How to use the Right Videos for each Stage of your Marketing Funnel and Why?
It is almost official; video is the world’s most popular B2B SaaS marketing tool. Traditional advertising media such as Television, radio, billboards, and newspapers are fast losing steam, owing to factors such as reduced human attention spans, and shrinking subscriber bases.
“In contrast, B2B SaaS video marketing is growing as it is cost-effective and measurable.”
What does the future hold for videos as a B2B SaaS marketing tool? Should you hop on the video bandwagon or should you remain loyal to the good old modes of advertising?
Consider the following points:
Understanding video marketing trends is vital for a business to devise its marketing strategy. To stay on top of trends and not miss a trick, follow social media and thought leaders.
“To create a successful video strategy, understand B2B SaaS video marketing statistics and through it, the latest trends.”
Video marketing statistics are important because numbers don’t lie. They are, therefore, a reliable indicator of future and current B2B SaaS video marketing trends.
Moreover, a video strategy based on B2B SaaS numbers and statistics is more reliable than one that depends on conjecture.
It is clear from available data that B2B SaaS businesses need to have a clear video strategy to spread the word about the brand, attract people to their businesses, and boost customer engagement. Their survival depends on making statistics-based business decisions.
| Sr. No. | Benefits |
|---|---|
| 1 | They help with lead generation and keep the cash register ringing, especially for SaaS start-ups |
| 2 | They help with better customer engagement and answer their questions about the product |
| 3 | They maximize a brand's social media exposure because they can reach more people |
| 4 | They cut down reliance on cold calls. Using video sales letters is easier to generate leads |
| 5 | They build brand awareness and improve brand recall value |
| 6 | They build customer trust, leading to repeat customers and advocacy |
| 7 | They are favored by Google, so make sure they are optimized for search (SEO) |
| 8 | They are mobile-friendly, so their reach is vast |
| 9 | They can be used to train both customers and customer service reps |
| 10 | They can be created to serve every task and purpose |
| 11 | They can be hosted on a variety of platforms for wide reach |
| 12 | They are measurable and provide the best marketing ROI |
Content Beta created this video for BridgeUp, which helps financial institutions in India to invest in an asset with fixed income returns.
There are a dozen factors that should be taken into consideration when creating their video marketing strategy. Let us examine them one at a time:
When it comes to lead generation, B2B SaaS companies have a tough act to follow. Their offerings are complex, and customers are often wary of what they don’t understand.
Can videos help? Let us look at some statistics:
| 1 | Forbes | Customers say they make buying decisions based on video in 90% of cases |
| 2 | Forbes | Sixty-four percent of customers say watching a video makes them more likely to purchase |
| 3 | ImpactPlus | A landing page video can increase conversion by as much as 86% |
Takeaway:
For SaaS start-ups, finding capital in the initial stages—or to run daily operations later—is a big challenge. Therefore, having an effective lead generation strategy that can help reach out to potential customers and then convert them into paying customers is vital.
“Lead generation helps start-ups and established businesses to generate funds.”
As statistics reveal, software companies can use B2B SaaS video marketing to:
| 1 | dca | Video is 12x more successful than other types of content. In fact, it generates higher engagement rates than both text and image content combined. |
| 2 | Mention | Video content on Instagram generates the highest engagement rate. |
| 3 | Buffer | A Buffer study found that videos command 59% more engagement than other post types. |
Takeaway:
The customer experience is a key metric that B2B SaaS businesses should pay attention to because engaging with customers online has become just as important, if not more so, as engaging them with in-store shopping.
This is because many shoppers now research online and may buy online or buy in person, meaning that it becomes imperative for businesses to know how to engage customers both online and offline.
“Modern consumers prefer to have their queries answered by product or service sellers before they buy from them.”
That being the case, B2B SaaS companies can use a product demo video like this one created by Content Beta for agentzAi to educate customers.
The effectiveness of video on social media depends on whom you are targeting and how they consume content.
| 1 | Dreamglow | Visual content tends to get shared 40 times more than text content |
| 2 | Dreamglow | An average user spends close to two-and-half hours daily on social media every day |
| 3 | 100 million hours of video content is watched daily |
Takeaway:
The rise of video content on social media is a huge opportunity for marketers and brands, as platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have invested heavily in video. The marketing potential of video on social media seems obvious as revealed by the following benefits:
Ever taken a cold call? They are what marketing nightmares are made of. Any marketing guy would be hard-pressed to enjoy the daily quota of these calls.
To make matters worse, consumers are getting more and more annoyed by cold calls. The statistics show that approximately 90% of consumers will hang up within the first 30 seconds of a telephone sales call.
| 1 | Hiya | Ninety-two per cent of consumers think unidentified calls are fraudulent. |
| 2 | Hiya | Unidentified calls go unanswered 79% of the time. |
| 3 | CallHippo | Over 30% of leads do not receive a follow-up call after being contacted. |
So, how do you get someone to pick up their phone?
Now there is an alternative to cold calls.
One place where video can shine is in cold calling. Video can convince people to do business with you using or check out using a quick video, or a longer video explaining your SaaS and why it is a good fit for their business.
When you cold call someone, the person on the other end of the phone cannot see you. That is a major handicap for marketers and salespeople as prospects cannot see a human face, which instantly puts them on their guard.
Here is an example of how to generate more leads with video selling.
Takeaway:
When you cold call your leads, you often wonder if the person you are talking to actually wants to talk. In addition, you have to figure out the best way to talk to prospects over the phone because you get only a solitary chance to make an impression.
Instead, sending an email with a product demo video can do a far better job.
Video is a hot marketing channel right now, with nearly every B2B SaaS company utilizing it in some way. In fact, video marketing is so prevalent that it’s been dubbed “the new SEO,” and companies like Cisco and IBM are investing heavily in video marketing.
Video marketing has emerged as a powerful branding tool that helps:
| 1 | Biteable | Marketers report that video helps them increase awareness by 53% |
| 2 | Hubspot | 85% of consumers want brands to create more video content |
| 3 | Hubspot | Marketing professionals say video has helped users better understand their products and services in 97% of cases |
Takeaway:
Nowadays, there are so many SaaS and software products competing for our attention. For brands to stand out in an increasingly competitive field, they need to stay relevant.
One way the software-as-a-service companies can do this is by using engaging and informative videos as part of their B2B SaaS video marketing strategy.
Here is a product demo video created by Content Beta for Remind Tutoring. It explains how parents can enrol their children in an online math tutoring class.
More businesses than ever are using video to market their businesses. Video marketing helps businesses build a more authentic connection with their consumers which leads to trust-building.
People tend to trust visual media more than plain text or audio. This offers an excellent opportunity for SaaS companies to use story-based video ads to build trust.
A story-based approach has a greater chance of resonating with the audience than a brochure, PDF, or even a long-drawn product video.
| 1 | Accenture | 62% of consumers want to do business with companies that exhibit ethical values and authenticity |
| 2 | Porter-Novelli | 77% of consumers feel that businesses have to make decisions that benefit the community |
| 3 | Conecomm | 66% of consumers are willing to switch brands to support ethical companies |
Takeaway:
The best part of using videos is they allow you to connect with your audience, show the human side of your business, and express your brand personality and business values.
Furthermore, research shows people tend to identify with the information presented to them in the visual format.
A well-made video can, in fact, get the viewers to visit your website with an intention to learn more about your brand and maybe, even buy your product.
B2B SaaS Video marketing is an effective way to increase your brand visibility, since the video can convey information quickly and engagingly.
This has the potential to increase traffic, leads, and sales for your business. Video content can also drive traffic on social media platforms, which means more eyes will see your brand.
One way to do this is using search engine optimization (SEO).
SEO is the process of improving the visibility of a website or web page in search engine results pages (SERPs) by increasing the number and quality of backlinks to the site.
| 1 | ThinkWithGoogle | 55% of shoppers use online videos while shopping in-store |
| 2 | ThinkWithGoogle | 50% of shoppers say they rely on online video to decide which specific brand or product to buy |
| 3 | ThinkWithGoogle | The videos appear in 62% of Google universal searches |
Takeaway:
SEO can help increase brand visibility for a business by optimizing its web pages to rank higher in search engine results pages, thereby boosting the company’s online presence and expanding its customer base.
In addition, the Google algorithm favors videos over text content because videos are regarded as high-quality content.
The mobile era has not only changed the way people communicate and share content but also how they consume content.
Videos are the most shared content on social media, and they can be watched on any device. They also have the highest conversion rates of any form of digital marketing.
Video marketing is a great way to break through the noise and get your message out there. It is also an excellent way to keep customers engaged with your brand, which means more business in the long run.
| 1 | cnet | Mobile devices account for 57% of global video viewing |
| 2 | Your video ad is 1.5 times more likely to be watched using their smartphones | |
| 3 | Marketingland | 61% of all social media users use the platforms using smartphones |
Takeaway:
Mobile-centric video marketing strategy can help you reach your target audience on their preferred medium.
It helps you build an emotional connection with them by giving them what they want—short, entertaining videos that are easily accessible on their mobile device.
Video-based training is a new trend in the corporate world. More and more companies are moving their training to video-based training.
This way, they not only save time and money but also provide a better customer experience.
The advantage of video-based training is that:
| 1 | Techsmith | 83% of respondents prefer videos to access information or instructional content |
| 2 | eLearning Industry | 74% of trainers from the 2000 companies surveyed said they use videos for training |
| 3 | WyzOwl | 97% of people think video is a great tool to welcome and educate new customers |
Takeaway:
Video-based training can help SaaS customers and employees learn faster and more effectively. Software as a Service (SaaS) companies will find videos useful for customer onboarding, customer success, and product training as well as for internal training:
To create an effective B2B SaaS video marketing strategy and get the best ROI for their marketing campaigns, companies need to know what type of videos to create at different stages of the marketing funnel.
| Video Type | Why they are useful for |
|---|---|
| Product demo | Successful product launches |
| Product marketing | Impressing your customers and prospects |
| Customer onboarding | Being head & shoulders above your competition |
| Customer support | Winning your customers’ heart |
| How-to/Explainer | Demystifying your product |
| Case studies | Celebrating your customer success stories |
| Remote customer testimonials | Showcasing your brand with help from satisfied customers |
| Docs-to-video | Hitching on the video bandwagon using old material |
They also need to study which platform is best suited to distribute their video. And here is the statistics that shows YouTube’s merits as a popular platform:
| 1 | ThinkWithGoogle | 90% of people watch YouTube to discover new brands and products |
| 2 | ThinkWithGoogle | YouTube users are three times more likely to watch a tutorial than to read instructions |
| 3 | Alexa | YouTube users spend 17 minutes 31 seconds on average each day |
Takeaway:
B2B SaaS companies are spoilt for choice when it comes to creating marketing videos. Let us look at what makes videos a powerful ally in their marketing efforts. Videos offer the following advantages:
| Multi-platform usability | cost-effective | Convert 10x better | Improve Brand-awareness |
| Educational & training tools | Traffic drivers to landing pages | Engage and entertain better | Enhance brand awareness |
| Increase click-through rate | Improve conversion rates | Increase customer retention | Build trust |
| Shareable | Fun, catchy, and engaging | Creative, appealing, and attention-grabbing | Better recall value |
Should B2B SaaS companies hire a video production agency?
You could hit the ground running if you hire a reputable video production house to meet your content needs. Content Beta creates SaaS videos for some of the top SaaS companies in the world.
Of course, you could choose to produce videos in-house or hire freelancers.
When it comes to choosing a video hosting platform, let us understand that not all video platforms are created equal. Some will cater to one specific type of user, while other platforms support businesses of all types.
Before you sign up, make sure that it caters to your business goals. YouTube, for instance, not only commands a massive audience but features like the analytics that makes the platform a good choice for hosting your video.
| 1 | Backlinko | The first page of Google's search results contains 68.2% HD videos |
| 2 | Alexa | The average time spent by visitors per day on YouTube is 11 minutes and 24 seconds |
| 3 | DataReporta | Almost 80% of internet users have a YouTube account |
Takeaway:
If you run a B2B SaaS business, knowing which video hosting platform to use is crucially important. The right platform can help your business reach new customers, boost conversions, and increase revenue.
The big three of video marketing are video views, video likes, and video shares. But video views are not the most important number in video analytics by any stretch of the imagination. After all, watching a video and doing nothing about it does not mean much.
| 1 | Aimclear | Click through rates (CTRs) for video search results are 41% higher than text-based results |
| 2 | Wordtracker | Video adds two minutes to the average time users spend on your site. |
| 3 | Searchenginepeople | Blog posts featuring videos attract 157% higher search traffic than those without |
Video analytics measures things like the number of viewers, how long viewers stayed in your video, what viewers did after watching your video, and other performance metrics.
It can help you understand what is working and what is not in your videos:
| Sr. No. | Metrics | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Play rate | Measures the playback rate of your video. A higher video play rate means that people are watching more of your video. |
| 2 | Completion rate | The percentage of the video that is watched, which provides insight into which parts of their video are driving the most engagement. |
| 3 | Click-through-rate | A video ad with a high CTR shows the ad is relevant, engaging, and attention-grabbing. |
| 4 | Conversion rate | It is the percentage of visitors to a particular web page, who complete a desired action including purchasing a product, signing up for a free trial, or opting for a higher-tier service. |
| 5 | Shares | This is free publicity for your content as viewers do the hard work. Your job is to make the video so good that it becomes shareable. |
| 6 | Comments | Good comments help but addressing negative comments can go a long way in showing your commitment. |
| 7 | Bounce rate | It shows how many people leave a web page almost instantly. A focused landing page with a clear call-to-action can improve bounce rates. |
Takeaway:
When you create a video, your goal may be to create compelling content, or you may want to ensure it gets shared on social media. However, just creating one video may not be enough.
To boost engagement and increase your brand awareness, you must also track how your video is performing and pay close attention to your analytics.
Before we wrap up this edition, let us look at some best practices to follow when companies devise their B2B SaaS video marketing strategy:
That’s it! We have covered the most important B2B SaaS video marketing strategies with the help of the supporting statistics.
In our future editions, we will try to cover more strategies that can help your B2B SaaS business to stand out in a highly competitive field.
B2B SaaS companies are just like regular SaaS companies, except their customers are usually other businesses rather than consumers.
Like regular SaaS companies, B2B SaaS companies sell software subscriptions, but the difference is that B2B SaaS companies sell software licenses to other businesses.
A company’s marketing strategy describes how it is going to achieve its business objectives. If B2B SaaS businesses want to use video to achieve their marketing goals, they need to have a video marketing strategy in place.
A video featuring satisfied customers vouching for the products and services can do wonders for the brand value of a B2B SaaS company. Furthermore, testimonials can be shared on social media and also embedded on the home page of the company’s website.
The best way to create an effective video marketing strategy is by producing engaging, useful, and shareable video content. The second step is to decide on the KPIs that will determine the success of the marketing campaigns. Last but not least, monitoring the campaigns and course-correcting regularly is recommended.
