If you don’t have a B2B video marketing strategy, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table.
It’s a bold claim, but the evidence is becoming harder to ignore. Although video has taken over in B2C marketing, too many people in the B2B space still relegate video to the “nice-to-have” category. But this thinking can cost you more than you realize.
Video has moved from optional to essential for B2B marketing success.
We recently chatted with Laura Wilkinson, Director of Brand at Vidyard (a video messaging and asynchronous communications platform) on our Best Story Wins podcast. In our conversation, she shared how there’s a widening gap between companies that connect with their buyers and those that don’t. Video can play a huge role in creating those connections, and the savviest B2B companies are using it to their advantage, in both marketing and sales, in more ways than you realize.
Why You Need a B2B Video Marketing Strategy
If you’re still on the fence about video, these are the biggest takeaways from our conversation with Wilkinson.
1) The data proves video’s dominance.
Video is hotter than ever. Wilkinson says that TikTok hit a billion users in almost half the time it took Insta, Facebook, and YouTube to hit the same milestone. That means people’s appetite for video is more insatiable than ever. It’s simply the content format that people increasingly prefer.
But if you think TikTok is a fluke for dancing teens, consider this:
“The world’s largest search engine is Google. Do you want to take a guess at what the second-largest search engine is? YouTube,” Wilkinson says. “And YouTube sees 6 billion searches a day.”
Nowadays, video is how people discover, evaluate, and engage with information—even during the B2B buying journey. It’s time to take advantage of that.
2) Video creates a stronger neurological connection.
Beyond its prevalence and popularity, video is a particularly powerful medium because it taps into how our brains are wired to connect with others.
“Our CEO Mike, he loves to talk about the fusiform face area,” Wilkinson says. “It’s a part of our brain that is hardwired to respond to other human faces.” When you see a human face on screen, you create an immediate emotional connection that text alone simply can’t match. (This is also why visual cues on screen can elicit strong emotions. Think about your response when you see a jump scare in a horror film.)
Now that B2B marketing is increasingly shifting toward more human, B2C-like approaches, incorporating video into your marketing mix can help you cut through the noise and engage your audience in more meaningful ways.
Think about it. Would you rather read a lengthy email from a potential vendor or watch a personalized video from a real person explaining how they can solve your problem? With a solid B2B video marketing strategy, you can create more opportunities for human-to-human engagement and create a better buyer experience.
3) AI-powered video makes it easier than ever.
The barriers to creating great video are rapidly disappearing thanks to AI tools. Platforms like Vidyard allow sales and marketing teams to create customized videos without the traditional time constraints.
“One of our most exciting product features is AI avatars,” Wilkinson says. “You record a 90-second training video of yourself, you feed it into our platform, and the model spits out a digital avatar that looks and sounds exactly like you.”
This technology allows for more personalization, which drastically enhances the buyer experience.
4) There are more ways to use video than you realize.
When you think of a B2B video marketing strategy, most people think of the traditional explainer video. But we’re in a new era with more opportunities to incorporate it throughout the buyer journey, including:
- Personalized outreach: Sales reps send customized video messages addressing specific prospect pain points—at scale.
- Post-demo follow-up: Instead of standard email templates, prospects receive personalized video summaries highlighting how the solution addresses their unique challenges.
- Product updates: When new features launch, customers receive tailored video alerts explaining the value based on their specific use case.
- Customer success check-ins: Regular video check-ins from customer success managers create stronger relationships than text-based communications.
- Executive messaging: C-suite messages delivered via personalized video can garner higher engagement than traditional formats.
Wilkinson also notes that sales teams who start to use video in sales see a distinct hockey stick growth in their performance. This is because video can help you stand out in crowded inboxes, build trust, break down complex ideas, and create more memorable experiences.
How to Build Your Own Video Strategy
As we look ahead, the question isn’t whether video will become central to B2B marketing and sales, it’s which companies will adapt quickly enough to maintain competitive advantage. To revamp your video strategy:
- Audit your current customer journey. Identify high-value touchpoints where video could create stronger connections.
- Start small with sales outreach videos. Have your team experiment with personalized video messages for high-priority prospects.
- Invest in the right tools. These can make video creation accessible to non-technical team members.
- Measure the impact. Track things like engagement rates, response rates, and ultimately, closed deals.
Even if you can’t launch a massive video strategy to start, experiment with smaller videos at key points. And remember that the future of B2B marketing isn’t just about creating content, it’s about being able to repeatedly create connections.
If you want to hear more insights about how video is transforming B2B marketing, listen to our full conversation with Laura Wilkinson on the Best Story Wins podcast.
