Using B2B Video Content To Boost Understanding and Trust in Your Products
by Ben Quinn
How the Brain Processes Video Content
Sell sheets are nice. But when you want to tout your product benefits and truly engage your customers, look to B2B video content. Why? Our brains are wired to understand stories better than bulleted facts. According to a study done by MIT, the brain can process images viewed for as little as 13 milliseconds. By contrast, text is processed at a much slower rate. Using B2B video content allows you to get your message across much faster. Consider why the most successful presentations we experience in business are full of visual information.
An Example of an Effective B2B Product Demo Video
This video from Milwaukee is a good example of a product demonstration video. It takes all the selling points of their M18™ ForceLogic™ Commercial Crimper and Cable Cutter and brings them to life. Hearing and seeing product specs from the mouths of people who use the products is much more effective and memorable than distributing text that promises results, but gives no visual confirmation of the results.
Using Video for Search and Social
So our brains are wired to understand video better than text alone, but a video is only as effective as the number of eyes that see it. When optimized correctly, video can help increase your search rankings. An investment in video also pays off by giving you interesting content for all of your social media outlets. You are more likely to gain traction and engagement by posting a relevant video than a simple link to, say, your new 30-page product catalog.
Video Content Is Like Pizza – Even When It’s Bad, It’s Still Pretty Good.
Your videos do not need to be the next great feature films. Getting meaningful content to the viewer is much more important than the quality of the recording. Research shows that people are more put off by videos that don’t explain a product or service clearly than by poor quality design. That’s not to say you shouldn’t make a piece worth watching. But relatable content trumps Hollywood polish.
Check out this video series created by etrailer.com. They don’t use expensive on-screen talent or high tech animations, just clear useable information that is super helpful if you are looking to install a trailer hitch on a 2015 Nissan Frontier. They set up a simple logo backdrop and created hundreds of videos with different truck models, so that when a potential customer searches for “how to install a trailer hitch on my [your vehicle here],” they are the first option that comes up. This video series allows them to both build awareness of their product offerings, and give customers confidence in how easy it is to use their products. This method of marketing also strengthens the sense of trust with the company. The eyes don’t lie; people love to see products in action instead of simply taking the company’s word for it.
In conclusion, there are many benefits to making video content a key part of your marketing strategy. It promotes greater understanding of your product offering while also building trust in your products and brand in general. With video recording devices and internet platforms being more accessible than ever before, a small marketing budget can still produce large returns with this dynamic medium. Put some money behind these videos, and you have a platform that can both elevate your brand and leave your potential customers with a memorable experience.
Continue ReadingPutting Your Message in the Hands of Your Audience: A Case for Direct Mail
by Ben Quinn
The goal of a marketing campaign is to sell your products or services. But is also should convey that your company shares the same core values as your customer. The most impactful companies gain customer trust by providing real value to a persons life. So when considering your communication tools, don’t forget he benefits that traditional mail brings to the table.
Nearly two-thirds of consumers told the United States Postal Service they “value the mail” they receive in their mailbox.* Even millennials site paper as more trustworthy than digital documents.** There are real benefits to the tried and true vehicle of a well-executed direct mail campaign, even in this digital age. When a consumer gets something tangible in the mail, you send a message that transcends an email viewed via smartphone or desktop.
First, before the the piece is even opened, the consumer assumes they likely agreed to receive it. Second, using direct mail also reflects the company has gone the extra mile to print, package, and send the message through the employees of the mail service, as opposed to hitting “send.” And last, the consumer can’t simply hit delete. They need physically dispose of the piece themselves. And oftentimes the piece lingers on the kitchen counter – allowing more time for consideration.
The 40/40/20 Rule.
The benefits of using direct mail are all real advantages. The execution, however, is what makes or breaks how effective your direct mail piece is at affecting your bottom line. There are many components to a good direct mail campaign. Ed Mayer, a marketing expert from the sixties, developed a rule called the “40/40/20 rule.” It states that the first forty percent of your efforts should determine your audience. The next forty percent should focus on your offer that incentivizes a consumer to action. The last twenty percent should focus on the creative details of your piece, such as format, design, copy and structural delivery.
This tried and true formula for using direct mail worked in the sixties. Like a good pair of blue jeans, it still injects value and style to your overall brand even today. In an era where mail is declining, there is real opportunity to tell your audience that you want their business enough to make the effort that a direct mail piece represents. Using direct mail goes beyond “hitting send.” It conveys that what you have to say is important enough to put it in ink and paper. So when considering your overall marketing campaign, consider using direct mail and show your audience that you value their business to send them something tangible.
*Carrier, Joyce. The Power of Direct Mail. USPS Deliver Magazine, vol. 7 issue 6. Dec. 2011
**Millennial Paper Usage and Attitudes, TRU presented at Paper2011 sponsored by the American Forest & Paper Assn. and the National Paper Trade Alliance, March 2011
Other credits to Sappi Fine Paper North America’s “Act Now” 2013
Continue ReadingBrand Management: Keep Your Creative Work Professional
by Ben Quinn
Pablo Picasso and his Cubism style of art is known throughout the world by the art illiterate and aficionados alike. His captivating work distorts reality and explores composition in ways that were not only ground breaking, but are considered by many as genius. What most people don’t know is that Pablo Picasso was a superb realist painter. It was only through years of experience, study, and practice that Picasso was able to achieve greatness by simplifying and breaking down his compositions into masterpieces. What does this have to do with buying logos, or brand management for that matter?
Picasso’s deconstructed bull.
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” – Pablo Picasso
We live in a world where boards of beautiful art stream into your smartphone accompanied by 140 characters or less. It’s easy to forget that truly inspiring, thought-provoking work is usually the result of a lifetime of dedication. With so many out-of-the-box website designs and crowd-sourced logos available, it’s easy to see why companies take this approach. Unfortunately, this also sets the low bar by which most brands are measured — and managed.
There are many high-quality compositions out there, but if there is no story, no personality behind your logo, then it’s just an image. It’s not representative of the hard working people behind it.
When asked, most companies claim their product is superior to their competitors’. But think about it: it’s through the learning process, mastery and challenge of real work that superior products reveal themselves. The same is true for the brand you put forth. Anyone can buy a logo, but truly refined brands know to employ creative minds that take the time to get to know their clients. Copywriters and designers that put in sweat equity get to know the core of their client’s abilities. These are the ones that take a brand from good to great. Hard work and dedication starts in research, then flows over to the next steps of brand management, and trickles into each and every project. The ultimate result? A thoughtful, cohesive brand.
So when choosing your approach to brand management, build a relationship with a marketing team that will put in the work. Only then will you be able to break the established rules effectively and stand apart from your competition.
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