Three Kinds of Videos Every B2B Should Have

I have yet to find a non-actor, non-narcissist who likes the sound of their voice or the way they look on camera. The self-loathing that cascades down onto us at even the thought of seeing ourselves on video is usually enough for most businesses to avoid using the medium in their marketing.

That’s making it about you. The video should be about your customers: what they need to hear, see, and learn. B2B Video marketing’s job is to identify and solve problems, connect to increase loyalty and top-of-mindedness, and shorten the sales cycle. Once you start thinking of the video you want to create as about the customer, you can let go of the self-

consciousness holding you back.  

And it is holding you back. As video, in all different formats and styles, rises in popularity as a preferred way to share and consume information, it becomes table stakes for companies to have. 

There are three types of videos every B2B should have in their marketing hip pocket: 

1. Education - Video that teaches your prospects something. When your prospects open their Google search bar to solve a problem, what they’re looking for is an answer. They usually have a specific question: “why does my coated part have white spots on it after curing?” or “What should I look for in a good distribution company east of this Mississippi?” or “How do I reach roofing contractors in Florida coastal regions?” Your video can be the answer to these questions. Instead of spending hours writing paragraphs of information that sound awkwardly stuffed with keywords and are clearly written for ranking and not answering, you can create a 2-minute video that answers a specific question. You can create 30-second FAQs and their answers and use them as social posts. You can create a training video that shows them how to solve their problem. The whole time, your education is steering them to using your product or services as the answer to their question-only if that’s actually the answer of course. 

   
   

2. Differentiation - Video that shows what makes you different. This does not have to be a 1:1 compare and contrast with you versus your competition. This is about what your ideal customer would love about you that is unique. Even if you provide a commodity,  your location, your service, your people, your technology, your pricing, your vendor partners, and your experience all are uniquely yours. Yes, they can get their CRM services from any number of companies, so why should they use yours? Show, don’t tell your prospects that difference. Is it because you’re easy to work with? Are you militant about turnaround times? Donate a portion of all profits to charity. Have a video that’s about doing business with you, one that nobody can replicate because nobody else is you. 

   
   

3. Personalization - It feels like a lot of B2C brands get this easily: they have a brand personality because the consumers are highly targeted. You don’t speak to Gen Z the same way you speak to Gen X. With B2B it’s easy to strip personality and just present the business as “professional”. Insert heavy sigh. People want to do business with people. Show who you are and that you know who they are. People are always behind every B2B decision, and people make emotional decisions and justify them with facts. These videos are the first part of that equation.

Are there reasons you shouldn’t do video? Yes, but not many good ones. 

I hear it all the time. “Why would I put a video of what I’m doing out there for my competition to potentially see? They’ll steal my customer.” Or “I can’t use video. I have NDAs with all my customers. I can’t show anything.”

Let’s begin with the latter: it is preferred to show your shop, your people, and your projects. It provides an authentic connection that you cannot manufacture with stock footage.

However, even if you don’t or won’t, can’t or shan’t legally or morally show your facility and services in action, you can tell a story. 

A really good, detailed story that explains your problem-solving skills. 

A story that resonates with your prospects because they can see themselves in it.

That story can be told without using names, showing jobs, or violating agreements with your existing customers. Your story can amplify your capabilities and value in a way that signals you’re the company to trust with a particular job, industry, or skill set.

And who knows, maybe you and the new business you seek will write your own story and live happily ever after. 

As for the competition critique…look, if all it takes for your business to be stolen from you is for your competition to contact them, then you’ve got bigger problems. But let’s just say that you’re doing everything right, and this is a finicky customer who gets easily swayed away. You can still use video. 

Yes, your competition may see your video and be able to deduce some things from it. That’s not unique to video though. 

• They may be secretly on your customer email list and getting your e-marketing.

• They may collect a sales flyer from your booth at a trade show.

• They may follow you on social media and see all the accounts you interact with.

Video does not put you at any more risk than any other marketing. It elevates your presence to prospects and provides value in a much longer-term asset.

Video doesn’t just have to be for getting new business. You can use video to provide education, standardize training, promote culture, and demonstrate a point of differentiation. 

By sticking with the three types of videos you need, you’ve safeguarded yourself from your competition copying you. They can’t copy your differentiation, personalization, or how you educate customers.