Staying on top of current trends is an important part of being good at what you do. No matter the industry. While I dedicated some time to researching Top Video Trends this weekend I was struck by one overwhelming fact: as marketers, we are obsessed with B2C video.
Now, I’m not saying that Red Bull and GoPro aren’t incredible content creators, because duh. They are. But what about B2B content creators? Aren’t they creating great content, too?
Since the beginning of time, B2B seems to lag behind B2C when it comes to the shiny new marketing toys.
Case and point: While 96% of B2B companies responded to the 2015 B2B Video Content Marketing Survey that they use video in their content strategy, 32% of respondents said they began using video only in the past 2 years.
Video is versatile. Video makes your marketing better. It makes existing programs like email, SEO and lead generation more successful.
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Email open rates with video in the subject line have a 19% higher open rate and click through rate of 65%, reports Syndacast.
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According to Forrester Research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words.
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92 percent of mobile video consumers share videos with others, according to Invodo.
73% of the respondents confirmed that video has positively impacted their marketing results. So, why did it take so long for them to adopt video?
According to the same report, Time and Money were the major barriers to producing video.
And compounding the two is this stat: 24% of respondents reported that getting everyone to agree on what content to produce held them back.
We can understand that. When you are looking to invest marketing resources and budget into one asset, you want make sure it's the right asset.
Analysis Paralysis strikes and no one gets the content they want, whether that's a customer testimonial, product demo, sales piece, etc. (Need some additional ideas? Check out our blog on every business' 7 Must Have Videos.)
83% of marketers polled by Buffer for their State of Social 2016 report said they would produce more video if time or budget was not a concern.
Video isn't an inexpensive asset. We know that. But you don't need to hire Lucas Films to produce your Explainer Video. Here are few ideas to help cut costs:
1) Consider a Voice Over driven video. Capture compelling b-roll of your product or your company culture. Then, write a voice over script to bring your viewers through the experience. Hiring a great Voice Over artist costs less than hiring a great actor. Actors add to the budget both in talent fees and in time. You'll need to go through scenes multiple times to get it right. and that takes time, both on production day and in the editing of the video.
Example:
INFINIDAT
2) Have a well-spoken C-Level or VP level colleague convey your video's message for you. Your customers and / or prospects will appreciate a personal message from a person responsible for your product or service. It's a great opportunity to show your company's culture. And you'll save on talent fees.
Example:
JACK'S ABBY
3) Pare down your concept to the essential. Writing a mini-sitcom episode around your product's ease of use is awesome if you have a genearous budget. But if you don't have a generous budget, keep your script to a single location and try to keep your characters to the bare minimum.
Example:
LTFS CONSTORTIUM
2) Have a well-spoken C-Level or VP level colleague convey your video's message for you. Your customers and / or prospects will appreciate a personal message from a person responsible for your product or service. It's a great opportunity to show your company's culture. And you'll save on talent fees.
4) Make sure you and your team are on board with the video's concept, message and purpose before you begin production. The last thing anyone wants hear is that the finished product missed its mark. It's a blow to the ego and it will mean additional production and post-production fees.
5) Along the same lines as the previous point, make sure everyone involved (this includes your production partner) understands who is in charge of final approval, If this isn't clear to everyone then you run the risk of incurring additional editing fees. Most production companies include a limited round of edits in their fee. Additional edits incur additional fees.
6) Finally, ask potential production partners if they offer any package pricing. This could mean a cost savings on multiple videos, or it could mean taking advantage of a current promotion. We offer package pricing and are currently promoting a competitively priced package for social video and photography. Interested? Click the Content Marketing Took Kit banner below to check it out!
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