The World's Best B2B Video Campaigns of All-time
I often encounter people in my professional sphere who believe that B2B marketing is limited to direct mailing and telemarketing only. I want to explain to them, how B2B video marketing can be fun, creative and powerful at the same time.
Take B2B video marketing campaigns for instance. By delivering an immersive viewing experience, B2B videos stick within clients' memory and help them make a decision in your favor. Such videos are a great way to introduce your platform as a solution to a continuing problem. A brilliant tool to break into the clutter and clear the chaos with clear & effective communication.
It is true that driving a successful B2B marketing campaign can be much more difficult than a B2C one. However, that does not at all mean, a well crafted B2B viral marketing campaign couldn't reap you tons of benefits. In fact, if you are in B2B, you would be happy to know that "70% of B2B marketers ranked videos as the most effective content for converting a qualified lead."
Since everyone around agrees to the effectiveness of videos, let us find out which companies were able to generate huge ROIs through viral video campaigns:
Hubspot: What is Hubspot?
The video opens by speaking directly to all the Marketers in the world. It has a clear understanding of whom it's targeting. While the video is nicely shot, its story-line is clear, crisp and engaging. It beautifully bridges the gap between the multi-faceted problems a marketer usually faces and HubSpot's effective software solutions.
The video is made so beautifully that even though it covers every little detail on HubSpot's software, it doesn't overwhelm anybody watching it. Personally, I believe that is the best way to present information. Also, the message it sends of avoiding tactics that involve interrupting consumers with impersonal messages is quite critical.
Why does it work?
Out of all the entries in this list, this video is the most reminiscent of a generic SaaS advertisement video, the template is simple, it presents a problem and then how HubSpot can be used to solve the problem. This simple concept is executed in a clean manner, HubSpot's example is a good starting point for a standard SaaS marketing video.
Squarespace: How to Build your Squarespace with Jeff Bridges?
Squarespace is a hosting website. Right now, I cannot think of any other hosting company that could make the concept of storing videos look so easy and exciting. Sure, it stars the Oscar-winning actor, Jeff Bridges.
However, what actually pulls and keeps you in the story, is the amazing nocturnal atmosphere and sound design the video could capture and deliver. It begins with Jeff Bridges exploring a forest in the dark. And goes on to him explaining, how he uses Squarespace to host his night dwellings.
You stay intrigued throughout the video. The story-line is mad in a cool way and ends with a CTA, urging you to drive action.
Why does it work?
This video makes a conscious effort to steer clear of traditional SaaS video marketing tropes and for that reason itself it’s memorable, it also finds a way to cleverly tie in the product and promotion without altering tone of the video. This type of SaaS marketing video is quite challenging but can create a huge impact if you are able to pull it off.
Slack: "So Yeah, We Tried Slack"
It is a beautiful video that begins with introducing a problem that most of the employees face at work. And interestingly aren't even aware of. The problem of communicating better and more efficiently that is. It shows how employees at a workplace depend on different channels and mediums to communicate their ideas, doubts, and solutions to one another.
When a team from Slack approaches this particular company, the latter is a little skeptic but anyway agrees to give it a try. It is through this video, Slack exudes its class, by showing their audience how it brings all forms of communication in one place. The advertisement is a smooth transition from chaos to communication.
Why does it work?
This video has featured across multiple roundups that list best SaaS studies, SaaS marketing videos and now SaaS b2b marketing. Unlike the previous example the premise is not unique, it’s a normal business problem but it’s the way that it’s shot and edited that establishes a playful feel whilst delivering the message.
The lesson here is that a generic problem-solution video can also stand out as long as it adopts a unique and playful style language.
Lenovo: Introducing Jane and Chad
Lenovo introduces us to Jane and Chad, who love multitasking and staying high on computer applications, and cannot spend even a moment without technology. Even the smallest of the glitch in technology can make their blood pressure go high.
This is where IBM comes into the picture. It beautifully depicted how it can untangle the technical chords in your life. The best part of the video is how sticky it is. How everyone who has ever been a part of a workplace can relate to it.
Why does it work?
The underlying theme here is relatability, we are aware of “Janes” in our lives and it is this knowledge that solidifies the problem solution format in this video. Try to attach personas to problems to make the videos featuring them more memorable
Adobe- Click, Baby, Click
It is a brilliant ad that hilariously brings attention to the marketing analytics that most company usually tend to ignore or forget. It is knitted around the common demand "get us more clicks".
From the beginning, the ad keeps us engaged and gives us an assurance that something great is just around the corner; we will find out all about any moment. And when in the end, we finally are hit with the punch line, we are awestruck. It hits viewers exactly where Adobe would like it to.
Why does it work?
It’s not too often that an ad for a SaaS product makes you laugh, the ability to elicit an emotional response is the hallmark of a good ad. An emotional response also has a greater chance of translating to action and Adobe’s ad does this effortlessly.
The lesson learnt here is if your video/content piece is able to strike an emotional chord with your audience it has a higher chance of turning them into customers.
Wrapping up...
B2B video marketing campaigns can change the way consumers look at your brand. It is a great way to send your message across, to share your business story and to tell your audience what you do, how you do it, and how what you do will make a difference in their lives. It is high time companies around the world geared up their marketingstyles and learned to place videos at the forefront of their marketing campaigns.
Also, if you are interested to read about & watch some effective B2C video marketing campaigns, here is Shaurya's blog on Influential Video Marketing.
If you were looking to reach out to us and discuss stuff around video marketing, you just need to hit us Right Here.