How to Implement Video Marketing at Your Manufacturing Company
Video marketing is one of the most effective means of gaining a prospects’ attention online. In a world where the average attention span of an adult is around eight seconds, this attention-grabbing tool can be a game changer for all businesses trying to gain an 
edge. Sure, there is a time and a place to push other forms of promotional content, but video just works differently. It has the innate power to not only capture the attention of a visitor, but it can keep them engaged for an extended period of time. Still not convinced your industrial company needs videos? Then check out these statistics:
- In 2019, global consumer internet video traffic will account for 80% of all consumer traffic (source: SmallBizTrends)
- 88% of internet users spend more time on a website with a video (source: Forbes)
- 55% of people watch videos online everyday (source: Digital Information World)
- 90% of users say that product videos are helpful in the decision process (source HubSpot)
- After watching a video, 64% of users are more likely to buy a product online (source: HubSpot)
Now that you understand the impact videos can have for your business, your next step is determining which type of videos will meet your current needs and how you should promote them. Below, we’ve explored the four most common and effective types of videos for B2B industrial companies.
4 Most Common and Effective Types of Videos for B2B
- Brand Documentary
A brand documentary is the best way to introduce your company story to your online visitors. Often referred to as a “corporate video,” this effort should give a broad overview of your brand’s story, personality, and philosophy. With all the information floating around online, it’s easy for people to form their own assumptions of who your company is. By utilizing a brand documentary video, your brand can cut through any misconceptions and accurately portray your company’s values in a way that resonates with your core market.
The following are three things to keep in mind when creating a brand documentary:
- Keep it personal. You want to create an intimate connection with your audience. Be personable and use meaningful stories that actively showcase your brand’s personality. Communicate who you are as a company, leaving viewers with answers to why they want to do business with you.
- Promote your strengths. Has your company been around for 100 years? Are you an innovative leader in your industry? Do you serve a specific industry or two? Regardless of what your strengths are, decide what makes you great and reiterate that message throughout your video.
- Be brief. Keep the video’s duration at or under the two-minute mark.
When it comes to promoting your brand documentary, the best place for this video to reside is on the homepage of your website. The documentary will represent everything you are and therefore should be one of the first things someone sees when entering your website. Social media posts are also a good way to promote the video’s original release.
- How-To/Tutorial Videos
How-to videos become a great asset when you already have your audience engaged and interested in your products. Quite simply, how-to videos show a user how to use your product or service. Rather than providing a simple set of instructions—where little things can get lost in translation—videos show a hands-on, real-world example of how the product is used by another human being. A video can show in seconds what may be challenging or impossible to convey in words over a much longer time frame (and attention span).
Focus on the essentials of what makes your product work. It’s best not to get too caught up in low-level details that may confuse a first-time user. Start simple: state the problem or goal, demonstrate how your product solves the problem or helps achieve that goal, and show the results. Remember to not just talk about the problems—provide the solution(s).
When it comes time to show off this video, again, social media is a great place to start promoting your how-to videos. Product pages on your website are another good area to have these little helpers present. These can be of particular use for your sales team to send these videos in emails to prospects—and customers—who have questions pertaining to that specific product.
- Expert/High-Level Explainers
With the immediate access to information online, most people perform some type of preliminary research before purchasing a product. It’s no longer the salesperson’s job to educate prospects about their company’s products. In fact, customers usually don’t seek out their help until they’ve already decided what they’d like to buy. When customers are still in the research stage of the buyer’s journey, they have large appetites for information. They want the full picture of your product to determine if it’s a good fit. An expert video is a great way to keep them informed and can help move them along to the next stage of their journey.
For this type of video, you should use one of the subject matter experts (SME) at your company—ideally your product or design engineer—to give a detailed overview of the important aspects of your product, component, process, service, technical help, or support. (As you see, you can use this mindset with many areas of expertise within your company.) It’s important to get the tone and messaging just right with your “script.” You can either have a formal script for videos such as these, or go for a more informal, non-scripted format. If your SME can speak easily about high-level intel, and can pull-off a less formal, more personable format, give it a go! The goal is to be an authentic authority, so choosing the format that your SME is most comfortable will portray that the best. Keep in mind that if your expert video presents itself more as a commercial than a reliable source of information, you will lose the attention and trust of your visitors quickly.
Expert-level videos can be used pretty much anywhere, as they are a good fit for your website’s product pages, email marketing campaigns, social media accounts, and blogs. It’s important to note, however, that these videos are best used in awareness campaigns and are not meant to inform a prospect how to make their final purchase decision. As a general rule of thumb, keep these videos short and straight to the point.
- Testimonials/Customer Stories
No matter what type of business you have, potential customers like to hear from the people who have already used your product. The importance of online reviews has never been higher. A recent survey by Forbes found that, “Online reviews have been shown to impact 67.7% of purchasing decisions.” Customer testimonials and validation are perhaps the most effectual tool a business can use to help facilitate trust. Written reviews are great, but video is far more personal and establishes greater credibility when the audience sees a real person—willing to be documented on video—who had a positive experience using your products. Generally, testimonials videos can be longer than the other types of videos mentioned above—giving your customer all the time they need to explain their business situation, the issue your product helped solve, and the impacts of how their business was affected. Think of it as a visual case study, helping viewers to (literally) envision how your solutions can apply to their pain points or business goals.
There is really no bad place to put customer testimonial videos—apart from obvious areas, such as your contact us section of your website. In most cases, this video is best suited for social media promotion, email marketing campaigns, and the product or capability pages on your website. Your options are limitless. Remember to host your videos on a trusted video hosting platform such as Wistia or Vidyard for easy integration on your marketing channels or software platform.
Yikes, that was a lot, huh? Don’t worry—if you need help implementing any of the best practices outlined above, Grant Marketing is your resource. As a full-service marketing agency—with capabilities including content creation, account-based and inbound marketing for manufacturers, brand development, website design, and more—we can help guide you through the process of creating a new video marketing strategy for your company that aligns with your current goals. Contact us today to get the camera rolling on your new initiatives.
