Why B2B Brands Are Turning to Video to Win Trust

When it comes to business-to-business (B2B) marketing, clients are often looking for trustworthiness and credibility. Yet, this isn’t something that’s easy to prove. The longer and more complex the sales cycle is, the harder brands have to work to convince skeptical clients that they are the right partner for the job.

Fortunately, there’s one approach that will help cut through all the uncertainty: video content. It’s not just a visual medium – it’s an indispensable trust-building tool. This article will tackle the benefits of using video as a way for businesses working in the B2B sector to cultivate authentic trust with their potential clients and business partners.

The Challenges of Credibility in B2B Sales Cycles

B2B sales cycles are completely different from those in the B2C space. Deals often require months to finalize because multiple stakeholders need to approve decisions. On top of that, these agreements frequently involve technical details and clarification that some clients might find challenging to understand.

Whitepapers and email marketing excel at conveying information, yet they frequently fall short in injecting the emotional depth and persuasive power crucial for driving action. While they present the facts, their delivery can be perceived as sterile and lacking the human element necessary for true influence.

In the world of B2B, clients want proof of authenticity, in-depth industry knowledge, and unyielding reliability before making any commitments. Opportunities can be easily lost if these traits aren’t swiftly established.

How Videos Humanize Brands and Simplify Complex Offerings

We have already mentioned that videos can be a great form of content to make a B2B brand feel more relatable or human. Yet, how exactly is this achieved? What type of videos are best suited for this?

Product Demonstration Videos

This type of video content mainly addresses functionality and reliability in a quick and informative, yet easy-to-digest manner. The goal is to show real-world use by real people in relatable scenarios. Also, it helps paint a picture that your product actually solves a problem that is considered a realistic pain point.

Explainer Videos

This type of video offers clear human understanding. Its goal is to clarify intricate concepts or functionalities and turn them into engaging narratives. Remember the technicalities that some clients find hard to grasp? This type of video solves that perfectly.

Customer Testimonials

Peer validation is a very powerful and persuasive force that can significantly influence people’s decisions. Showing real client success stories is a surefire way to boost credibility. This is also something that scales with your business, which means the more clients you help succeed, the more videos of this nature you can create.

Customer testimonial videos demand genuine effort and careful production, regardless of style. While approaches may differ, authenticity must be the unwavering foundation of every video created.

Supporting Every Stage of the Buyer Journey with Video

Sure, videos can be a tool for showing sincerity and credibility, but what about their ability to align with the buyer’s journey? Yes, video content can fit this concept well, too.

In the awareness stage, brands can utilize introductory videos to grab clients’ attention and create lasting impressions. There are various ways to do this, with two common examples being success stories and thought leadership pieces.

Explainer videos and case studies shine the brightest during the consideration stage. At this point, clients are evaluating their options, so any video that enlightens the viewer helps ease them into the next stage.

Finally, the decision-making stage is where personalized video content helps seal deals. The goal here is to leave no room for second thoughts or reconsiderations. This is when testimonial and product deep dive videos act as the cherry on top of the deal cake.

The Importance of Secure Video Sharing

Since some B2B marketing videos contain sensitive information meant to be exclusive to your clients only, securing your video-sharing methods is absolutely essential. Of course, the same goes for protecting your marketing tools. 

When working with valuable marketing content, security tools deserve the same attention as your creative tools. So, it’s natural that password managers seem like a practical necessity for marketing teams.

For Apple users on your team in particular, Mac password vaults integrate naturally with the systems you’re already using. Meanwhile, Windows users can benefit from similar built-in tools like Windows Credential Manager or third-party options that work seamlessly across platforms.

Moreover, virtual private networks (VPNs) are great for keeping data transfers safe from interception. For example, if you are connected to an unsecured network during a business trip and you need to transfer video files, a VPN adds protection against any attempts to steal or redirect those files.

The best VPNs are often discussed on social platforms like Reddit or Quora. Before you choose one, first look at which VPN receives the most recommendations from other marketers and then commit to one.

Practical Tips for Creating Video Content on a Budget

You might have some reservations about going all in on video production for marketing, which is understandable. However, you don’t have to produce commercial-level videos from the get-go. You can start filming using smartphones and use low-cost editing software.

Once you’ve built up a collection of videos, consider repurposing some of them. For example, short-form videos can be created using clips from longer videos. Existing infographics can also be incorporated into explainer videos. 

If you want authentic testimonial videos, user-generated content is the way to go. Content from actual users just feels way more believable. Once your team gets the hang of the video production process, you can level up your production quality to bring in more clients. So draft a script, pick up that camera, and hit record.

Conclusion

If your business hasn’t used video content to drive B2B sales before, it might feel like a challenging task to tackle. However, by following the steps we’ve discussed here, your video efforts will yield meaningful results. Trust your marketing team’s expertise and remain open to feedback from your clients to continuously improve your approach.