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Video marketing is on the rise, and for good reason; videos have been shown to capture attention more effectively than plain text or static pictures, and videos are shared more than any other type of content on social media. Today, 61% of content marketers are putting videos into play to keep up with the competition and establish their brands as cutting-edge thought leaders. If you haven’t yet made use of video in your content marketing campaigns, it’s time to get going. Or, if you’re already utilizing video, it may be time to kick it up a notch and different video types to increase sales.
With solid production value and engaging content, your video will position you as a knowledgeable, current, and trustworthy brand. Below, we’ve outlined tips energy experts should keep in mind when using videos in their marketing campaigns.
How Energy Service Companies Use Video Marketing Campaigns To Engage B2B Buyers
1. Keep The Videos Short And Sweet
Videos today can be as long as a full-length 30-minute episode or a few minutes, but the optimal length to engage most B2B buyers is around 1-2 minutes.
Get to the heart of your content within the first few seconds. Then keep moving through the message to draw in and captivate your audience. You’ll lose a good portion of viewers within 10 seconds no matter what you do, but you can hold onto the rest with a strong hook by offering an engaging teaser or compelling question that can work well here. Generally, you have about 30 seconds to get viewers to engage.
Also, make sure your video jives with all social media platforms you intend to use. For instance, Twitter allows for videos up to 2 minutes and 20 seconds long, while Instagram allows for a full minute. Make copies of your original, long video into shorter lengths so they are optimized for social media (remember, social media marketing increases your reach!)
2. Be A Storyteller, Not A Salesperson
What types of commercials stick with people? The ones that tell a story — whether they’re humorous or emotional. It’s within the framework of that story that a message is delivered and a product sold. It’s no secret that people respond emotionally to movies with victorious heroes or lovable characters overcoming challenges. Neurochemicals get involved when watching these kinds of stories, making viewers feel more charitable, emotional, and generous. The same emotions apply to B2B marketing and videos.
Package your message in some kind of subtle story, whether you relay how your machine helps small companies save thousands or how your safety protocol saves lives. This will be much more effective than an old-school sales pitch. (But don’t overdo it. Users can tell when they’re being manipulated.)
Make a lasting impression that sets you apart from competitors. If your video is engaging and directly useful, people may watch it repeatedly and may even share it with their industry circle.
Some ways energy companies have been using videos are:
- To showcase a complex product
- To tour their shop floor and field trip
- To highlight their company history
Watch Now: https://youtu.be/sn2butjuHJ8
3. Use Keywords In Your Title
Choosing the right title for your video is more important than you might think. Many companies make the mistake of keyword-stuffing the title of their videos, hoping the video will come up in as many search results as possible. This, however, will not drive qualified leads. The best and most effective title is the most accurate one.
After you upload your video, be sure to include an optimized and descriptive title. You could start by just removing the file extension from your already file name or you could mix it up. Just be sure to accurately describe the video and its contents.
Title with optimization: How a heat exchanger is made
Title without optimization: Heat exchanger video_version 2.mp4
How-A-Heat-Exchanger-Is-Made is also not an optimized title. It can be easy to leave the title as is when uploading the video to YouTube, but don’t let it be an oversight. Ensure it’s the same clear title across all your channels wherever you upload the video (keep reading for more info about other channels you should be sharing your videos on). Using clear keywords in your video titles is also a part of search engine optimization (SEO) and will help buyers find your video in search results more easily.
4. Consider Using On-Screen Text
Lots of videos are watched without sound — as many as 85% on LinkedIn, in fact. People who are in the middle of their commute, working while surrounded by others, or simply winding down at night often just watch videos for the images.
For videos uploaded directly to LinkedIn, we strongly suggest “baking in” the subtitles in the video.
As compelling as your story may be, without some text on the screen, you may risk the majority of your audience missing the point of your video. Just do so creatively, and keep in mind that most people hear your message with their eyes only. This is a bit more of an advanced move and is best if your energy company partners with a video production company or marketing pro in-house that can take the time to edit videos and text.
5. Be Detailed In Your Video Description
The next key to video tweaking is creating the right description. Doing this step well can make your video an engine to drive qualified and interested viewers to your website — yes, that means lead generation! In addition to giving a brief overview of the video, your video’s description should include:
- Your website’s URL
- A description of your video’s content
- A description of your product or service
- Your video’s keywords throughout
YouTube is the second largest search engine today, so yes, like we’ve mentioned before, using keywords in your video description contributes to SEO and can bring qualified traffic to your website.
6. Use Category Tags
The tags you choose for your video will directly affect where you show up in a search. The same care used in keyword selection should be used in tag selection. Your first tag should be as precise as possible and secondary tags should get gradually broader. For instance, start with your business name, expand to what you do, then describe your industry, the parent industry, and finally to the broadest classification (such as “energy services”).
Using long-tail keywords and phrases is a great way to increase your chances of appearing in YouTube search results. Think of all the different words that a user may type into the search bar to find your video.
7. Be Strategic About Adding Cards
YouTube offers the valuable feature of adding cards to your videos. YouTube’s Cards Editor lets you place videos/playlists, channels, polls and links over your video. Cards are a useful tool of video production that allows you to hold a dialog with your viewers and achieve a higher level of engagement. However, they must be used sparingly, when it flows with the video lest they distract from your message and turn viewers away.
Cards should not be overly invasive and definitely should not dominate the video. They should be contextually relevant, giving answers and value to the viewer. They should also not be overly promotional, as this is seen as spam.
8. End Your Videos With A Call-To-Action
As much as we stress that you shouldn’t be too “salesy” in your video, the whole thing is kind of pointless if you don’t ask viewers to do something after watching. You still have to let your audience know that you’re open for business and that your services or products can help them. Include a related call-to-action (CTA) that can benefit both the viewer and your brand. Otherwise, you have a shiny new video that doesn’t achieve its potential.
So, in the last few seconds of your video (or even somewhere in the middle if you can add it smoothly), urge your users to take the next step — whether it’s filling out a form to download valuable content or reaching out to your team for a consultation — and give them all the information necessary to do so. You can add CTAs with basic text on screen, annotations, or combine all of the above with text and an image. Just make sure the design you choose is aesthetically pleasing and is appropriate to your brand colors.
9. Share Your Videos On All Your Marketing Channels
Engage in a promotions strategy to expand your reach and look beyond your usual channels to achieve lead generation. Here are the marketing channels we recommend for videos:
- Social media: Sharing your videos on your social media networks will increase your digital presence and your likelihood of reaching more relevant buyers.
- Different video hosting websites: There are other websites you can use to host and publish your videos, separately from YouTube. Although YouTube is the largest and most popular, consider Vimeo or LinkedIn.
- Email marketing: Send an email to your customers and prospects about your new video. If you mention “video” in your email subject line, you’re statistically likely to get an increase in open rate.
- Your own website: Embed your videos on your blog, product/service pages, landing pages — it’s where you ultimately want potential buyers to go after viewing your video content. Make sure you have forms, a current phone number, and an active email address you’re monitoring for visitors to contact you.
In the example above, Tex Tech uses a video on it’s About Us page to describe its ISO-certified solutions. Videos on website pages help visitors stay on your website longer and increase your chance of converting them to a lead.
Energy & Industrial service companies who include videos on their EnergyNow Content Posts are proven to get more leads and inquiries. And those who sign up for an advertising program or content marketing package can get a Video Produced for FREE like the one below.
Bits, Bytes and Barrels: https://youtu.be/Xi4Od0KABQ8
Climeon: https://youtu.be/sn2butjuHJ8
University of Calgary (Haskayne School of Business): https://youtu.be/arUNta-sN0w
Contact your Sales Representative or send us an email at advertise@energynow.com for more information.
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