You know that video is the most powerful medium for business-to-business marketing. Unfortunately, your C-suite isn’t so sure. You’ll need some strategic thinking to convince them to invest in B2B video. Here are five strategies that can help you secure executive buy-in for your video marketing plans.
1. Gather Evidence In Favor of B2B Video
If you’re a marketer, the value of B2B video might seem obvious to you. Keep in mind that your c-suite may not be as up-to-date on the latest marketing trends as you are. You’ll need to gather the evidence to convince them.
You might want to start with the facts. Namely, 91% of businesses use video marketing and 96% say it’s an important part of their marketing strategy.
Case studies from other B2B companies might also help. Faction boosted their home page conversions 63.9% by adding an animated video. The SaaS company, Med-Stop gained 30% more signups while reducing their average cost per sign-up. These are just two examples of how video has helped B2B businesses achieve their goals.
2. Counter Possible Objections
With the groundwork in place, you can turn your attention to the potential objections. The most common objections come down to cost and resource availability.
Objection: Making video is more expensive than drafting text.
Answer: It’s true that an explainer video can cost between $4000 and $25,000 to produce, but 92% of marketers say video gives them a good return on investment.
Objection: We don’t have anyone on the team who can make professional-quality videos.
Answer: You can partner with a live-action or animation production company with the expertise to deliver exactly what you’re looking for.
Objection: We don’t have time to make videos. Our marketing team has enough to do.
Answer: A video production company can handle everything from script writing to music selection. With the right support, video doesn’t have to be time consuming
Objection: We’re dealing with professionals, not TikTok obsessed teens. Our audience won’t take video seriously.
Answer: Video isn’t just for entertainment, 95% of B2B buyers say they prefer video over written content. Plus, LinkedIn users are 20x more likely to share a video post than other types of posts.
If you need even more proof, consider MSA. Nothing is more serious than the safety of emergency responders. When MSA wanted to promote their new and improved self-contained breathing apparatus to firefighters, they chose whiteboard animation to tell their story.
3. Demonstrate Clear Use Cases for B2B Video
Sometimes objections come from not being able to envision the process. To get executive buy-in, try to outline the major steps in the production process. If you already have an idea for your video or series, share details about:
- The story you want to tell
- Potential production costs
- Projected timeline for completion
- How you plan to use the video (including how you might repurposing it across multiple platforms)
Look back at past projects. If your organization has tried using B2B video before, start there. If not, you may want to pitch a pilot program before asking for a bigger investment.
You can also reach out to various departments in your organization to ask how video might support their goals. For example, your sales team might appreciate a video to play at trade shows.
You can think creatively here. An HR or training video could help onboard employees more quickly. Although such internal videos aren’t B2B solutions, they can help you prove the value of video in general.
4. Set Benchmark Goals
Another reason executives sometimes hesitate to try B2B video is because they don’t have a clear idea of what success would look like. Help them see potential by setting clear key performance indicators and measurable benchmarks.
As a marketer, you think in terms of audience engagement, clickthrough rates and organic traffic. Although these are all valuable metrics, they may not be as compelling for executives. Think about how you can translate B2B video metrics into terms your c-suite will understand and value.
Consider how video might support customer satisfaction, success, and retention. Does it reduce your customer acquisition cost (CAC) or increase your net promoter score? Of course, the most important metric is always return on investment, which brings us to our last tip.
5. Demonstrate the ROI of B2B Video
When factoring Return on Investment (ROI), consider all the ways B2B video can make an impact. Conversions are just one piece of the puzzle. Video can also reduce the amount of time sales teams spend converting each lead and generate brand awareness. Calculate your expected ROI so your c-suite knows what to expect.
A plan of action is backed by data-driven benchmarks, focused KPIs, and clear use cases. This will help you tell the story of how video will be successful for your organization in the long run. The B2B video experts at IdeaRocket can help you create a successful video campaign. Contact us to get started.
