There are two important ways that B2B buyers differ from B2C consumers: They generally don’t make personal choices, and they likely will need to defend their decisions to someone up the chain. That means that what works for B2C audiences probably won’t work for B2B buyers. Instead, B2B marketers need to take a unique approach to their video marketing by showing actual customers using their products and services.
Over half of decision-makers in a recent study reported that case study videos were the most effective way to move prospects through the purchase funnel. Here are just a few reasons why they are a particularly effective marketing method for B2B companies:
Prospects Need to Defend their Decisions and Recommendations
The single biggest motivator for B2B buyers is learning how others use a product. These buyers have no interest in promotions, promises, or hypotheticals – they want to see outcomes of the product or service use. Case study videos are the perfect vehicle for assisting the buyer in justifying their purchase asks.
Action Inspires Action
Case studies present action, which provides social proof. Social proof is the principle that seeing other people take action spurs the viewer to take action. Referrals are a form of social proof, as well. With case study videos, however, your prospective buyers see the product or service in action visually, and it’s a lot easier to believe what you see with your own eyes than through word of mouth.
Video Case Studies Eliminate the Salesperson
B2B buyers are interested in information and facts, not getting hit with a hard sale pitch. Most buyers and consumers prefer to research possible purchases online rather than dealing with a sales representative in person. Written content can be useful online, but nothing compares with seeing an actual person using a product or real customers reviewing it.
Prospective Customers Can Share Video Case Studies
B2B buyers, like other consumers, discuss potential purchases on social media and enjoy bouncing ideas off their peers before making purchasing decisions. Unlike word of mouth or online reviews, it’s easy to share video case studies. Shareable videos also offer the option to not just watch but to comment, giving marketers another avenue of engaging with potential customers.
Buyers Make Decisions Unconsciously
And, a majority of those times, the decision is based on emotions. While your B2B buyer may seem very serious and rational, and they would likely not see their decisions as being unconscious or emotionally driven, the fact is that a case study video is more effective at closing sales than a PowerPoint presentation that provides all the same information. Case videos allow people to buy emotionally while justifying the purchase with logic.
Case Studies Can Be Entertaining
Goodbye to the old notion that case studies have to be boring. Case studies can incorporate humor as a part of the brand experience. They can also tell a simple story or be a heroic testimonial. One of the best things about case studies is that presented properly they can offer a satisfying challenge/solution template that connects with B2B buyers.
In conclusion, rather than considering case studies and testimonials as a dry marketing task to check off your list, approach them creatively and see them for what they are: the perfect canvas to educate, show the benefits of your product or service, and be a tool which your target buyer can use to justify their decision to purchase.
