Just over half (52%) of B2B marketers are now using video, a 27% increase over the year before. However, that means nearly half of B2B marketers are not using video yet.
Last week for #B2Bchat I moderated a discussion on video in B2B marketing, including why B2B marketers should care, how to get started, production quality and tools and resources. A summary transcript from the discussion is below and is worth reviewing, there were a number of insights as well as individuals in the discussion worth connecting with.
Here are a few of my key takeaways from the discussion:
1. Quick B2B Video Wins
The group identified a number of potential quick wins, many of them are included in the Storify summary below. Here are two of the easiest opportunities for many B2B marketers to execute on:
- Repurpose existing content. Examples include slides using a platform like Brainshark and creating short videos based on the content of existing blog posts.
- Make video part of your content schedule, similar to blog posts and articles. Once you are committed, you will see opportunities for video the same way you identify opportunities for blog posts and other content.
2. Production Quality for B2B Videos
Top notch production and creative quality is not critical, however with the number of relatively low cost applications available today, there is no excuse for production values that detract from your message. Fuzzy images and poor audio are out and you can even improve on talking head videos without significant expense.
Hardware and software recommendations from participants are included below under Recommended Tools and Products.
3. Ideal Length of B2B Videos
Short. Videos should be as brief as possible while conveying the message. While acceptable video length definitely varies with the purpose of the video, the recommendations rallied in support of limiting videos to two minutes as a general rule of thumb.
James Lauffer (@jameslauffer) summed it up best:
@sched You can do a 30 minute video. Just make sure anything you want some to see is in the first 2 minutes! #b2bchat
— James Lauffer (@jameslauffer) April 6, 2012
4. Recommended Tools and Products
There were a number of hardware, software and service recommendations during the course of the discussion. Rather than include all in Storify, the recommendations are consolidated and organized here. Recent prices have been included where available.
Hardware
Kodak Zi8 Video Camera: $419
Gorillapod Tripod: $14
Samson USB Microphones: Multiple options available
Software
Final Cut Pro: $299
Adobe Creative Suite: $1,490 for Mac or $1,375 for PC
iMovie
Camtasia Studio: $290
Audacity: Free
Hosted Software or Platforms for Creation and Production
BrainShark, Animoto, YouTube, LiveStream, GoToWebinar, MeetingBurner
Platforms for Distribution
YouTube, Vimeo, Tout, Viddy
Amazon links are affiliate links.
You can read the transcript below, or if Storify is loading slowly, you can view it on the Storify site here.
Join the Discussion
Join #B2Bchat every Thursday at 8:00 PM Eastern time on Twitter. Follow @B2B_chat for announcements of each week’s topic.
A summary of the discussion is included below. You can carry on the discussion in the comments or share your thoughts with me on Twitter (@wittlake).
Video in B2B Marketing: #B2Bchat Recap
Summary of B2Bchat discussion on 4/5/2012.
Storified by Eric Wittlake · Tue, Apr 10 2012 02:32:51
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