Did you know, according to the Manufacturing Content Marketing Institute report, only 30% of marketers in the manufacturing industry feel that they are using their web and social content effectively?

In the present video-first world, if industrial companies are not strategically using all forms of content (especially video content) to reach out to their audience and convert, they’re missing out.

After all, Cisco reports that, by 2022, online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer Internet traffic. That’s a whopping 15 times higher than it was in 2017!

From increased B2B sales to increased search engine optimization rating, marketers are seeing great results through video content. Most decide to invest in video marketing to communicate more directly and educate their customers on their products and services.

So manufacturing and industrial companies who have not jumped on the video bandwagon need to start right away. Leveraging video content marketing for promoting B2B businesses has become a necessity now.

In this blog post, you'll discover not only why video is crucial to your marketing strategy, but also 6 great video ideas for industrial content marketing you can tap into.

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Why video is the best format for your industrial content marketing strategy

Let's discuss some reasons why video absolutely needs to be a part of your digital marketing strategy.

  • Manufacturing is an exceptionally crowded industry. According to IbisWorld, ‘The market size of the Manufacturing industry in the US has grown 0.4% per year on average between 2016 and 2021’. The best way to stand out in this saturated industry? Leveraging video content strategically. From highlighting each product’s value proposition and boosting brand awareness to connecting with customers on a more personal level, video content helps manufacturing companies in a plethora of ways.
  • Did you know your audience retains 95% of your message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text form? Clients and customers not only retain information better from videos, but they’re also more fond of videos in general. According to Wyzowl, 85% of people would like to see more video content from brands in 2021. So if you’d like to grow your business, video content is the way to go.
  • In this era of personalization and human-centric marketing, many manufacturers are increasingly investing in video marketing as part of their marketing methods to connect with more customers. You want to show your target audience and potential customers that you’re more than just a manufacturing company - you need to have a human side that they can easily connect to and relate with. That is where videos come in. They add that personal touch to your content and make them more relatable for the audience. So from giving viewers a virtual tower of the factory to introducing them to everyone working in the company, video content is a must for forging lasting connections with your audience.

💡 Content Marketing Trends

Content marketing trends differ from industry. Different needs, expectations and challenges are causing these differences. Stay always up to date with your industry news, whether you're working in pharma content marketing or SaaS video marketing.

6 interesting video ideas industrial companies need to experiment with ASAP

Video can be intimidating to this more traditional industry, so if you’re new to video marketing in the industrial or manufacturing industry, here are some tried and tested tactics to help you get the ball rolling.

1. Explainer videos

Create educational and interesting video content around topics that would benefit your audience. There are a plethora of different video types you can use to create explainer videos around your product or service - from short Buzzfeed-style videos to demonstration videos and educational whiteboard videos.

💡 PlayPlay Pro Tip

If you’re wondering where to start from and how to figure which topics would interest your audience, start conducting surveys and using social media groups in your niche to gather data. This data will then come in handy when you’re preparing a list of topics to create videos on. Ask current customers what are some concepts they’d like you to explain and touch upon.

Be proactive in gathering ideas and then start creating videos.

For example, here’s a great whiteboard video on the difference between blanking, punching and piercing processes. It’s short, to the point, and very well explained.

2. Introduction of your business

What is your business’s history? Why did you start? What is your vision and your goals? Do you support a cause?

Introducing your company, what you do, who you are, and what are your plans for the future in video format is a great way to connect with your would-be customers. It helps viewers validate your company. It also helps to attract and drive leads.

💡 PlayPlay Pro Tip

Find interesting points about your business that would make your video more memorable. Storytelling videos get great traction!

3. Factory/ facility tours

If you’re looking to improve your social media marketing game, or delve into live streaming, factory and facility tours make great video content.

Experiment with different types of content. Take your existing customers for a ride and show them your factory via live streaming (hello, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube Stories!). It not only makes your business more human but also adds variety to your content.

4. How-to videos

How-to videos are a customer favorite.

Everyone’s looking to learn new stuff on the internet (especially YouTube) and businesses need to leverage this. After all, according to TechSmith, 53% of people reported watching two or more instructional videos per week (up 152% compared to 2013).

As Jason Kline, Director of Marketing at Consolidated Electronic Wire & Cable, aptly says, “One of the underlying themes, as well as obligations, to market in our B2B ecosystem is to share our expertise.” Encourage your engineers and technical teams to explain your products and services via videos.

Thought leadership content like this works great to establish your expertise in the industry!

Spirol does an excellent job at creating interesting how-to videos for their audience.

💡 PlayPlay Pro Tip

Create content that clarifies concepts and processes that are commonly known by your audience. Try to steer clear from industry jargon and make your videos laymen friendly. And make sure to share your content on different social media platforms! You need more input? Follow these content marketing influencers to become a better marketer!

5. Client testimonial videos

Client testimonial videos have the power to sway potential customers into customers! According to Wyzowl, 95% of people say that reviews – whether positive, or negative – influence their purchasing decisions.

And that’s not it.

Marketers swear by the power of customer testimonials!

89% of marketers say that customer testimonials and case studies are the most effective content forms for influencing purchases.

Talk to your current customers, offer them incentives to send you a video testimonial. You can also call them in-house and ask them if they’d be happy to give you a quick shoutout for your products.

While text-based testimonials work great, video testimonials do even better. So strive to get those if you can!

6. “Meet the team” videos

Your team makes your business. People cannot relate to faceless businesses: to connect with your audience you need to give them a glance behind the scenes.

Introduce your CEO, your vice presidents, your marketing team, your designers and engineers (the backbones of your business). You can also collaborate with influencers in your niche and conduct sessions with them to amp up your online marketing!

Spiral’s Our Culture - Our Day - Our Team video is an excellent example.

Manor tool and manufacturing also created a video around their 50th anniversary. It’s a fun video (albeit a little old!)

💡 PlayPlay Pro Tip

If you conduct fun activities at your office or factory (like a day out, team building activities, or heck even a fun lunch at work!), live stream it! Show your audience that you’re not just a faceless business — you’re much more than that.

Wrapping up

Create a diverse video experience for your audience. Invest in different kinds of videos. Be proactive in creating educational yet fun video content for your audience. Experiment with different marketing strategies, marketing tactics, and marketing channels. And make sure to measure the ROI of all your marketing campaigns!

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