In general, when speaking to a B2B audience, it’s believed that your company’s voice needs to have a more serious tone to convey authority. You’re talking to other companies, future business partners, collaborators, etc. in the B2B space and understandably, you want your videos to radiate professionalism and a thorough understanding of the market. Many times these beliefs can leave B2B video campaigns boring and monotonous. It’s important to remember that even when talking to a B2B audience, your company videos can be dynamic and engaging just like they can for B2C.
Here are some great examples of B2B video marketing campaigns that prove that conceding to dry, formulaic content to convey authority is the lazy approach. Great B2B video marketing campaigns have playfulness, humor and authenticity.
Zendesk
Zendesk takes on a big task in their video by introducing their platform, explaining the problems it solves, as well as walking the viewer through all the different pages on the platform. They begin by taking audiences through the platform with a Zendesk user, which makes it easy for viewers to visualize themselves using the platform.
The quick sliding graphics convey efficiency as Zendesk walks the audience through all the pages on the site, showing what their platform can offer in detail. This clip does become a bit boring halfway through, after so much information has been provided in such a short amount of time, but they break this up by placing the graphics in and around the Zendesk user, having them pop out vertically and horizontally, to maintain some dynamism and energy in the video.
The subtle sound effects play a part in keeping viewers auditorily focused. Zendesk adds a quirky touch in the video’s middle with the addition of a lion’s roar. Yes, the sound effect isn’t necessary, but its presence surprises you, keeping the content fresh and maintaining the video’s momentum.
The inclusion of a comedic bit at the end, when the boom guy appears, is an inspired way to end the video. It lightens the piece and gives audiences a small chuckle, which according to Ironpaper, is essential because comedic content is the most popular form of online video.
Remember that there is always room for a comedic beat in any marketing video, regardless of whether it’s B2C or B2B, and though it may take a bit more creativity to place it well in a B2B video, if you succeed, you’ll have a video with amazing potential for ROI.
Hubspot
Hubspot’s customer success stories, like this one below, are powerful and compelling. Putting the spotlight on previous positive consumer experiences is an effective method of garnering new clients. It plays into the human nature of wanting to be a part of something ubiquitously popular. The key to the success of these videos is their authenticity rather than offering a scripted, fictitious consumer story.
In the video below, the owners of the custom ski company, Parlor, explain what issues they were experiencing within their company and how Hubspot vastly improved these issues. The customers’ stories sell the platform on their own. The heads of Parlor talk directly to future clients with the simple message that this product is worth trying.
The added plus of a video campaign such as this one, is that many installments can be added and with each installment, you’re just strengthening the credibility of the video series as well as the brand persona of the company. All clients that have a good customer experience to share, are as many installments to the customer testimonial series that you can make. Because each client’s user experience is unique and shining a spotlight on many different voices reaffirms the versatility and overall helpfulness of your product. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.
Slack
We’d be selling you short on this list of great B2B video examples if we didn’t include Slack. Using case studies, like we mentioned in Hubspot’s example, are always a compelling marketing method. Unlike Hubspot’s consumer testimonials, Slack’s consumer case study is completely scripted, delivered in a mockumentary style (i.e. Modern Family, The Office), with excellent humorous dialogue.
The video’s story starts off with Sandwich Inc, a company believing that they aren’t in-need of a new product management platform, explaining their working styles. Ultimately through their explanation of their working methods, they come to the conclusion that they do lack efficiency in many areas. They then proceed to explain exactly what Slack offers to improve a company’s in-office communication. The idea this video conveys is that regardless of whether you NEED Slack, your company would likely benefit from their services. Just think about the width of that promotional net that Slack has thrown. Slack’s message is that ANY company could benefit from their services.
Later in the video, the employees begin to list off all the daily situations in which the platform comes in handy. Listing off this information could easily fall flat in other videos, but due to the expert comedic delivery, the dynamism of the video is retained throughout. By the end of the video, if you’re not left convinced that you need Slack, you are in the minority.
The graphics are placed seamlessly with the live-action visuals, not requiring the video’s pace to slow down in order to be fully read and digested. This is because Slack only picks out key SEO words for the graphics and then accompanies them with a screenshot of one of the platform pages. This is much more effective than asking your viewers to digest 1-2 sentences quickly during your video.
Equity Feed
What Equity Feed excels at in this video is explaining a complex concept and not only making it visually appealing but effectively wrapping it in an easy-to-understand analogy. Their use of the ocean as an analogy for the stock market gives the video a keen visual story that keeps viewers interested. Meanwhile, Equity Feed breaks down, in simple terms, their platform’s service and functionality.
The choice of motion graphics, instead of other animation styles, adds to the clip because it uses a consistent movement of the frame, rather than having characters walk into a stable frame. Choices like this, dynamic visual movement, are known to retain a viewer’s focus more effectively.
It’s also important to note that Equity Feed succeeds in explaining their offering, the problems it solves, and how it solves it, within a video that runs less than two minutes. They can do this because the visuals chosen convey a lot and thus helps condense the narrated explanation. If your company has a big topic to cover or the topic is complex, consider animation instead of live action to condense it.
Finally, though this video lacks a humorous element, it makes up for it in playfulness. There is still a youthful air to this video and that attracts clientele.
Ultimately, remember that your audience consists of human beings, whether your business is B2B or B2C and all people are engaged by media that is intriguing and entertaining. A bland tone to convey seriousness should never be the answer. Hopefully these B2B video campaign examples can lead your company towards some inspired ideas for your next video.
