By Randy Mitchell

 

Every spring, my pushy Aunt Captious corners me with the same question: “Do you have any Super Bowl commercials in the works, hotshot?”

 

Every spring, I sheepishly give the same answer: “Well, no. You see, I work at a B2B agency, and our clients don’t waste millions of dollars on a single commercial. But we do create a lot of great videos for them.”

 

“Videos?” she laughs. “Who cares about videos?”

 

That usually ends the conversation, and I slip quickly away. But just once, I want to boldly proclaim: “Listen Auntie dear, the last multimillion dollar spot I worked on took eleven months to produce. And when it was finished, it looked nothing like the original concept. But our B2B videos are compelling, creative and we get them done in weeks, not months.”

 

OK, I’m ranting. But B2B videos are something I do care about because, unlike most high-ticket commercials, they accomplish something without blowing the entire year’s marketing budget.

 

Don’t take my word for it, ask Hubspot. They recently confirmed that “73% of B2B marketers say video positively impacts their ROI.”

 

Given those impressive numbers, why do B2B videos still have an image problem with some people? Because they earned it.

 

In the bad old days, B2B videos could be excruciating to watch. That’s hardly surprising given the rudimentary production processes that were frequently used. Marketers would essentially take a white paper or annual report into a production company and say, “Make this into a video for our website.” The result was slow pacing, static graphics, awkward scripting and minimal personality.

 

I believe it was all due to a misguided stigma that B2B videos had to be long and serious to merit respect and consideration. That strategy may be perfect for a research report, but it made for some extremely poor B2B videos.

 

Please understand, I’m not suggesting you force car chases or Mandelorian-worthy motion graphics into your next video project. I’m simply saying it pays to make the kind of video that you would like to watch. Admittedly, it takes courage to embrace a more unexpected and compelling approach, but the result will certainly be worth it.

 

To prove the point, here are some B2B videos that generated thousands of views for our clients. The styles are very different, but each one is designed to tell a powerful story.

 

“Shine” for ILC

ILC is the lighting company behind unforgettable live experiences, amazing interior spaces and some ingenious custom builds of all types. How can a video possibly capture all that energy? Watch “Shine” and you’ll see.

 

“Strong” for PackSmart

PackSmart works with multiple industries and helps with everything from packaging to safety to sustainability. Their business is complex, but we kept their video simple. You’ll see what PackSmart stands for when you watch “Strong.”

 

“Purpose” for LabVantage

A laboratory serves the entire organization. Everyone wants something, and it can be hard to meet all the expectations. But the busy lab has an ally in LabVantage. You’ll see they understand the lab’s needs when you watch “Purpose.”

 

“Rock the Box” for StandFast Group

Can corrugate be cool?  This rocking video from StandFast Group proves it can be. It’s part capabilities, part company culture, and all cool. You’ll see when you watch “Rock the box.”

 

Those B2B videos tell very different stories, but they all have this in common: They keep the viewer engaged, entertained and educated from start to finish.

 

If you have a B2B video project planned for the near future, may I humbly suggest that you contact Boomm to bring it to life. Together we’ll make a production that will even impress my Aunt Captious.