How to Create High Converting B2B Explainer Videos

An explainer video has become one of the most popular B2B marketing tools during the last few years. It is a short clip between 30 and 90 seconds that gives a concise and appealing description of a product or service. It can be used across all of the online business channels. 

You might wonder why an explainer video is the essential marketing asset for B2B marketers today? It is the most convenient form of storytelling and brand introduction. Explanatory videos can catch the viewer’s attention in a single minute and provide all the critical information in the shortest time. Time is a significant value for all people in the modern, fast-paced world, but for B2B customers, it is particularly important. They all are very busy people and appreciate it a lot when companies try to save their time by introducing their products or services in the shortest form possible.

Explainer videos have a lot of uses in B2B marketing, from tradeshow introductory videos and product teasers to animated tutorials to sales pitches. However, there are several useful practices that can help you produce any kind of B2B explainer video. In this article, we will outline the four most important things that should be considered when creating an explainer video for B2B.  

Illustration by Anastasia Golub

Define the key business goals and a target audience

Before creating a B2B explainer video, it’s crucial to make sure that the video production team and the client are on the same page. You should discuss the key business objectives and an audience in order to clearly understand who you’re targeting with the video. It would be best if you created a customer persona – the image of the ideal customer (the viewer). 

It should include customer data, such as the industry, location, market, relevant job positions, demographics, the specifics of a business, in which the perfect customer works. With these data, you will have a better understanding of a person who will watch the video. Consequently, it will be easier to find the right approach to the customer, considering all their real pain-points and unobtrusively introducing the product (or service) as the best answer.

Keep the balance between a formal style and creativity

Illustration by Mari Seroshtanova

When dealing with a B2B explainer video, it’s crucial to align with a formal style. This video doesn’t target a typical B2C customer that might be often driven by emotions or trends, but business owners, people who make data-based and well-informed decisions. 

Most commonly, B2B customers want to learn more detailed information about a product or service in a video. You should also take it into account that, most likely, they are already aware of all technical terms and concepts. They expect the video-pitch will be packed with all the key points of a product, cost estimation, the benefits they get from a company, etc. The video should include all the information needed to make a business decision.

Today, we can also see that many explainer video production companies do creative experiments by adding a little more fun into a formal B2B video. It can add freshness into the traditional sales pitch and engage the customer, but you should be sure that the video still corresponds to all the B2B standards.

Use the same structure as in a sales pitch

The B2B explainer video should follow the same structure as a standard sales pitch. It shoud include three essential parts, such as the customer problem description, the possible problem solutions, and the explanation of why a specific product or service is the best option available in the market. The video should include a complete explanation of all the product’s competitive advantages. It’s best if they are backed by real success stories or data provided by authoritative sources.

Emphasize the brand identity

The brand identity is a significant part of the overall business presence and even a brand reputation. You can emphasize it by using branding colors, logos, or motos in an explainer video. It will help increase brand awareness and recognizability. An excellent example of an explainer B2B video featuring branding colors is the one produced by Slack. Another great instance is one of our recent videos created for Pipedrive. Both of them are performed in the primary brand colors, support the company’s style, and reflect all the brand’s goals and values.

Conclusion

We have been happy to share these four straightforward yet crucial techniques of B2B explainer video production with you. Like any engaging story, a great B2B explainer also includes three common parts, such as introduction (or problem description), the main body (overview of possible ways to solve a problem), and the best solution (a product or service offered by a specific company). It should keep the smart balance between traditional B2B sales pitching standards and a more creative approach. We hope this short guide will help you produce a high-converting video that emphasizes your brand identity and a powerful reputation.