Personalized Video Becomes Key B2B Marketing Tool; Increases Leads, ROI

Over 90% of online marketers today agree that video content is an essential part of the toolkit: it captures attention in a memorable way, heightens brand awareness, and helps drive purchases.⁽¹⁾ About the same percentage also agree that as online video has become ubiquitous, the level of competition and noise has increased substantially.⁽²⁾ Partially as a consequence, says Maury Rogow, CEO of Hollywood’s Rip Media Group and CMO of The Video Bot, marketers are beginning to combine video with another highly effective tool, personalization. “Properly handled,” says Rogow, “a personalized video can connect immediately with its intended target—the essential first step for any marketing message.”

The next step, of course, says Rogow, is to deliver the right message to the target and, if possible, motivate him or her to take action. For more complex products and services, Rogow advocates what he describes as educational marketing—messaging that explains the need or problem at hand while promoting the sponsor’s solution to that problem.

To properly seize attention, explains Rogow, you should consider personalizing the introductory 7 seconds of the video. Using existing technology, you can actually put your client’s name and website onto the thumbnail and in the video, which will result in more clicks. “We have seen an increase of 300 to 500% in conversions when we personalize videos,” says Rogow.

Benefits of Personalized Videos⁽³⁾

• 87% of consumers state that personalized video content will impact their opinion.
• In B2B, personalized videos reduce friction and increases likelihood of conversion.
• Engaging with your client by offering video content that is relevant will improve ROI.
• Personalized video content builds trust and leads to engagement and more sales.

The level of complexity and tone of the message, he says, in turn dictate the video’s approach to imagery. Some audience/message combinations, for example, lend themselves most effectively to whiteboard animation, which allows you to explain a complex message in a simple and entertaining way. If the personality of the sponsor is important, you can use character animation for the spokesperson.

Two-dimensional graphics can bring bullet points or statistics to life, and three-dimensional animation can serve to signify a futuristic orientation for the product or service. If appropriate, Rogow explains, these techniques can be combined with each other or with live-action video. The visual content will in most cases be accompanied by voiceover, sound effects, and/or music, as appropriate. “There are many, many ways to do this,” says Rogow. “The goal is to find the combination of elements that best delivers a given message to a given recipient.”

Whatever approach is used, it should be chosen with an eye to the project’s scope and budget. Marketers in general agree that video offers a sound return on investment⁽⁴⁾, but they should, says Rogow, avoid overspending on techniques and content that are not necessary to achieve a particular goal. “One thing we work very hard at,” he says, “is keeping ends and means in balance. I don’t want to charge a client $10,000 for a video they don’t need.”

If you’re a marketer seeking to break through the current wall of video noise, Rogow suggests that personalization might be the best way to tell your story. If so, he says, your first step is to figure out what you want to say to the particular individual to whom the video is addressed. “Then seek professional help. No matter how much fun it looks like, this is not a job for beginners.”

Rip Media Group, founded in 2007, is a trailblazing video marketing company based in Los Angeles, California. Founded by digital pioneer Maury Rogow, Rip Media Group brings a unique combination of storytelling art and ROI strategy to the field of animation and live action video. Maury is a member of the Producers Guild of America, with several feature films to his credit. His unique background in film production led to an epiphany in the intrinsic value of storytelling in marketing, no matter how technical the subject. This led to his work in a high-tech firm and its purchase by Cisco for over $1 Billion. He went on to form Rip Media Group, a collection of award-winning storytellers, technicians, and artists, selected from the Producers Guild, Writers Guild, and Screen Actors Guild. Their Green Light Production Process™ and other proprietary systems are used to create world-class voiceover, animation, and live action video to grow businesses of any size.