YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine by volume of searches on the Internet. People are spending more and more time on User Generated Video sites. Some businesses have decided to join in, others have not. I’d like to build the case for you that video in a B2B marketing and sales situation is a good idea. I’m not going to write a ton here, but instead show a bunch of examples of people who are marketing business to business (B2B) using online video.
What do you think of when I say online video?
When I say YouTube, you immediately think of something. Maybe you think of videos that go viral and make you laugh.
Maybe you think of the Old Spice commercials.
Most of you probably don’t immediately think of the business case for using YouTube and Vimeo to market your business. I’d like to point out a few things. YouTube, Vimeo and the like, never sleep…does your marketing department? Now maybe your target audience isn’t looking for your B2B service at 3am…but then again, they might. They might be in a different time zone. The point is that online video is an always-on segment of your marketing and sales effort. Shouldn’t you consider getting in the game?
Webinars are a great way to promote your brand by educating and providing value. After you host your live webinar, take the video and put it up on YouTube and Vimeo. Check out how Jigsaw used this strategy.
Ever hear of Common Craft? They create and sell videos that explain things in simple and visual terms. They primarily work with other businesses. They market their business by showing their videos on Vimeo and YouTube. After seeing 1 or 2 of them, it becomes immediately clear what their value is.
You can just use these sites as a place to host testimonials. My former company, Gap International has gotten into the video game and I think it’s paid off for them in many ways.
You can just show off what it’s like to work for your company or events that your company hosts or takes part in. Scotiabank got really creative here in their efforts to help fund a cure for AIDS.