The average user picks up their phone more than 1,500 times a week. From watching TV, commuting to work, exercising, or sitting down at a restaurant, our attention can be pulled out of the task at hand frequently. Think about how often you are working then stop to check an email or answer a Slack message. Over the past several years, our attention spans have decreased, and we are having a harder time zoning in on one thing at a time.
As our attention spans shrink, marketers realize that video is one of the best ways to share content that keeps eyes on the screen. Our digital distractions are programming our everyday tasks to be less focused and intentional. A recent study by Wyzowl revealed that the average attention span has decreased by 3.75 seconds over the past 15 years. The more concise the content, the better. Often, marketers are posed the question of how to get consumers to pause their scroll, especially as we become accustomed to never-ending feeds as social media algorithms introduce us to new content outside the accounts we follow. Marketers are beginning to understand what may help this problem by leaning into short-form videos. In fact, 78% of content marketers said their organizations will continue to invest in video in 2023, according to Marketing Profs.
Short-form content is any video under 60 seconds long, like a TikTok or Reel video. B2C companies have already entered this space and have succeeded with consumers who have lost interest in readable content. Similarly, B2B brands can activate short-form content as well. Steel Croissant discusses how videos are ideal for consumers because humans are “visual beings” and that short-form videos promote higher engagement and information can be remembered and retained better because it is easier to consume.
Generally, B2B brands want to reach decision-makers and C-suite personnel, and they can do that through video. Wyzowl released a survey in 2019 to marketing professionals and online consumers, which revealed that around 59% of senior executives would choose video over text anytime both are available. A B2B brand wants to reach and quickly educate decision-makers, showing them that their brand has the solution to top business problems. Also, video can drive valuable impressions and conversions for a B2B brand, establishing strong brand recognition and credibility.
Forbes suggests that B2B brands should begin to engage with short-form videos because 74% of B2B marketers say video has a better return on investment than static images do, and 91% feel that the pandemic has made video more important. The optimal length for these videos is 20 to 60 seconds, according to HubSpot. And since short-form content doesn’t need to be created from scratch, consider cutting down the long-form content that your brand already owns.
When brand recognition and product/service education is the goal, B2B brands should develop videos about:
- Product demos
- Case studies
- Testimonials
- Interviews
- Event information
- Company news
The most popular short-form video app is TikTok. B2C companies strive for viral content through influencer marketing and reposting user-generated content. TikTok has over 1 billion active users monthly, so it is no surprise that TikTok is producing a lot of buzz and viewership.
In the opinion of Entrepreneur, TikTok for B2B brands may be the next platform to introduce to your campaigns. B2B brands are just now entering the TikTok space, so competition is very low, and content is a niche, just like most B2B brands. While there is a misconception that TikTok and other video-based apps are only used by a younger demographic, in reality, Forbes found that just 43% of TikTok users are aged 16 to 24. Sculpt has reported that the average TikTok user spends 95 minutes on the app, which means B2B brands have plenty of time to show up in the right places.
Entrepreneur has a couple of tips on how to use TikTok and share engaging content. For example, post valuable content, such as how-to tutorials. Also, post authentic content by choosing a team or one person to be the face of the brand on TikTok instead of highlighting the whole company. Finally, leverage user-generated content by reposting and adding more information to elevate the content. While TikTok can be hard to navigate initially, it is a unique opportunity for B2B brands. An early activation on TikTok may set B2B apart from other brands and be worth the investment.
No matter what platform your B2B content is shared on—Facebook to LinkedIn, YouTube to TikTok—short-form video is extremely shareable and can drive more engagement and recognition for B2B brands.
And remember, short-form video is not solely limited to being used as a sales tool. It can also be leveraged to help build internal company culture while helping retain and recruit employees. Short-form videos of employees talking about job fulfillment, work-life balance, and overall happiness can help galvanize your employees and attract new ones in today’s competitive job market. Or an office video tour can help a prospective employee feel welcome before walking in the front door.
Brainstorm with your executive, sales, marketing, and HR coworkers on how your company might utilize short-form video to solve multiple B2B and B2E challenges. Now, push play on your new video marketing strategy, and simply don’t stop.
Olivia Underwood is an intern at Spire, one of the country’s most-awarded B2B agencies. She is also a junior at Southern Methodist University, where she is an advertising major at the Temerlin Advertising Institute and a recent presenter for the AAF National Student Advertising Competition.
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