B2B Video Marketing in 2021: The Top Trends

Editor’s note: This post was contributed by Michael Block, VP Client Success at QuickFrame. QuickFrame is a LinkedIn Marketing Partner for Content & Creative. Contact their team here.

As we charge into 2021, it may be tempting to never look back. The numerous challenges over the last year forced us to recalibrate our lives — and our marketing strategies. Any marketing playbook you may have had was rendered obsolete, and the course out of the pandemic remains an uncertain one. So what now? 

One thing is clear: this year, we need to leave room for unpredictability. If there’s any “new normal”, it’s that there is no such thing as “normal” anymore — and that can be disconcerting.

To help you establish a foundation from which to work, QuickFrame recently surveyed 166 marketers to surface the top video marketing trends for 2021. 

We’ll show you what you need to have on your radar as a B2B marketer and how you can effectively — and affordably — use video throughout the customer lifecycle to attract, convert, and delight.

Video Use Continues to Grow

Marketers have overwhelmingly recognized the power of video. As competition for market share grows in nearly every industry, video is the optimal medium to connect with your audience at every stage of the funnel. 

What’s more, according to the QuickFrame survey, over 80% of marketers incorporated video into non-paid advertising strategies in 2020. This included using video for organic efforts, PR, website, content, internal communications, and more.

In 2021, video’s dominance is slated to continue. Not only will video-first platforms continue to proliferate, but with the rise of 5G and unprecedented download speeds, video will become the default communication currency. If a movie took six minutes to download on 4G, it will take less than 20 seconds on 5G.

The vast majority of marketers are keenly aware of the need to deliver a constant stream of fresh, relevant video content to their audiences. Remarkably, nearly 85% of marketers surveyed indicated plans to maintain or increase their video marketing cadence in 2021 with over 45% planning on using more video next year. 

How to Use Video to Make an Impact in 2021

If you aren’t already using video in your marketing, it’s probably time to start. And if you are using video, you’ll likely need to ramp up your cadence of production in order to stand out in a content landscape that’s more saturated than ever before.

Here’s how you can leverage video to deliver the greatest ROI:

• Account for all audiences and objectives in pre-production. Thorough pre-production planning can unlock extreme potential. To have the largest impact, your videos need to not only be relevant to your audience(s), but they also need to speak to where the viewer is in your buyer’s journey. Rather than producing one video at a time — which can get very expensive very fast — plan videos across objectives and target demos all at once. That way, you can bundle production (whether it be live action or animation) to unlock cost savings while generating numerous video assets you can use over time.
• Test and iterate. Running one or two ad creatives at a time won’t break through the noise in 2021. Run multiple creatives simultaneously, testing variables methodically at every touchpoint to see what resonates most with your audiences. With thorough pre-production planning, you can produce iterative assets and still stay well within your budget. 
• Lean on post-production techniques. Repurposing existing assets (e.g., photography, footage, stock) is often the most cost-effective and fastest way to get timely, relevant video content. Post-production techniques like motion graphics can animate stills in a visually dynamic way. Since these projects are mostly just editing work, they can be turned around in as little as 48 hours.