Video advertising, mainly on YouTube, is often used by B2C companies, but recently it has also started to be incorporated into
B2B
products and services. Video ads have the advantage of conveying an overwhelming amount of information at once compared to still images.
Therefore, the ability to promote any product or service through video is highly compatible with BtoB. This time, we will introduce the use of video advertising in BtoB and the key points of video creation.
Why video advertising is effective in BtoB
There are three reasons why video advertising is highly compatible with BtoB: 1) Strengthening the appeal to the target audience, 2) Promoting purchases from companies considering it, and 3) Differentiating it from other companies.
① Strengthen appeal to target
Compared to still images, videos can convey an overwhelming amount of information in a short amount of time. The amount of information is said to be approximately 5,000 times that of a still image. The more information you provide to your target audience, the better they will understand your product or service, and the more likely it will be remembered.
②Visual appeal of products and services
Video advertising is also effective for companies that are already considering products and services. Videos can visually convey how a product or service is used, so you can convey its appeal to your target audience, whether it’s tangible or intangible. Especially for intangible services such as SaaS, it is possible to visualize the service by creating a video using animation or CG.
In addition, it is expressed in terms of usage scenarios for each layer, such as where it is used, such as whether the service is used on-site or in the office, and whether it improves the work efficiency of on-site employees or makes management easier for those in charge. It is possible.
③ Differentiation from other companies
Video ads have a stronger appeal to the target audience than text, images, and text-based still image ads, allowing you to differentiate yourself from other companies. Also, when it comes to branding, the image a company wants to create can be conveyed both visually and audibly.
BtoB video advertising media and types
Video advertisements can be distributed to search engines, video distribution sites, and SNS, but in BtoB it is important to choose media with high targeting accuracy. After fully understanding the characteristics and user demographics of each media, we search for media that can be targeted to suit the product or service.
There are four media suitable for B2B video advertising: YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
①YouTube
YouTube is a video sharing platform with over 65 million users in Japan. YouTube ads can be targeted based on user age, gender, region, behavioral trends, interests, etc. using data held by Google.
Various types of videos on and off YouTube, such as in-stream ads that are delivered before, during and after video playback on YouTube, and outstream ads that are delivered to the YouTube video playback page, YouTube search results, and the top of mobile apps. You can post advertisements.
②Facebook
Among various SNSs, Facebook is one of the most popular SNSs in the world, and the average age of active users in Japan is mostly in their 30s and 40s. Additionally, since real name registration is required, Facebook advertising allows for highly accurate targeting based on accurate user attribute information such as gender, age, and place of residence.
Facebook video ads include feed ads that appear on your timeline, in-stream ads that run before, during, or after a video is played, and ads that appear in Stories.
③Twitter
Like Facebook, Twitter is a representative SNS, and is said to be used not only by young people in their teens and 20s, but also by people in their 30s to 50s. You can also target user attributes such as region, language, device, and age, as well as user interests and interests based on trends in following and “likes.”
Twitter video ads include text and video that appear on your timeline, and videos that appear at the top of your timeline for 24 hours to people opening Twitter for the first time that day. First view, etc.
④LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a popular business SNS in the United States that specializes in business and is easy to use not only for individuals but also for companies. In addition to being used by individuals for job hunting and career changes, companies can also use it for recruiting activities. The number of users in Japan is not large compared to other SNS.
Similar to Facebook, LinkedIn ads also allow highly accurate targeting based on users’ registered business information. One of LinkedIn’s advertising menus is “Video Viewing,” which allows you to run ads that increase the share of your videos.
Points for creating BtoB video ads
BtoB video ads convey more information to the target than still images, so in order to be effective, you should keep in mind three points when creating them.
① Clarification of objectives and targets
First, clarify the purpose of your video ad. Clarify the purpose of the video ad, whether it is branding to expand awareness among potential customers or conversion to obtain leads such as inquiries and requests for materials.
Additionally, since SNS allows for highly accurate targeting, you will not be able to get the full effect if you do not have a clear target. Set the target to whom you want to communicate your product/service most. It would be good if you could set details such as age, gender, region, and interests.
②Specific usage image of products/services
Video has the strength to visualize intangible services such as SaaS. In order to take advantage of these strengths, we envision the locations where the product/service will be used and the usage scenarios for each layer, and create a concrete image of how the product/service will be used.
It is also important to prepare the video in such a way that it can be used solely as a video to convey its appeal, assuming that the person in charge of each department will be giving a presentation to decision-makers in order to pass the approval process.
③CTA installation
Be sure to include CTAs not only for requests for information and inquiries to acquire leads, but also for branding advertisements to increase awareness. Set up actions in the video that you want the target audience to take after seeing your ad, such as displaying keywords that encourage web searches or pasting links to request information or inquiries.
summary
- There are three reasons why video advertising is highly compatible with BtoB: 1) Strengthening the appeal to the target, 2) Promoting purchases from companies under consideration, and 3) Differentiating from other companies.
- Video ads can be delivered to search engines, video distribution sites, and SNS, but in BtoB it is important to choose media with high targeting accuracy.
- Since BtoB video advertising conveys a larger amount of information to the target than still images, there are three key points to ensure effectiveness: 1. Clarification of the purpose and target, 2. Specific image of how the product or service will be used, and 3. Setting up a CTA. Create