With the rapid shift towards digital marketing, businesses need to explore new ways to connect with prospects and clients online. Video marketing has become increasingly popular in recent years, allowing brands to create engaging and compelling content to showcase their products or services. While long-form video content has been the norm in B2B marketing, the rise of short-form video has made it essential for B2B brands. So, what exactly is short-form video and how can it help drive business growth?
What is short-form video?
Short-form video is exactly that—short video clips that are easy to consume, digest, and share. There’s no official length for short-form videos but according to Sprout Social, they’re typically between three seconds and one minute long. Think TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, among other platforms. These bite-size videos are not only a powerful marketing tool for B2B marketers, they’re also simple to create and easy to repurpose.
What are the benefits?
Attention-Grabbing Content
Attention spans are getting shorter, so you need to grab your audience’s attention quickly. Short-form videos are a great way to pique a viewer’s interest in an engaging way. They’re also more shareable and can help your brand reach a wider audience. When executed properly, these videos have the potential to create a buzz around your brand, increasing brand awareness and driving traffic to your website.
Enhanced Brand Storytelling
Short-form videos can help B2B businesses showcase their brand and its unique value in interesting and engaging ways. In just a few seconds, brands can tell their story and stand out from competitors. The use of animation, graphics, and music can create a memorable and impactful brand message. Short-form videos can be used to share testimonials, tidbits of case studies, or even short educational tips from subject matter experts. It also provides businesses with an opportunity to showcase their products or services in action, promoting the benefits and value they bring to clients.
Cost-Effective Marketing
Long-form video content can be an expensive and time-consuming process. Short-form videos, on the other hand, are relatively quick and inexpensive to create. With the rise of social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels, businesses can create content directly from their smartphones. Short-form video content also requires less scripting, planning, and editing, making it an accessible option for companies of all sizes.
Increased Engagement Rates
Short-form video content has the potential to drive engagement rates for brands. Videos less than 30 seconds long are more likely to be watched in their entirety, meaning viewers are more likely to engage with the content. Studies have also shown that videos that evoke emotions are more likely to be shared, increasing brand reach and visibility. According to a LinkedIn study, B2B strategies that appeal to emotions are seven times more effective for revenue generation than “rational messaging.”
Improved SEO
Short-form videos can also help boost a business’ search engine optimization (SEO). Video content is favored by search engines, and by embedding short-form videos on your website, you can increase the time visitors spend on your website. This, in turn, can improve your search rankings, making it easier for potential customers to find your brand. In addition, sharing short-form videos on social platforms will help drive traffic back to your site, giving it better rankings and more authority.
In conclusion, the rise of short-form video has made it essential for B2B brands to embrace this trend in their marketing strategy. Short-form video content is cost-effective, increases engagement rates, and enhances brand storytelling, all while improving SEO. By creating attention-grabbing videos that tell your brand story and showcase your products or services, you can increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, and ultimately drive business growth.
