5 Companies Doing B2B Video Marketing Right

Rewind to Monday when a few of us were sitting around the conference room discussing the KoMarketing about video – if you haven’t watched it, I recommend you do – if not only to see my sweet reverse layup or Derek’s jaunt on the playground.

While it was certainly fun to make, Matt V. pointed out that he had watched it prior to interviewing and both Kristen’s mom and my mom had each reached out to tell us they liked it. It turns out that people are watching video! Crazy, right?!

Not exactly. At this point we’ve all seen the stats around YouTube consumption and the billions of hours of video being viewed every day. In addition, Facebook reported 100+ million hours of video watched every day and Snapchat reported an average of “over 30 minutes” per day per user. That is a lot of video being watched and it’s time for B2B marketers to start taking it a bit more seriously.

The good news is video isn’t exactly a “new” tactic and there are already some B2B organizations doing some great things. Let’s take a look:

Cisco

We’ve done a few lists over the years showcasing B2B companies doing exceptional things in marketing and Cisco is usually on there (see here, here and here). They really just get it and video is no different.

If you take a look at their YouTube channel, they have a pretty substantial list of videos broken down by theme and business line.

In addition, they use video across their entire site, encouraging users to watch videos about the company, webinars about specific product lines, hear from customers, and much more.

Why it Works:

• Innovation. Cisco is a large technology company and it’s important for them to showcase the various ways they are innovating. Video allows them to do that in a way that’s not salesy, and in some cases, pretty freaking cool.

• Simplicity. When you do a lot of things, it can be hard to explain what all of those things are and how they work together. In addition, technical solutions can be pretty hard to write about. Showing users how solutions work vs writing about can simplify that process.

Shopify

One thing I’ve always loved about Shopify is their marketing team does a great job speaking to their audience. They blend how to’s with real life examples and they consistently put out useful, quality content. Video is no different.

Shopify uses videos throughout the site to discuss product features and they also have an entire video resource section. But that’s not where they stop – their Facebook page features how to videos, funny motivational videos, and over the past few months, they’ve started offering live videos in a series called “Build a Bigger Business.”

Why It Works:

• Facebook. I showed you the stat earlier on how many people are watching video on Facebook and Shopfiy is capitalizing on it. Think about it – one of the hardest things about webinars is getting people to come to your site and watch the webinar. Facebook LIVE essentially lets you host a webinar on a platform people are already active on.

• Community. As an entrepreneur, it’s interesting to hear from other entrepreneurs in the community about how they got started, what they are currently doing, and tips they have for other business owners. In these videos, Shopify does just that, talking to CEOs, owners, marketers and more.

Moz

For those of us in the search marketing space, Moz’s Whiteboard Friday is a staple and also a really great example of how brands can connect with their communities.

If you’re unfamiliar with Whiteboard Friday, each week the company puts out a short(ish) video addressing common questions and issues facing the search industry. The video is typically led by Moz founder Rand Fishkin but occasionally has other well-known folks in for guest appearances.

Why It Works:

• Human Connection. There are a number of things I like about the video series but the first is that it gives the company a face. For most businesses, we don’t know who is doing the work or who the people behind the company name are. Remember, people want to work with other people not logos.

• Consistency. I don’t know exactly how long the series has been around but I can tell you the blog posts go back to 2007. That is a long time, especially in internet years. To build an audience, you need consistency and Moz has certainly been consistent.

• Transcription: Honestly, very rarely do I have time to sit and watch a video during the day and when I get home, I want to watch Netflix. It’s why I love the fact Moz provides the video transcription below the video. For those who don’t have time to watch the video, they can still get the info. And yes…I realize that I’m talking about video in this post but come on, people are lazy!

PGi

For anyone who has ever worked in the conference call space, you know it’s pretty crowded and the majority of the solutions seem pretty similar in what they offer. How do you make your solution stand out?

Enter video. PGi does a nice job utilizing video content to show how their products help, demonstrate features, and they showcase a little humor every now and then.

Why It Works:

• Humility. In the case of iMeet Man, the company is able to showcase a sense of humor and even better, the people in the videos are all employees.

• Helpfulness. Setting up a new tool is never fun and somehow never easy. This certainly applies to web conferencing tools. If you check out the company’s YouTube page, you see a number of “how to” videos around key product features, geared toward helping you set up and make the most of each product.

Note: PGi is a previous client however, I genuinely love what they put out.

The FruitGuys

A few months ago, we started getting FruitGuys delivered to our office and I can honestly say, I genuinely look forward to it each week. One, because I occasionally enjoy a piece of fruit but two, because it always comes with a little card containing something fun – a random fact about the weird fruit this week’s box contains or a piece of fruit history. It seems silly but that little card is a big asset.

The company also does a nice job with their videos. Their video library covers common questions, talks about the benefits of various fruits, and it’s genuinely fun.

Why It Works:

• Interesting. When a kumquat is delivered to your office for the first time, you wonder how you are supposed to eat it. They have it covered! The videos make eating fruit fun and interesting.

• Value. Let’s be real – you can get fruit anywhere. For the FruitGuys to succeed they need to show value outside of just the fruit. The service is convenient, yes the fruit is fresh, but the videos they put out add some extra value.

And more…

I could go on and on showcasing companies doing cool things but I don’t think either of us want that. For more information, check out Heather Rast’s post “B2B Video Marketing Done Right” and feel free to reach out with any questions or examples of your own!