How Industrial Video Production can be an Effective Marketing Tactic

It is no secret that the digital world is growing faster than ever. Moving on from a time where marketing teams prioritized email as their primary communication method, consumers now have an expectation of a seamless omni-channel experience. The most effective strategies will consider various types of content from blogs, whitepapers, e-books and case studies through to infographics, calculators and checklists.

Although written content can achieve the goal of making you a thought leader in your industry, it doesn’t always do the job of creating an engaging and interactive experience – like industrial video production can do. If you check your social media feeds and favorite websites, you will notice an increasing use of video content.

According to HubSpot, four of the top six channels on which global consumers watch video are social channels, giving a clear insight into what people want. Moreover, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster in the human brain than text making video a clear winner if you want your content to really stick.

Some experts have suggested that by 2021, 80% of internet traffic will be represented by video (weidert.com). Although High Tech, Professional Services, Media, Entertainment and Publishing tend to top the list for industrial video production, manufacturing also ranks highly at number eight in 2018 rankings.

In a 2018 survey by Wibbitz, 81% of marketers surveyed in the manufacturing industry said they are already using video in their strategy which is higher than any other sector.

The industrial sector is very crowded, and companies have realized that in using video, they have an opportunity to set themselves apart from the competition. Therefore, it has become a key part of their content marketing strategy to promote each product’s value proposition. In this article, we look at the benefits that video content can bring to your industrial marketing strategy.

Getting the video together

Before we talk about the benefits of video content, it is worth summarising what it takes to pull a video together. In a technologically advanced world, you no longer have to be a Hollywood Director to get things right.

Many of the videos you see on social media are taken with a decent SmartPhone camera and, if you don’t have a very steady hand, there are small tripods available for less than $20 online. It is true that with better lighting and graphics, you will get more engagement but there is no value at going to a huge expense until the content is right. Most strategies will start small and up the game as they start to get a return on investment.

As well as creating the video, there are several cheap tools for editing it such as iMovie, VSDC Editor, and HD Movie Maker to name a few. The likes of Biteable and Magisto offer video creation tools for those without any prior experience. These platforms are mainly drag and drop style creators that guide you through getting your content right.

It is worth reviewing the best equipment and tools for your business before setting out.

Industrial Buyers Like Video

As we’ve already said, if you haven’t started using video, there is a risk that the competition is ahead of you already. Research from HubSpot in 2019 showed that 500 million hours worth of video are watched on YouTube every day and every industry needs to keep up with the trends and be seen. If you really want buyers to see the power of your products, video helps to show them without the need for trying to understand explainer documents.

It is quite common that industrial products need to meet some sort of performance criteria to be successful. For example, if you are claiming that a product is fully water resistant, it is all well and good writing about that but better still to show a video proving it. Some products can be very complex to explain and with industrial video production, you can make a much stronger case for industrial buyers to choose you over the competition.

Explainer Videos

An explainer video is designed to promote your brand or company. It usually involves a tour of the shop floor, interviewing employees and showing why you are an industry leader in what you do. An explainer should be a basic overview as to why what you do is better than anyone else.

Training Videos

If you are in a complex field, there is nothing better than providing customer with real examples of how they can use your products. This might be a step by step guide of how to install an item or even softer topic like health and safety whilst using it.

Product Demonstrations

Consumers get frustrated if they buy a product that sounds great, but they have no idea how to use it. Although written instructions are useful, many will go straight to YouTube looking for a video to guide them through a demonstration. A successful product demo video will capture exactly how your product works best.

Corporate Videos

A very professional corporate video is a great way to attract new clients. They can give buyers a reason for wanting to work with you as a business, beyond purely the products you have on offer.

Social Sharing

One of the most important features of video content is the ability to share it. With so many social networks out there such as Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube, there is a perfect opportunity to promote content exactly where your audience are. Given its interactive nature, video is 40 times more likely to be shared via social media than any form of text content.

Facebook Ads has become a key form of Marketing over the last few years given the potential customer reach, ability to create brand personality and opportunity for generating direct calls to action. For example, a Facebook video can include a button whereby the viewer can instantly contact a business through a Messenger Bot. They are engaged and have a great social experience.

If you want to create videos that are worthy of sharing, the production value becomes more important. Whilst you can post direct from your SmartPhone, the most shared content tends to be smooth, well lit and fully edited.

We would recommend a mix of content to ensure customers see all sides of your brand personality. Some brands tend to put less production values into staff interview videos for example as it comes across more authentic in that way.

Increasing Sales and Revenue

A video can help you better sell an idea which convinces industrial buyers to be your distributor of choice. A survey by Wyzowl showed that 77% of consumers reported that they’ve been convinced to buy a product or service based on a video. Ultimately, if you invest in video you need it to make a return, especially if you are going for higher end production value.

Video improving efficiencies

Let’s imagine that you decide to create videos that showcase how all your products work. It might be a time-consuming and laborious task to get this done and maintain it. However, if customers have video guides for products, it means they don’t need to call you to ask. Many businesses are finding that in creating digital content, they reduce the amount of physical resource required by their business such as human customer service agents.

Videos can even be used within training to improve efficiencies and reduce business costs. By providing useful industrial videos, consumers are more willing to engage with you as a brand.

Video for brand profile

Creating the right videos is great for getting your brand out there and generating leads. One of the most difficult things to achieve in a competitive industry is getting people to find you. Social shares of your brand personality help to bring customers to you who may not have done so previously. In showing who you are and what you do as a brand, it shows openness and transparency which consumers like.

Video sells products

Putting the time and effort into showing somebody how your product works does a better job of selling it. It’s a simple as that. A common complaint from consumers is that online retail has become too removed from traditional storefronts. Video helps to close that gap again. 

Move to Video Now!

Those are some of the key benefits to using video as a primary channel in your industrial marketing strategy. More and more B2B companies are realizing the potential of offering industrial video content and you are already missing out on valuable leads if you don’t act now. In a very fast-paced digital world, it is vital to show yourself as a knowledgeable thought leader who is there for your customers. Video is the future of marketing (and the present!).