Everything you do online should be a part of the plan for how you are going to sell more of your product or services.  You need a system for how to increase B2B Sales with video.

 

Next, to face to face meetings, video is the most powerful sales tool a business has.  Video increases the retention of information more than any other medium.  It used to be that a salesperson would guide a prospect through the sales process, but now people go through 57% of the sales process online before they ever talk to a salesperson.  Video has a huge advantage over a blog or social media post because, if done right, video quickly humanizes your brand and builds relationships faster and can tap into the emotions that drive people to buy. 

 

Many brands, especially B2B brands, are still not using video to increase sales and create a healthier pipeline.  This is a great chance to stand out from your competitors.  70% of people start the buying process online.  A sales person is not their first point of contact.  You need a system to nurture them and a way to identify when they are ready for a sales person. 

 

You can’t just create one video and expect to see a change in sales.  You need a series of videos that guide your buyer through the sales funnel.    You also can’t just hire a video editor or videographer and expect to get results.  You need a video strategist to help you create the right videos and set up a system for monitoring and scoring which videos and how much of those videos people watch.  You can help your sales team know who is ready to buy and who needs more time, as well as what information they should send them next.  Next, you need a creative director to make sure the videos are formatted properly for each stage of the funnel.

 

Start with a plan

 

You need a video for each stage of the sales funnel.  There are many different theories or ideas when it comes to the marketing funnel.  Many people will over simplify the sales funnel.  I think you need a funnel with at least 4 steps.  Most funnels have more but, for the sake of simplicity, we will stick with 4.  Be careful not to over simplify this process.  Using a 3-step funnel leaves out valuable steps you need for success.   The funnel we use depends on the client, their needs, and their budget.  Some of them will require 8 steps.

 

Awareness 

 

In this stage, you create content that makes people aware of your solution and, in some cases, more aware of their problem.  This can be done with many different types of video content.  You can also use content that educates, entertains, or inspires.  It just depends on your buyer and what they will respond best to and their budget.   Think about what will lead them deeper into the funnel.  Most companies think of video as a tool for building awareness, but it is for more than awareness.  Don’t use animated videos in this stage.  People will connect better with a spokesperson, whether that person is an employee or a paid actor or influencer.

 

 Consideration 

 

The buyer is starting to get clear of their problem and are now getting closer to solving it.  They are looking at all of their options.  Some of the types of videos you can use at this stage are explainer videos, promotional videos, brand videos, live videos, or a webinar.  (A brand video might also be called a company introduction video.)  All of these videos need to feature how the brands solves the problem the target audience has.  To say it another way, it shouldn’t be a video where you tell them how great you are.  We call that a vanity video and it doesn’t have a real marketing purpose.  It just makes the CEO, or someone else at the company, feel good.

 

Decision 

 

This is a seller’s favorite part of the process. At this stage, buyers know what you have to offer them.  They become a customer in this stage. So, this is where you need to build trust.  This is a great spot for a testimonial video, demonstration videos, product video, process video, or ‘about us’ video.

 

Repeat

 

Now you want to keep them as satisfied customers and introduce them to your other solutions. Some of the types of video that work at this stage are QuickStart tutorial videos, a thank you video, thought leadership videos, and How-to videos.  Many companies miss upsell opportunities by not sharing videos after the sale to upsell or let people know about other services they provide.   How many times have you been in a meeting and someone said, “We just hired an (insert name of a service which you provide but you never told them about)”?  These videos solve that problem and keep people coming back to buy more stuff from you.

 

The right message

 

Your funnel is only as effective as your message.  The way you structure your message is very important.  This means your scripts need to be formatted to engage.  How many times have you seen a video that starts with a company logo?  That video just wasted 5 -10 seconds.  In the online world, you only get a few seconds to draw someone in. If you wasted that time on showing your company logo, you just lost them. How much is poor communication costing your company?

 

The right type of video

 

Many brands create the wrong type of content for the audience.  When someone first engages your brand, it needs to be with the information they want.  If you get it wrong, they will quickly leave to find someone who will help them solve their problem. Videos at the top of the funnel need to feature real people.  Many brands will have an animated video or a video with a VO and stock footage as the first video people see and they miss an opportunity to build trust with the viewer and humanize the brand.  To sell with video, you need the right content at the right time for the right person. Success with video is not about having one or two videos.  It is a long-term strategy that requires videos at each step of the buyer’s journey. 

 

 

How to get them into the funnel.

 

All of this video is useless unless people see it.  Putting it on your website isn’t necessarily a way to get people to watch your video, especially if your website doesn’t have a lot of traffic.  You need to use social media to get people.  You need to utilize the best of each social media platform to maximize your sales.  B2B brands have an advantage when it comes to social media ads, they have a smaller target audience which means they only need to show ads to a targeted group of people; which means, with the right targeting, can reach more people for less money. 

 

Conclusion

 

Combining the right sequence of videos with the right system is the key to increase B2B sales with video.  Don’t spend any money on videos if you are not sure where they fit into the sales funnel.