5 B2B video marketing trends to stay ahead of the competition

Every marketer knows that video marketing is now content marketing king and should be part of any company’s marketing strategy. When done well, using video to convey your company messaging engages your audience, increases quality traffic to your website, sends clear and concise messages, and gives a fantastic return on investment. But just like any form of marketing, trends come and go, and if you don’t stay ahead of the curve, the impact of your video marketing can plateau or, even worse, get drowned out by your competition. 

But there’s no need to stress – we’ve rounded up the latest B2B video marketing trends so you can stay one step ahead of your competition, meet your targets, and win new business authentically and creatively. 

Our Business customers can also access data-driven insights, industry knowledge, and advanced curation services from their own dedicated Account Manager. 

Trend 1: live video

The live video trend truly skyrocketed during lockdown. Going live adds a human touch to digital messaging and can bring a project’s sentiment to life. Recently, businesses of all shapes and sizes have incorporated live video into their video marketing strategy to better connect with consumers and work with influencers to promote their products. 

But don’t take our word for it – studies show that consumers engage with live content much more than pre-recorded videos. Users watch videos for 3x longer if it’s live, and a live video generates up to 6x more interactions. There are scores of platforms out there to host your live video marketing strategy, but some capture more eyeballs than others. Instagram Live, Facebook Live, Twitch, TikTok Live, and YouTube Live are amongst the most seamless and popular live stream platforms, with billions of users between them. But there are many different options to suit your various needs, so do some research to find out what fits your video marketing strategy best. 

And stay up to date – going live is the ultimate B2B content marketing trend for 2023, and there’ll be much more to come from this format in the future.

Trend 2: virtual events

In B2B markets, industry events are our bread and butter. There’s no better way to connect with potential clients, learn about each other’s services, and share knowledge and expertise within the industry. But in our increasingly globalized and digitized world, it’s not always feasible to travel to an event location. So virtual events aren’t just a fantastic way to make connections remotely, they’re also a smart way to produce evergreen video content for your brand.

Let’s set the scene. You’ve organized a virtual event with a prestigious guest speaker from your industry. You can stream the event live, generating tons of engagement and reach (see above). Then after the event, you can share the event recap or use snippets of the event in your other marketing channels. You’ll build a community around your event, create brand awareness and make connections with prospective clients as you do it. Plus, you’ll establish yourselves as thought leaders in your industry.

Trend 3: search-optimized videos

Over 90% of B2B customers consume videos online — most of the time, they research products or services. That means you must start treating YouTube and Vimeo like search engines, just as we do with Google. Ensuring your B2B marketing videos are optimized is crucial to maximizing impact, so integrating this into your B2B video marketing strategy needs to happen, like, yesterday. But it’s not as complicated as it sounds. 

There are three golden rules when optimizing your video for search:

1.  Self-host your video on a professional platform like YouTube or Vimeo
2.  Build a video sitemap that lets Google know your site is the official home of your video
3. Use tags, titles, and descriptions with SEO keywords to drive traffic and link to your website to convert views into sales

For further guidance on optimizing your videos, check out our Complete YouTube SEO Guide. 

Trend 4: behind the scenes

It’s fair to say the buzzword for any business today is authenticity. Gone are the days when we’d lust over an influencer’s picture-perfect life – we want to see what’s really going on. That’s why behind-the-scenes video content is a fantastic way to connect with your audience authentically and share the true core of your business while letting your personality shine through. 

A good behind-the-scenes video will give your audience a peek into your business’s operations. Don’t be afraid to share mistakes or bloopers – that’s what people want to see. You can take the opportunity to interview employees, share insight into projects and productions, and tell your brand story in a human way. Don’t shy away from sharing your challenges – honesty will foster genuine connections with your audience. 

Trend 5: educational videos 

These days, consumers are thirsty for knowledge, and in the business world, knowledge is power. It’s what sets one company apart from another. So why not become a fountain of knowledge yourself? Educational videos are a great form of video content. They’re fun, easy to make, and you can get creative. It’s also an opportunity to create evergreen content, as the video may stay relevant for years. Plus, how-to videos will establish your company as a thought leader and build brand trust – all while giving your viewers tons of valuable content.

To maximize your potential, do plenty of research beforehand. Find out what your audience wants to know. What questions is your company frequently asked? And how can you answer them in a fun and engaging way? Make sure you plan your video, craft a script, and make the most of Artlist’s music and footage library to bring your video to life. Don’t pack in too much information. Keep it focused on one product, service, or topic; that way, your audience will know what it’s about and can return to it easily whenever they need to refresh their memory. 

Conclusion

These days, there’s no greater prize than people’s attention. That’s what every influencer, marketeer, CEO, and entrepreneur is trying to grab hold of. That’s why video marketing is fast becoming one of the most powerful marketing tools. When used effectively, it will capture your audience’s attention, build a strong brand following and convert eyeballs into sales. These video content marketing trends will help you stay one step ahead of your competition, generate traffic, increase brand awareness, and result in a fantastic return on investment. 

Just don’t forget – B2B video marketing is an opportunity to get creative. You can use this content to share your brand story, reveal your personality, connect with your audience emotionally, and share your story authentically. It’s an opportunity to build meaningful, long-lasting connections with your community – and that’s something no business will ever be able to compete with.

We’re here to help you create incredible video marketing content for your business. Business accounts get a dedicated Account Manager with access to industry insights, data, and trends to help you get the most out of Artlist, create original content, and stay ahead of the competition. The Artlist Business Plan includes:

• Unlimited access to industry-leading music, SFX, footage, video templates, and plugins
• A custom license tailored to your business needs
• Licensing for any type of project or channel
• Dedicated curation services and account manager
• Priority customer care
• Data-based insights and content expertise