There are still two important ways, however, that B2B buyers differ from consumers: They aren't making personal decisions, and they'll probably need to defend their choices. In a recent study of 600 B2B decision-makers, 55 percent said case studies are the best way to move prospects down the purchase funnel. Here’s why video case studies are a particularly effective vehicle for B2B marketing: Prospects need something to show their bosses. Case studies provide social proof. Research shows video and images bolster social proof. According to Forrester, a research and advisory firm, some 59 percent of buyers prefer to conduct their research online instead of interacting with a sales rep and enduring a pitch. While written content can help buyers do their research, there’s nothing like seeing the product in action or hearing from real customers. As the old adage says, people buy emotionally and then justify their decision with logic. B2B customers wouldn't look back on those decisions as being emotionally driven. This video shows the emotional connection between a worker in the field and his chainsaw.
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Recently, business-to-business (B2B) buyers have begun to resemble consumers when it comes to watching videos.
- According to Google, 70 percent of B2B customers watch videos on their path to purchase.
- The Content Marketing Institute reports that in 2015, 76 percent of companies said they used some form of B2B video.
- LinkedIn’s 2017 decision to allow video uploads to its news feed was another boon for video as a B2B marketing tool.
There are still two important ways, however, that B2B buyers differ from consumers: They aren’t making personal decisions, and they’ll probably need to defend their choices. As a result, they must view advertising a bit differently. That means you need to take a very unique approach to video marketing, showing real customers using products or services. In a recent study of 600 B2B decision-makers, 55 percent said case studies are the best way to move prospects down the purchase funnel.
Here’s why video case studies are a particularly effective vehicle for B2B marketing:
Prospects need something to show their bosses.
Frank V. Cespedes, a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, reviewed 34 million customer/content interactions online. He discovered B2B buyers’ single biggest motivator: learning how others are using a product. These buyers aren’t interested in hypotheticals or promises. They want to see outcomes — attributes you can put on display in a case-study video. B2B buyers need something to justify the purchase when they make the ask of their superiors. This gets to the heart of persuading a B2B buyer. It trumps ideas about disruption or category leadership.
Case studies provide social proof.
Social proof rests on the principle that people are more likely to take action when…
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