This article will share what I think is the essential information to include in a two-minute B2B video.
Because short videos play such an important role in inbound marketing, it’s probably safe to assume that:
1) The viewer is pressed for time
2) The viewer wants to know right away “What’s in it for me?”
So, first, it’s important to define the “me” you’re talking to. This is often done with a character (“This is Mike, the CIO”). This works particularly well if the solution you’re pitching is to a problem that is subtle or overlooked. A more general way to enable a person to see himself in the picture is to indicate the common pressures and problems your solution addresses.
Watch this 2-minute explainer video to see how our client identifies with key decision makers right away:
Here’s Some More Must Have Information to Include In Your 2 Minute B2B Video
1. What’s the difference
Remember that there are other solutions (and 2 minute explainer videos about them) claiming to make these particular problems go away. So you need to put some interesting and persuasive differentiators up on the screen fast. Something the viewer hasn’t heard before.
2. Show them the money
Sometimes you can figure out a way to tell the viewer that your solution will get him promoted or put his picture on the cover of an industry magazine. More often, you need to say something about ROI, payback period, or savings of XX%.
Now as I mention in this 5 mistakes blog post, you want to be careful of promises such as “increased productivity” and “lower costs” because they are among the benefits of technology in general, and all B2B technology products I can think of promise them. You want to show specific costs being knocked down, or employees reassigned to more mission-critical work (e.g., from maintenance to develop and test) as it’s interesting and persuasive than mere talk about productivity and savings.
3. What is it like to use your product
No one has ever advertised a tech solution or piece of software as “Hard to use!” so ease-of-use claims may sound hollow. Watch the video below to see how we conveyed BMC’s Mainview Threshold Advisor was “easy to use”.
What do current users say?
Two minutes isn’t enough time to elaborate on user case studies and stories, but it’s a good idea to show logos of reference customers or testimonial quotes. New products – where there isn’t a lot of customer experience to report- become more interesting and credible if you provide results from trials, proofs-of-concept or third-party information.
Other benefits
We like to repeat (or expand) the benefits enumerated in the first two minutes at the end of the video — sort of like the credit roll at the end of a movie.
Call to action
Download a demo. Free consultation. Read this white paper. And so forth. Your 2 minute explainer B2B Content Marketing Video is to get people interested. Now, you need them to move further into your sales funnel so you can build a relationship with then – and get the sale.
