Video has become an effective and favorable medium to drive engagement. Over 89% of businesses are using video in their marketing mix, leading the way as one of the most used content types. B2B marketing videos are versatile, giving you the option to showcase products, cover trends, highlight customers, and much more. But organizations are facing many challenges in the current age of digital media. From maintaining viewer engagement and navigating complex platform algorithms to driving actionable results, there are many obstacles for teams to handle. We have a few tactical tips to help you overcome these challenges while driving more momentum and measurable results from your videos.

Quickly Capture Audience Attention

It is no myth that first impressions are important. If your content doesn’t capture your viewer’s attention in the first moments of the video, you’ll likely lose their engagement. The average human attention span is around 8 seconds. This only seems to be getting shorter as platforms and apps pivot to cater to the need for shorter, bite-sized content that matches the minimal attention span. Here are a few ways to quickly grab your viewer’s attention:

• Eye-catching visuals: Whether it is an unconventional graphic or something with stunning colors, disrupt the algorithm with daring visuals.
• Compelling question: Ask a question a lot of people want to know the answer to. Whether it is “How can my business generate more revenue?” or “How can I save money but gain more leads?” This can draw interest from viewers and have them listen to your answer.
• Expertise: Tell the viewers exactly who you are and why they should listen to you. Starting a video with, “We have 20 years of expertise in the XYZ industry and over 500 clients to prove it” is a standout statement and can catch attention.

Understand How Different Buyers Consume Videos

Not all people are the same. Some enjoy watching TikTok videos, while others enjoy reading long articles. Many of these differences come from demographics and behaviors. For buyers, it is the same way. Each has a different set of demographics and behavioral components that lead them to consume videos, and content in general, differently. This article breaks down generational differences, and how it alters content consumption, which impacts your video marketing strategy. If you have detailed buyer personas and know the ideal demographic and behavioral elements that fit your ideal customer profile, this should help form your content marketing strategy and B2B marketing videos. Here is a quick summary:

• Gen X: This demographic has a longer attention span compared to other generations. Longer videos are likely not an issue for them but also don’t mind a short video.
• Millennials: This group is the happy medium. While many millennials lean toward the short-form content, like videos, they are also willing to consume the longer videos, but only if the information is valuable.
• Gen Z: This generation is where the attention span starts to decline and short-form content thrives. If your buyers sit in this category, consider leaning towards shorter videos.

Be Mindful of the Length of Your Video

People don’t often want to watch a long, drawn-out story. One study reported that videos under one minute yields a 50% engagement rate. With the need for instant information, a shorter video can help keep busy minds focused on the information shared. But as mentioned above, consider the demographics of your ideal buyers. What video lengths are they seeking out or will tolerate?

When editing your video content to account for length and flow, consider the following questions:

• Does the information provided add value to the audience and still convey a story?
• Does the edited content align with your marketing goals (e.g., raise brand awareness or generate leads)?
• What is my audience interested in learning and does this video fulfill those objectives?

Ensure Content Accessibility With and Without Sound

According to one study, as much as 85% of video content is viewed without sound. Video that can be enjoyed without sound allows the viewer to stay engaged without interrupting their ongoing activities. Why listen to something if you can just watch it, and read it, at the same time? Plus, watching videos out loud in public spaces and workplaces can often be looked down on. Having effective captions or visual wording elements can help in this scenario. Videos like this one, are purely text-based with background sound to keep the brain interested.

Get Creative with the CTA Placement

Often, CTAs are at the end of the video content. This is expected. For many marketers, the end of the video is the logical spot for a CTA because the viewers that finish the video are typically the most interested and are more likely to turn into prospects and leads.

However, call-to-actions in the middle of the video have shown to draw in higher conversion rates when viewers are most engaged. In an analysis provided by Wistia, they discovered the ideal CTA placements for video lengths. For videos under a minute, use a CTA in the first quarter of the video. For videos up to 3 minutes, use in the last quarter of the video. This can be an interesting component to test in your videos to see what CTA placement drives the most conversions or desired results. Use action words in your CTAs. This might seem obvious, but in the same study by Wistia, they found that action-oriented words such as “click,” “try,” and “sign up” generate the most results.

Elevating your B2B marketing videos can be a challenge. We’re here to make it easy for you. Contact Launch Marketing today to get started.