Statistics, percentages and trends can make a compelling case for your product or solution. Unfortunately, they can also get to be a bit overwhelming – maybe even a little boring. Enter info videos, an engaging, powerful tool for presenting data in a way that viewers will understand and, more importantly, remember.
Think of info videos (or video infographics, as they are sometimes called) as a specific type of explainer video that’s tailormade to present data and trends in a context that proves your real value. In many ways, they fit into your B2B marketing strategies the same way traditional infographics do. Info videos illustrate the numbers with bold fonts and eye-catching graphics that add emphasis, without alienating prospects who just want the big picture and aren’t necessarily interested in all the fine details.
And with info videos, the numbers come to life. Instead of a static line chart, your viewers can see the growth of a trend as it passes key milestones. “Big win” numbers expand to fill the screen, then transition out as you move on to your next key data point. And viewers’ attention is fixed on the current focus of your info video – no more visually scanning through a static infographic that probably contains dozens of facts and figures.
Info videos are perfect for expressing important information in a way that’s easy to digest, tells your story, and leaves a lasting impact.
Info videos tell your story
Here at Autodemo we’ve created a wide range of info videos that tell different stories, from making the case for new IT infrastructure models to illustrating the need for new methods to feed the world.
In the info video above, we used progressive animations to display survey results, which are useful information but can get a bit tedious to all but the most committed reader. The voice narration focuses on B2B tech managers’ top priorities, while the graphics present the underlying data points in an eye-catching fashion. We then go on to use explainer animations to show how these priorities map to the benefits of hyperconverged infrastructure.
This approach makes a huge impact on technical managers and other prospects who gravitate to the numbers, while still telling the “big picture” story to line-of-business managers and other non-technical team members.
Info videos are also great at explaining complex trends in easy-to-understand visual steps. In the example below, we combine narration, animated trend lines and text to sequentially show that:
- Agricultural output is growing due to technological advances, but …
- It’s not growing as quickly as world population and demand, and …
- About 60 percent more food will be needed by the 2050 to meet global demands
That’s a lot of information to get across in a static infographic. But with video, we can aurally and visually build context over about 6 seconds of the viewer’s attention, so that when we display the dramatic “60% More Food Needed to Meet Demand” data point, it has a real, memorable impact.
How to use info videos in your B2B marketing campaigns
You can employ info videos anywhere in the B2B purchase journey where you want to use data and statistics as a key selling point to your prospects.
Info videos in the high funnel
As I said earlier, you can think of an info video as a kind of explainer video that’s specifically produced to focus on stats and trends. So, like any explainer video, they can fit nicely into your early engagement campaigns that target audiences who respond positively to that kind of content. Financial executives, COOs and technical managers love this stuff – it really grabs their attention.
Info videos in the mid-funnel
This is where info video can really drive the conversation forward with your best prospects. You’ve already illustrated the key benefits of your product or service with an explainer video and other high-funnel content, and now you want to provide measurable data points in a format that purchase researchers can easily share with their boss or C-Suite. Info videos can work hand-in-hand with traditional infographics here – in fact, we sometimes use a pre-existing infographic as the starting point for an info video project.
Info videos to drive low-funnel conversions
All that data has to come from someplace, right? Short info videos, somewhere around 30 seconds or so, are great assets to include on landing pages that ask prospects to download a whitepaper or register for a webinar. They provide a quick overview of the main points your detailed research will provide. And including video on a landing page increases conversions by 80 percent, on average.
Info videos can also extend the reach of a download offer across mid- and low-funnel audiences. This piece at Content Marketing Institute details exactly how a 20-year marketing veteran used an info video across multiple channels to drive downloads. As she notes, short, 15-second info videos are great for social media, where it’s been notoriously difficult to promote in-depth content. It’s a perfect fit.
Info videos as sales collateral
If your sales team is calling on executives who want some facts and figures to back up your pitch, an info video is a great, energetic way to keep the meeting moving forward. You won’t hit a hard stop by asking them to read a handout, and a professionally produced info video has a dynamic feel that can’t be matched by a slidedeck. You’ll still need those assets, of course, but video is unmatched in quickly, powerfully communicating the most important information.
Tips on making successful info videos
Every project is different, and you should work closely with your video production partner to create a style and voice for your info videos. That said, here are some general guidelines that will help you create compelling, informative content.
Clearly identify your audience
Not everybody loves stats, but other prospects just can’t get enough of them. As with any marketing content, understanding the preferences and content needs of your key customer personas is essential. Don’t give them too much information, but don’t leave obvious questions unanswered.
Use consistent visual elements
Using the same visual language to present similar information makes it easy to understand the numbers you are asking your viewer to digest. In my first sample above, we used a linear progression format to present survey results a couple of times in the video. This helps the viewer quickly identify and process the type of information they are seeing.
Narration tells the story
A successful info video helps the viewer understand the data you are presenting as part of a broader story – most often, how your solution will help make their business succeed. So clear, engaging narration can be essential. You often want to reserve spoken narration for extreme emphasis (as with the “60 percent” in my second example), and use voice over primarily to build context that leads up to your conclusion.
Info videos put the facts to work in your B2B marketing
As you can see, info videos are a great way to present detailed information that engages B2B prospects and leaves them wanting to learn more. They work great at almost any point in the purchase journey and weave facts and figures into the story of why your product or service is the best choice.
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