Videos are everywhere in the 21st century. From TV and e-billboard ads all the way to your phone and even watches! This increase in the consumption of videos means that video marketing is slowly moving up in the world to become the next big thing in the world of digital marketing!
Where video production used to be a very expensive venture, that is no longer the case. Cameras have become a lot cheaper and are readily available, and with a simple tripod and a free video editing tool, you can start spreading the word about your business to customers and other businesses alike.
The thing about B2C video marketing is that amateur videos are often a sign of authenticity and are a commendable cause, but when it comes to B2B video marketing, that very same amateur video can break your deal.
Having said that, B2C marketing videos are acceptable in low quality only for a while, after which even those who follow you closely look for something with better quality.
In a previous article, we discussed some of the best platforms for video marketing and mentioned YouTube to be one of the biggest hosts for your videos. Here, we will explain why YouTube is a business’s close friend, helping you market not only to customers, but to other businesses as well.
B2B & B2C Video Marketing on YouTube Why YouTube?
YouTube is a member of Google’s Display Network (GDN), a platform that reaches more than 90% traffic over the internet. That, combined with Google’s own audience and its retargeting campaigns, makes it one of the most lucrative platforms to market on.
YouTube as a standalone platform for marketing videos is a giant on its own, being available in more than 90 countries. If you look at the language settings by clicking on the top right icon (your username), you will see that it can be seen in 80 different languages, further improving customer experience.
Think of it this way; YouTube does the heavy lifting while you reap the rewards just by posting a video.
We mentioned above that low quality videos are also a viable option for many a startup. While true for many other platforms, YouTube’s algorithm says differently. Unless you’ve made a video that’s gone viral, YouTube might not suggest your video to viewers (unless you’re willing to pay, of course).
Again, when you opt for paid advertising, people skip those videos as it is; even more so if it’s low quality.
Depending on whether you’re targeting, how you market on YouTube will differ. There are a lot of factors to consider, such as the age group you’re targeting, gender, the devices people use, and more. Furthermore, these factors can stack up as well. For example, what if you’re targeting an executive who is near retirement age; you won’t get around to them by making a video that is tacky and fast, and made for people in 2020.
YouTube for B2B Video Marketing
When it comes to marketing to businesses, it is important to remember that a video is worth a thousand pictures, and then some. Videos can tell a story much quicker than an image or a blog post, and that is key to B2B marketing.
Remember, a business owner, executive, manager or any other company representative doesn’t really have too much time on their hands. Consider how many videos, emails and other forms of sales pitches they have to go through every day. Now imagine your 35-minute long video sitting in the middle of all that.
Since 2010, business executives have moved from looking for written content to watching videos in order to make informed decisions. Back in 2010, more than 75% of Fortune 500 executives used to know whether the product canfulfill their needs or not.
Pitching to other businesses with a video may be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make! Just remember that if you’re posting it on YouTube, you target the right market. YouTube lets you choose the demographics of who you want to target, yes, but at the end of the day, the main tool is still keywords.
The keywords you use and the audiences you create can come together to either be one of the best video marketing campaigns out there or one of your worst, so make sure you pay close attention to both.
YouTube for B2C Video Marketing
Targeting Baby Boomers, Millennials and Generation Z is different. Each of them has their own set of habits and preferences, but you might be surprised to learn that they, too, use the channel regularly. You know those knitting, planting and other design videos? Someone has to watch them, right?
YouTube has several advantages over other video hosting platforms for your B2C efforts, but one of the core advantages it has is that YouTube is the true home for all things video. When there was no other, there was YouTube.
This is partly the reason people prefer YouTube to watch videos, and even to find new music in most cases! There is a sense of familiarity that users have with the YouTube video player, and that is bound to last unless an update really, really messes it all up.
Unlike business executives (who you’ll pitch the video to and target in your ad campaigns), your consumer-audience will find you mostly by Googling you or your product. Therefore, it is important to optimize your video’s title and its description for Google.
No other video platform is as well-integrated with Google as YouTube is. Even if there is a very useful video on Vimeo, but a mildly useful video on YouTube, Google will show you YouTube’s videos first. Here is an example.
Kaleida’s Think, the song used in John Wick (2014) during the bar fight scene, found extensive fame after the movie was released. If you search for its official video, you won’t find it as easily. Instead, you’ll find other music videos. Here is what the search looks like.
On the other hand, if you type “Vimeo” in front of the same search query, you’ll find the official music video on the top of the list. Here are the results of that search.
As you can see, even though more relevant, Google didn’t show any results other than those on YouTube until we explicitly searched for it.
This moves to show how well YouTube is integrated with Google and how it can boost your SEO. As a video production agency, we at One Song Studios only recommend that you step towards YouTube if you’re starting to brand your website via B2C or even B2B videos.
This is because YouTube is part of Google, and (almost) the same algorithm applies to both search options. The better you optimize your video for YouTube, the better it gets optimized for Google as well. This in turn increases traffic, which increases brand awareness; a great tool not just for B2C but also B2B video marketing.
Setting Up Your YouTube Channel
Now that we’ve covered the why, it’s time to get into the how.
Setting up your YouTube Channel is simple:
- If you don’t have one already, make a Google account.
- Go to YouTube and click on create a channel. You can find this button at the top right corner once you click on the blue “SIGN IN” button.
- Click on “create a channel”.
- If you’re already logged into your new Google account, you will see an option to “Use a business or other name.” Click on that to create a Brand Account.
- If you aren’t signed in, you will have to do so. Once logged in, click on “Your Channel”. Remember, you can make more than one channel with the same Google ID.
- Next, click on the “CUSTOMIZE CHANNEL” button at the top right corner of your screen.
- Alternatively, you can click here to head to the channel switcher.
- Click on “Create a new channel”.
- You’ll be redirected to a new page asking you to name the account. If you link it to your website in the next step, it will act as a brand account, rather than a personal account. You’ll get the “blue tick of approval” after your channel’s name once YouTube verifies it really is you.
This channel gives you a free backlink to your website. If you have a personal account, the backlink might not make much of a difference. But if you make a brand account and get verified, that backlink will mean a lot.
Remember, you can also name a personal channel as a brand channel, but you won’t get the blue tick mark that easily. Be careful when making your channel.
Create Engaging Videos B2B
In every content marketing strategy, there are always four main goals:
- Attract
- Convert
- Close
- Delight
B2B marketing requires a lot more effort than B2C video marketing in every step; with the most difficult steps being Attracting and Closing. The problem with B2C marketing is that everything must scream not just quality, but viability as well.
“Cheap and high quality” is what executives are looking for. Although the two are rather mutually exclusive though. You can either have cheap or have high quality. What you need to tell businesses about yourself isn’t that you’re cheap or give high quality, but that you are cost-effective.
One way of doing that is by producing a high-quality video without going over the top. There is a definitive line between being below and above the bar, which only seasoned video producers can identify.
Going over the top with executives is different than as with normal consumers because they know what goes on ‘behind the scenes’. If you’re suggesting that you have an all-natural produce, convincing executives needs a lot more effort.
However, you shouldn’t be explaining all that in your pitching or marketing video, considering how valuable viewers’ time is. To keep it engaging, you should consider making sure you introduce a hint about the potential and tell viewers that you are available to answer their questions.
Furthermore, your videos should be entertaining, but not unprofessional. The idea is to draw attention; not drown in a sea of overconfidence. Even when entertaining, you should be able to convey your message in a crisp and concise manner.
That is where YouTube comes in. If you opt for the paid option, you will see that YouTube gives audiences (and you as well) five seconds of ad-time that can’t be skipped. However, if you can make your video 15 seconds or less, your ad won’t be skippable. That’s how you get executives’ attention.
Create Engaging Videos B2C
When optimizing your videos for customers other than businesses, the key is retention. Where you try to keep a lid on your imagination when marketing to businesses, you can go all-in when marketing to customers. The more you entertain, the better chances of you convincing your customers that you should at least be given a chance.
Take the example of Metro Train ad, “Dumb ways to die” by the Melbourne Metro. The idea was to promote railway safety; the campaign was a big success, and then some!
Apart from it being entertaining, you also need to consider how you will get your video out into the open. After all, what good is even the highest-quality video if you can’t get people to see it, right?
Now, as we mentioned above, YouTube allows every ad 5 seconds which can’t be skipped. Those 5 seconds can make or break your B2C video ad campaign. Back when Netflix started advertising on YouTube, its ads didn’t start with the Netflix logo, but the highlight of the trailer. Soon, everyone caught on because that was how Netflix got people hooked into watching the ads!
Now, it has been replaced by the logo, and the viewership has decreased as well. That is why you need a good video production team that can help you make those first five seconds count!
Overall, when it comes to B2B or B2C marketing videos, YouTube is considered to be one of the best platforms to post your videos on. However, with that power comes a responsibility, too; that of making high-quality and entertaining marketing videos.
If you’re interested in getting a video marketing campaign formulated, you are at the right place. Consider getting in touch with us for a free brainstorming session and see if we can’t help you out!
FAQ
Video is no longer a piece of an overall marketing strategy. It is now the central concentration of online marketing efforts. Especially online social strategies. Four of the top six channels consumers utilize for video are social channels. Among a host of other benefits video increases traffic, increases understanding of products and services, increases sales and reduces support calls. If you aren’t using video effectively, you are falling behind.
In a word, “Yes!” The stats around video marketing have been increasing every year and they just keep getting better and better. Check out the most recent stats here, and you will see why.
As with so many questions like this the answer is, “It depends.” There are many many variables to consider. I am working on an article to help you navigate the process of pricing your video marketing efforts, but in the meantime feel free to contact us and we will help you through the process. Whether you are a potential client of ours or not, I am happy to provide this service to anybody willing to reach out to us.
