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To Better Engage Marketing-Weary Buyers, Add Video And Interactive Content To Your Mix

As in-person events stay off the table for the rest of the year and social distancing policies remain in effect, marketers are adjusting their mix of materials to more effectively engage B2B buyers. In its 2020 State Of Video & Interactive Content, CMR’s sister publication, Demand Gen Report (DGR), takes a close look at how companies are expanding their marketing mix with an eye on the millennial B2B buyer in particular.

“Buyers have always been overwhelmed by ads, campaigns and content — and that is being amplified. For marketers, that means we have to be more creative, more thoughtful and more pointed in the execution of our content experiences,” notes Alicia Esposito, Senior Content Strategist with Content4Demand, a B2B content marketing strategy and creative agency. “Luckily, video and interactive content both lend themselves very well to creative storytelling—even some risk taking.”

Video and interactive content have clearly become popular formats to engage buyers. Pointing to research by DGR, the report notes that:

  • 47% of Millennial buyers prefer webinars and video content;
  • 65% of B2B buyers have engaged with videos during their buying process; and
  • 34% prefer more interactive content.

Traditional forms of marketer and buyer communication is non-verbal, leading to an impersonal relationship that may have or will fall apart, suggested Karthi Mariappan, CEO & Co-founder of HippoVideo, a video personalization and distribution platform.  However, by interacting with buyers through digital content and videos, B2B organizations are better positioned to empathize with prospects, understand how to engage them and build stronger personal relationships.

The report emphasizes that video and interactive content creation doesn’t have to be complex or sophisticated. Matt Heinz, Founder and President of Heinz Marketing, a B2B marketing and sales acceleration firm, suggested that simply creating a casual video that’s easily approachable can be a more effective marketing tactic than big-budget productions. “Some of the best videos in the market today are casual — and approachable,” said Heinz. “Some of the best LinkedIn Live sessions I’ve seen are just people who turn on their camera and have interesting things to say. I think it’s more important to have the content be useful and precise for that audience.”

This report provides specific insights and tactics modern marketers are employing in their video and interactive content marketing efforts, including:

  • How providing buyers with choices increases video and interactive content engagement;
  • The importance of personalizing your content for demand gen and ABM strategies;
  • The impact of simplified video and interactive content; and
  • Trending video and interactive content formats.

Access the report to learn more.

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