Challenges and Strategies in B2B Video Marketing
A survey has found that video marketers need help measuring its impact, devoting sufficient resources, and using it to reach the right audiences.
Video might have killed the radio star, but it still has some way of proving its worth for B2B marketers. Creating a video is difficult because you need to attract a lot of resources, including time. But it is worth noting that the visualization of data, statistics, and goals has a better impact on people than just text.
A global LinkedIn survey of more than 1400 B2B marketers reveals their struggle to create a video that serves and reaches the right audiences. Marketers say measuring a video’s ROI and absorbing its prohibitive development costs impedes success.
The APAC-specific results show nine in 10 regional marketers believe video gives their brands greater opportunities for creativity and storytelling. They say video is a useful tool at the top of the funnel because it raises brand awareness and is an important way to reach and engage with industry professionals. Most see video as a powerful force for lead generation – 81 percent agree or strongly agree video drives lead volumes and 85 percent agree or strongly agree it drives better quality leads.
Regional marketers even say they are likely to increase their video ad budgets by 49 percent in 2108. Almost nine in 10 say they plan to experiment with video ads in the next 12 months.
The survey also shows the many challenges facing marketers using video. More than half (55 percent) say video is costly and time-consuming, while 51 percent say it’s difficult to reach the right audiences in the right context. They say they are unsure of the right platform for their video (35 percent), lack the appropriate expertise (34 percent), and find it difficult to measure results (32 percent).
“The B2B marketers we interviewed found that serious or highly emotional content is just not landing with target audiences.”
Significantly, B2B marketers cannot agree on a single metric to determine if their video ads have been effective. Just 18 percent of those surveyed agree reach and impressions are the most important metrics; 12 percent say the number of qualified leads generated. Overall, most measure view rates (58 percent), followed by reach and impressions (52 percent) and web page traffic (52 percent).
Businesses use a wide range of video styles for their marketing efforts. The most popular are product videos (64 percent), explainer videos (43 percent), TV commercials (41 percent), consumer videos (39 percent) and how-to videos (35 percent). Much of the video focuses on selling products or services – not thought leadership.
Overall, 32% of those surveyed in APAC say “inspiring” or “energetic” videos have the most impact. But it seems a “one size fits all” approach is unlikely to work, especially for those companies conducting cross-border business. Localization remains a key consideration, the survey shows. While the No.1 tone for Australian and New Zealand marketers is “inspiring”, the top tone for India is “informative,” and for Hong Kong and Singapore, it’s “humorous”.
Kate Mallord, Content Marketing Manager for LinkedIn Marketing Solutions APAC, says marketers need to understand their regional audiences’ needs. “We are B2B marketers, and we can be known for more serious, dull, straight content,” she said on a webinar explaining the survey results. “The B2B marketers we interviewed found that serious or highly emotional content is just not ones that are landing with target audiences, so keep that in mind when creating or converting some drier content.”
Mallord said marketers in each region are finding success with slightly different tone combinations. “If you’re getting video from global headquarters, it’s important to understand that localization involves more than just translations,” she said. “Likewise, if you’re running videos in other markets, be mindful of things like energy levels or humor to stand out.”