Don’t forget to add subtitles
80% of all video consumed on LinkedIn is done so with Audio OFF so make sure you embed subtitles into the video before uploading to the platform.
Videos are the best way to capture your audience’s attention. It’s time for B2B marketers to unleash their creativity!
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This article first appeared in www.marketingmag.com.au
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