Many B2B brands have jumped into marketing strategies often used by consumer brands, including blogs, whitepapers, and LinkedIn thought leadership. But one undervalued medium still hasn't become a staple for B2B brands: video.
Although often associated with B2C outreach, video content has become a vital part of successful B2B marketing. It offers unrivaled opportunities to communicate complex ideas—a common theme in B2B products and services—showcases expertise, and creates human connection in ways that written content often can't.
If your digital strategy is missing video, you may be leaving out an essential tool for converting high-intent buyers.
Why Video Is Key to B2B Marketing
B2B buyers are busy professionals looking for efficient, compelling insights: 88% of B2B buyers polled said they had watched videos to learn about a company's products or services in the previous three months.
Video simplifies information and can elevate engagement by presenting possible solutions to business problems in clear, quick ways. Whether you're using a 90-second explainer or a product walkthrough, video gives decision-makers information and clarity to act.
A well-executed video campaign gives prospects a glimpse into your value proposition much faster, often leading to a shorter sales cycle and increased conversions.
Improved SEO and Web Visibility
Search engines often prioritize video content in ranking algorithms.
video content is 53 times more likely to generate organic search rankings than text, according to research from Moz. Embedding videos on your landing pages or blog posts can improve dwell time and reduce bounce rates, two key signals that tell Google your content is valuable and relevant.
Optimizing video titles, metadata, and transcripts for industry-specific keywords can enhance discoverability in both traditional search and video-specific search, such as YouTube or Google Video Search.
Extended Reach Across Channels
Modern B2B marketing needs to be omnichannel. Video content travels across digital platforms—YouTube, LinkedIn, email campaigns, webinars, sales enablement tools, etc.
Sharing short, engaging video clips can elevate your performance on social media and increase open rates in email campaigns.
Better yet, one video asset can be repurposed across multiple channels and sales stages with just a few tweaks, increasing your ROI for the production investment.
Simplified Concepts
For many B2B companies, especially in technology, manufacturing, or services, explaining solutions can be a challenge. Video simplifies the technical jargon to speak to decision-makers in different departments and "bottom line" the benefits.
Customer testimonials, case studies, and use-case demonstrations presented via video make abstract benefits tangible for prospective clients and get them to "yes" faster.
Stronger Brand Credibility and Trust
In a world of digital noise, credibility stands out. Thoughtfully produced video allows B2B brands to put a face to their expertise, humanizing executives, showcasing satisfied clients, and sharing thought leadership with authority.
Establishing trust is essential to long B2B sales cycles. In fact, about 93% of B2B buyers say video is important in building trust in a brand.
How to Integrate Video Into Your B2B Marketing Strategy
Want to get started with video? Here are some tips and best-practices.
Define your audience and buyer journey
You have to know whom you're targeting to ensure you speak to them effectively. Those targets may be procurement teams, IT managers, or C-suite leaders.
You also need to know where they are in the buying process to tailor video to their needs, from awareness-stage explainers to detailed product demonstrations to close the deal.
Set measurable objectives
What do you want your videos to achieve? Are you looking for brand awareness, lead generation, education, conversion?
You need clear key metrics in advance, such as form submissions, click-through rates, and view time, to design your content accordingly. Having defined goals ensures that your videos align with your desired business outcomes.
Use strategic video formats
A few types of videos often perform well in B2B contexts, including the following:
- Explainer videos. These videos are short, typically 60-120 seconds, and highly focused to clarify what your company does, how your product or service works, and why it matters. They may be animated or voice-narrated to simplify complex topics, which is ideal for top-of-the-funnel engagement. You can use explainers to break down technical jargon, connect features to real-world problems, or introduce your solution on website homepages, landing pages, and pitch decks.
- Product demos. These videos walk the viewer through specific features and workflows of your solutions to showcase functionality or real-world use cases, helping prospects see exactly how you can relieve their pain points, especially during the consideration and decision stages of the buyer's journey. B2B buyers are investing in a long-term solution and appreciate the transparency of seeing a product or service in action.
- Customer testimonials. Nothing builds trust and social proof quite like a real-world example of a satisfied client. Testimonial videos are a great way to let your customers (and your success) speak for you. Real clients can discuss their pain points and challenges, ways your solution helps, and the outcomes they achieved, bolstering your credibility on sales pitches or landing pages.
- Webinars. These videos are long-form events that may span 30-60 minutes or longer and allow for deep dives into industry topics, product overviews, or panel discussions. They often include polls, chats, or live Q&A to drive engagement. Best of all, webinars can be recorded, gated, and repurposed as on-demand content long after the event concludes.
- Behind-the-scenes content. These videos provide a "peek behind the curtain" of the inner workings of your organization, team members, company values, and more, humanizing your brand and connecting with your prospects on an emotional level. Clients want to know whom they're doing business with, and these videos make you feel approachable, trustworthy, and aligned with their values.
Optimize for SEO and accessibility
SEO matters, even for video. Use keyword-optimized titles, captions, alt text, and transcripts. Host videos on platforms with strong domain authority, such as YouTube, and embed them across key pages on your site.
Your content should also be accessible to all users with clear narration, captions, or transcripts for silent viewing.
Distribute with intention
Don't just publish your video—promote it. Share videos across your marketing and sales channels. Post your teasers on LinkedIn with targeted hashtags, include video thumbnails in email campaigns, and embed videos in nurture sequences or sales outreach.
Use snippets in blog posts or landing pages and encourage your sales team to use them during client pitches to amplify your reach.
Video Isn't Just a Trend, It's a B2B Necessity
Video isn't "nice to have" for B2B brands. Used correctly, it's a competitive advantage. Invest in video production and distribution to create content that informs, builds trust, and converts high-value leads.
Whether you're just beginning or looking to refine your approach, now is the best time to get on board with video and make it part of your marketing strategy.
More Resources on Using Video for B2B Marketing
Five B2B Video Marketing Tips to Boost Sales
Seven Top-Tier B2B Product Videos and Lessons We Can Learn From Them
Five Ways B2B Companies Can Use Explainer Videos
The B2B Video Marketing Revolution: Embracing the Next Wave With Sora
