More ways to stretch your 2023 video budget

Scalable video production with AI

Now that AI voices have been trained to mimic human intonations, pauses, and breaths, an AI voice generator is a option worth considering. They won’t be as charming or persuasive as a professional voice actor. But they will sound human, not robotic. And they will probably sound more at-ease than many of the employee-narrators now recording screencasts and webinars to explain your solutions and services.

Here are three ways to get more out of your video production budget with AI voices.

• Generate multiple demos and tutorials in different versions that are scripted and edited so as not to waste the viewer’s time — or that of your subject matter experts.
• Make interim versions of videos with AI voices to check the pace and length of an explainer video. You’ll still need a well-paid professional voice actor for the final cut, but a relatively inexpensive AI voice can help you improve the script as you work.
• Add narration to diagrams, photos, and animations in blog posts, social media posts, and announcements.

Amazon and Google have text-to-speech tools you can try. Microsoft’s Azure lets you copy and paste your script into their publicly available converter to hear your script read back. WellSaid Labs lets you try out their top-notch voice generator free. They offer a wide choice of voices and promotional, conversational, or narration styles. It’s easy to add emphasis and correct pronunciation by making edits to your script with tools accessible through a browser.

Budget Guidelines

Here are some guidelines you can use to plan your 2023 video marketing budget:

• DIY or semi-professional videos cost $1,500 – $3,000
• Professional-quality videos cost $5,000 – $20,000
• Ad agency-quality videos (as seen on TV) will run $25,000 – $50,000
• Top-of-the-line videos (as seen on the Super Bowl) cost well over $100,000

ICYMI

Those DIY videos will be less onerous to produce if you start with a template. Here, for example, are Vimeo’s templates for different types of announcements. Here are some good ideas from Vidyard for using video for sales in 2023.

That’s all for now.

Stretch your 2023 video budget

Video is effective, necessary, and not inexpensive. Here are some guidelines you can use to plan your 2023 video marketing budget:

• DIY or semi-professional videos cost $1,500 – $3,000
• Professional-quality videos cost $5,000 – $20,000
• Ad agency-quality videos (as seen on TV) will run $25,000 – $50,000
• Top-of-the-line videos (as seen on the Super Bowl) cost well over $100,000

Here are three tactics for increasing the value of each individual video.

Differentiate

Standing apart from the competition is the most prevalent challenge salespeople faced in 2022, according to a recent Hubspot survey. A video that quickly explains what makes your solution truly outstanding will have a big impact.

Get four for the price of one

Professional-quality videos (like the ones we make) can be written in chapters, each describing a different benefit, or aimed at a specific role in the buying organization. The sales organization can share excerpted chapters with relevant contacts.

Use LinkedIn “native” video

According to LinkedIn, 78% of social sellers outsell peers who don’t use social media. Upload videos directly to LinkedIn instead of linking to videos you’ve already uploaded to YouTube or other platforms. LinkedIn gives these “native” videos preference in searches and feeds. And, since there aren’t as many good videos vying for attention on LinkedIn as there are elsewhere, a good video stands a better chance of standing out.

ICYMI

Check out the official Vimeo video marketing crash course from the popular platform for B2B video sharing.

That’s all for now.

Why you should upload videos to LinkedIn

If you think of LinkedIn as a directory of people, businesses, and opportunities, you may be overlooking an underutilized resource that kicks in whenever people are checking out you or your company: LinkedIn Native Video.

What is LinkedIn Native Video?

You probably already use LinkedIn to share links to videos you’ve posted on other platforms like YouTube. “Native” videos aren’t links — they are video files uploaded directly to, or created on, LinkedIn. The advantages?

• Given that native videos get 10 times more shares than video links on Facebook, the same should be true for LinkedIn native videos
• LinkedIn’s algorithm gives native videos preferential treatment in searches and feeds
• LinkedIn’s content generally does well in Google search results
• There’s a good chance your competitors aren’t taking advantage of this channel

Optimizing existing videos

As with other social media, most users connect to LinkedIn on their phones. Consequently, video in square or vertical format commands more screen real estate, so it takes longer to scroll past than videos in the horizontal HD format (16:9) commonly used for explainers, demos and most other business videos.

The simplest way to optimize horizontal videos for LinkedIn is to use editing software to place the existing video in the center of a square frame. Place titles or headlines above the video and captions under it. And now, you’ve got a video that communicates on three levels. (Captions are important because most people watch video on social media without sound.)

Include a helpful description

Your optimized video will be sure to catch the eye — but it’s more likely to get watched if the text around it helps people evaluate its relevance to them. Include links to your other relevant content, too.

Add hashtags

Meaningful hashtags really can help your video reach the right people. Here’s The Only Article You Need To Read About LinkedIn Hashtags.

ICYMI

Along the same lines, it’s a good idea to keep up to date with the Always Up-to-Date Guide to Social Media Video Specs

That’s all for now.

3 video tactics for your sales strategy

Hello <<First Name>>

Where digital selling prevails, video is arguably the best form of sales communication, according top-performing sales professionals, neuroscience, and common sense. Here are three key tactics for a video strategy that could boost your sales team’s performance.

The cadence

Sales cadences for new prospects typically use 6 to 20 messages. It’s rare to see more than two videos in the mix. An opportune tactic would be to add videos to the cadence by growing your library of concise videos about use cases, specific product features, competitive advantages and differentiators. These are things prospects want to learn about — but maybe not in the form of yet another text-heavy email.

Show. Don’t tell.

If you’re explaining software that makes it easy to do something that your prospect is struggling with, a sound tactic is to let people see for themselves what the software in can do. An animated GIF in an email can deliver a lot of bang for the buck.

Tacking on.

There’s no need to create elaborate videos to get your point across. Sales team members can create simple video messages to tack on to other content — videos, white papers, blog posts, etc. The word “video” in the subject increases opens, so make sure it’s there. You can increase clicks with an attractive thumbnail that clearly tells the prospect what they’ll learn by clicking thelink..

That’s all for now.

Making Videos Your Customers Value

Research tells us that 95% of B2B buyers watch videos, especially product reviews and demos, before they make their purchase decisions. The “most valuable” content for buyers researching B2B purchases in another report (video wasn’t included) is research reports, case studies, and webinars. These finding suggest that some non-traditional video types that should be highly valued by customers.

1. Use-cases “based on a true story”

Use details from actual customer case studies and testimonials as the basis of videos featuring composite characters who represent your target personas. Here’s an example we created.

2. A demo that tells a story

If the subject matter experts delivering your demos are telling stories about real-life use cases and problems solved, it’s not especially difficult to turn a recorded video into a professionally narrated storytelling video with simple graphics that clarify and simplify the story.

3. Make your valuable videos easy to find and navigate

If video is important to your customer’s online product research, you’ll want  make sure its value is clear in their Google search results. Here are two excellent resources for learning how to do that with key moments snippets and timestamp links.

That’s all for now.

Getting the word out

Platforms for sharing video

Even though every B2B seller (and everyone else) is producing more video content than ever, it’s easy to overlook the fact that video content doesn’t work its magic unless it’s shared.

Dedicated video sharing platforms and tools

There are lots of business-oriented platforms for sharing video, each with its own capabilities, use cases, and costs ranging from $0 to $1,000+ per month. Here’s a list of the 25 best tools to share videos online (compiled by one of companies on the list).

Under-utilized video platforms

Zoom, et. al.
By now, most businesspeople probably think video-conferencing solutions like Zoom are over-utilized. But, beyond deciding whether or not to turn on the webcam, most of us ignore these platforms’ ability to stream all kinds of content, including video. When was the last time you saw a meeting “room” energized by someone sharing a video clip? It’s easy to stand out in Zoom meeting if you’ve got a standout video clip.

Video messaging
Some subscription platforms make it easy to share “private” video messages securely. Video messaging — where you record yourself talking directly to the recipient, on-camera, off-camera, or both — is much better than email, especially if you can walking the recipient through a concept or a process in a way that they can share with colleagues. Some video messaging creation and sharing platforms (e.g. Loom, mmhmm) offer free trials to explore their tools for personalized video sharing.

That’s all for now.

The slightly new normal

Video trends in technology solution

selling in 2022

Here are three trends we anticipate will become trendier in 2022.1. Interactive video

Possibly the slowest-arriving video trend, ballyhooed for more than a decade, has been interactive video for B2B sales and marketing.

You probably haven’t given interactive video much thought at all, unless you’re involved in training. But you’ll still be doing a lot of it. After all, online interactions are interactive video, and they’re getting even more interactive with tools like chat, non-verbal feedback, polling, hand-raising, on-screen annotation, and breakout rooms.

And you’ll see them becoming even livelier as participants level up by dropping engaging video animations into online sales presentations. Nothing beats video for explaining key processes and new product features.

2. Video messaging

Video messaging is better than email, especially when you can successfully deliver an Aha moment by walking the recipient through a concept or a process with visuals.

The visuals can be diagrams, video snips, even something you draw on a white board. To make and share video message recordings takes some practice, but not a lot of technical equipment or video experience. You can leverage video creation tools built into Windows, MacOS, or online meeting software. Specialized video messaging platforms with more options for creation and sharing (e.g. Loom, mmhmm) offer free trials.

3. Search-optimized Videos

You’ve probably noticed that the top results you see in your consumer searches are apt to be videos with chapter titles and timings. Labeling B2B video content and detailing what’s in each segment can work for B2B, too.

4. Motion Graphics Trends

Envato, a big supplier of creative assets (stock video, photos, etc.) annually publishes interesting takes on creative trends. This year’s roundup of trending motion graphics styles predicts that you’ll be seeing more of these styles in 2022:

Animated Collage
Kinetic Typography
Glitch
Isometric Shapes
Retro
Grain Effects & Texture
Morphing
Liquid Motion

A cheap and easy way to share customized videos

Personalized interactive video for sales

Hello <<First Name>>

Since everyone started spending so much time participating in online meetings, these meetings have gotten much better, with collaborative and project management tools, comfy virtual rooms, whiteboards, polls, and presentation tools.

The app mmhmm has introduced a tool with features that make it easier to use video in online meetings, and to repurpose your online presentation as a customer-friendly interactive video.

• For the meeting, you have a tray of “slides” at your disposal, from which you can pick and choose on the fly.
• A “slide” can contain text, images, video clips, apps running on your phone, or other show-and-tell assets
• You can make the presentation with a teammate, sharing the same set of “slides.”
• You don’t need to “share screen.” You’re already sharing whatever you see — yourself, yourself plus a “slide.” or a “slide” full screen.
• You can share a recorded version of the entire presentation. The viewer can view the presentation just as they would a slide deck — skipping to the parts they care about.

It’s a pretty easy way to create an interactive video, and a good way to share expertise within your own organization.

Even cheaper and easier interactive video

Did you know that your videos on YouTube have transcripts that can be used to navigate in the video? Viewers can access the transcript by clicking the horizontal ellipsis icon (3-dots) to the right of the save button below the video. YouTube generates transcripts from its own auto-generated captions, or from subtitles you added yourself. Try it yourself — it’s a great convenience when you need to revisit part of a video tutorial.

Reusable and insight-rich marketing assets

Personalizing video for digital selling

Hello <<First Name>>

In a new DemandGen study, 74% of marketers agreed that personalized content is “important” for digital selling, and another 25% say it’s at least “somewhat important.” 99% agreement! What about personalized video, then?

In our niche — videos aimed at enterprise technology buyers — gimmicks like inserting the viewer’s name into a product video risks being seen as “marketing fluff.”  Still, there are ways to give videos more “personal” appeal. Here are three:

• Forget about trying to make sure the viewer “understands” your product and its benefits. Show how it impacts one significant “job to be done.” Fires put out faster. Boss impressed. User satisfaction increased.
• Provide salespeople with time-coded links to positions inside the video (like https://youtu.be/8qsDCUqxvAM?t=32) so they can alert customers to video content that addresses specific situations.
• Make your “overview” videos modular, so segments can be shared with different audiences, or sequentially.

Zoom fatigue causes and cures

What causes Zoom fatigue?

In Nonverbal Overload: A Theoretical Argument for the Causes of Zoom Fatigue Professor Jeremy Bailenson of the Stanford Virtual Human Interaction Lab suggests these stress-inducing attributes of online meetings:

• Eye gaze at a close distance. All these people are staring at me!
• Cognitive load. The mental effort of parsing a lot of talk with few nonverbal cues (gestures, body language)
• Looking at yourself all day. Viewing a reflection of yourself tends to make you more self-critical.
• Reduced mobility. People are comfortable in face-to-face meetings moving around, stretching, making notes, refilling their water glass. But walking off camera (or forgetting you’re on camera) can be problematic.

Three ways to reduce Zoom fatigue — for yourself and others

1. Use speaker view. There will be fewer people staring at you — and a less distracting view of yourself.
2. Bring an object for show-and-tell. Encourage everyone else to put you on speaker view.
3. Share a short video — a short narration-free video showing your product or service or idea in action will come as a welcome break.

That’s it for now. Stay well.

Bruce McKenzie & Lorna Pautzke