Reaching B2B customers using video marketing blogs – sounds like a good idea. And to ensure the result does just that, companies should base their own vlogs on a strategy and on the target group’s expectations. This and more is discussed in this guide.
Vlog: the idea behind a video blog
The term “vlog” is a combination of the words “video” and “blog”. Vlogs were originally an electronic form of journal consisting of short films. This means they are related to blogs, which are text-based online journals.
Vlogs gained their popularity through the video platform YouTube. However, they are increasingly also shared on other social networks such as Instagram. The people behind such reports are so-called vloggers, who are the authors. They use short video clips to give an insider view into their everyday life and into topics they are thinking. The reports are at times so professional and interesting that vloggers have millions of viewers and followers. This turns successful video producers into public-appealing influencers.
The potential of a video blog for marketing
Originally launched as private video journals, vlogs today have become a tool for modern B2B marketing. This is due to the basic advantages of the format. After all, vlogs …
- are easy and fast to consume,
- have a huge multiplier function,
- can be used on many kinds of end devices, and
- are accessible at any time.
A video marketing blog is interesting for companies for the following reasons: it can be ...
- tailored flexibly to the desired target group,
- used for various purposes (e.g. internal news, product descriptions, introducing innovations, user manuals), and
- leveraged as an expansion of the marketing mix.
An own company-generated B2B vlog: what to keep in mind
Companies could work together with an established vlogger for their video marketing blog (B2B influencer marketing). Ideally, this is a respected personality in the B2B group, such as an expert or a known person who enjoys credibility among the public or in the industry in question.
But it is also possible for companies to create their own vlogs. The advantage of this is that they have more production leeway, as the presentation of the vlog is not bound to certain models or expectations. This freedom, at the same time, should be used carefully, because a video marketing blog has to match up with the company’s image.
These are some essential must-haves for a B2B blog:
- Address users in the right way: The audience has to feel entertained by the videos and gain added value from them, otherwise they will quickly click away.
- The right length: The length of the clip should depend on the content and type of presentation. Normally, however, it should not be longer than one minute. Reports with a large amount of information can be longer, but should not be tiring and offer graphics or animations to lighten it up.
- Keep SEO criteria in mind: If relevant keywords appear in the title of the vlog, the chances of gaining viewers from the target group grow. This also goes for an SEO-centric description about the video, which is preferred by search engines.
What should you consider when planning a vlog?
Here are some important tips for preparing your own B2B vlog:
- Plan strategically: Just like other marketing measures, a company vlog needs a goal. This should be clarified as early as possible. Only in this way is it possible to assess the success of a video marketing blog later on. Concrete and measureable criteria are helpful in this respect. These can be based on sales figures, on conversions or on the desired development of the reach. The target group addressed as well as the content mix should be defined at an early stage.
- Define the budget: An additional factor is the vlog’s budget. This essentially depends on the design of the vlog. For instance, reports with a protagonist who records their clips by hand with the smartphone are more affordable than productions at a professional-standard level. Which variant makes sense depends mainly on the brand’s image, on the target group’s expectations and on the form of the content.
- Write the script: Vlogs are not some kind of Hollywood blockbuster and do not have to be perfect. Small mistakes even make them particularly likeable and genuine. Despite this, it does not make sense to improvise. Instead, you should have a script which at least provides a common thread. Even better are keywords or fully formulated passages of text. At the same time, the script can describe scenes, for instance catering to and produced based on the location and its equipment, the number of protagonists, the kind of lighting or the audio recording.
- Calculate post-production work: Only in rare cases is the material recorded actually ready for sending straightaway. Which is why the final touch usually has to be added in post-production. This, too, costs time and money.
