Video content protection features — login protection, signed embed codes, and dynamic watermarks — ensure only the right people have access, and that those with access can’t make copies or reshare content without being held accountable.

For many businesses, the right solution sits somewhere between password protection and enterprise SSO. When an organization needs to restrict access to specific viewers, maintain control after credentials are shared, and track engagement at the individual level, login protection through a secure video hosting platform bridges the gap. 

Below, we share how six businesses across six industries use login protection to share sensitive video without enterprise overhead.

How Businesses Protect Video Content

Business owners protect video content with a secure video hosting platform by controlling who has access, preventing leaks by those who have access, and monitoring viewer activity. Without this video protection, the business is at risk for damage to their reputation, revenue, and even legal standing. Video is secure if every potential vulnerability is closed when teams share content among stakeholders, clients, and investors.

Secure video-sharing features protect against all the ways video content can be misused — accidentally and intentionally. To protect business videos:

• Restrict access: Restrict who can watch, from where, and revoke access as needed, ensuring only those with permission can view content. Business owners who restrict video access by requiring passwords, unique login credentials, or SSO authentication. Access can also be limited by geography or IP address.
• Prevent leaks: Control what actions viewers can take after they have access, to protect content from downloads, piracy, and theft. Business owners prevent leaks using allowed domains or signed embed codes and dynamic watermarks.
• Monitor viewers: Track engagement of every viewing session, build an audit trail or prove completion for individual viewers, and spot unusual activity. By using login protection or SSO to tie every view to a specific person enables business owners to detect unauthorized access before a breach is confirmed.

For example, a business can share onboarding content with new employees using login protection to assign individual credentials and track completion. The same business may protect video content that’s publicly available on its website from direct downloads and unwanted sharing using embed codes with allowed domains. Additionally, the business could send quarterly reports to investors, protecting this confidential content with dynamic watermarks to ensure every viewer is accountable, while using engagement data to verify who watched and flag any unusual viewing behavior.

For businesses sharing sensitive content with specific audiences, one feature does most of the heavy lifting: login protection. 

Why Businesses Use Login Protection to Protect Video Content

For restricting access to low-risk content, video password protection is ideal. But it can’t track who watched or whether content was shared beyond the intended audience. 

When business owners need individual accountability for sharing sensitive, confidential, or paid video content, login protection provides the necessary control. Login protection makes it easy to assign unique credentials to every viewer, tying each session to a specific person.

With login protection, businesses can:

• Set access expiration dates for temporary viewers or time-sensitive content
• Limit the number of views allowed per credential
• Revoke access immediately when permissions change
• Skip account creation for viewers and complex infrastructure requiring IT 

  For the full workflow, see our complete guide to secure video sharing. 

How 6 Businesses Use Login Protection to Protect Video Content

1. Secure Video for B2B Client Training: How Decision Frameworks Protect Customer Education

Decision Frameworks, a B2B software company specializing in decision-making tools, uses SproutVideo’s login protection to give B2B clients frictionless access to training content — with no account creation required on their end — while tracking individual engagement to personalize consulting calls and improve retention.

The company bundles training and consulting content with its annual licenses to demonstrate how to use the software, reinforce its value, and increase retention.

“The videos are one of the tools we can use to maintain communication with our clients throughout the year.”

—Ray Spence, Senior Consultant, Decision Frameworks

To minimize the risk of competitors accessing its video training and software demonstrations, the company chose login protection for viewer-level video access with individual tracking.

“We wanted to avoid being in a situation where our clients had to register and create an account to access the videos. That’s too much of a burden.”

—Spence, Senior Consultant, Decision Frameworks

Reducing client friction is an essential part of Decision Frameworks’ ethos. Login protection makes it easy for clients to securely view content without creating an account. Instead, Decision Frameworks creates and shares unique login credentials with every user.

Unlike shared passwords, login protection means every viewing session is tied to a specific client. This connection provides viewer-level engagement tracking, enabling the company to personalize client calls. For example, the client’s video engagement patterns help consultants identify sticking points and tailor consulting calls. 

“This granular insight is crucial for improving the overall effectiveness of our training, as it allows us to see how each user interacts with the videos, including which sections they find most valuable or challenging.”

—Spence, Senior Consultant, Decision Frameworks

2. Secure Pre-Release Video Sharing: How Filmmaker Manfred Poppenk Cut Editorial Review Time by 30%

Documentary filmmaker Manfred Poppenk uses login-protected video to share pre-release content with directors, producers, and sponsors. Login protection allows him to control permissions by viewer and use replay data to resolve editorial issues 30% faster.

To control who can access the videos, Poppenk uses login protection with unique credentials for each stakeholder, determines which videos each set of credentials grants access to, and shares the same website link with everyone. He also applies additional security controls depending on the scenario. For example, he may enable downloads for some clients and disable them for others. 

“With login protection, I can allow many people to view the same video with multiple permissions.”

—Manfred Poppenk, Filmmaker

Poppenk created a branded video website where stakeholders log in with their unique credentials. This workflow allows him to track individual engagement, review how much of a video viewers watched, and see which sections they replayed or where they dropped off. Poppenk was able to cut the time to finish the editorial review by 30% with these insights. 

“I can see how many times a certain bit of the video has been rewatched, suggesting that section has an issue. Or, if a client stops watching once the credits start rolling, I can point out that they missed a funny blooper. So there will be no surprises for the client, which saves me time later on.”

—Poppenk, Filmmaker

3. Protecting Pre-Sales Video Content: How Simplicity Keystone Improved Close Rates by 15–20%

Simplicity Keystone provides executive benefit solutions, including retirement planning, to nonprofit organizations such as hospitals and credit unions. The firm protects proprietary pre-sales video from competitors using login protection and pre-meeting engagement data to help advisors tailor one-on-one conversations, resulting in a 15–20% improvement in close rates.

Before presenting its benefits program, Simplicity Keystone shares short, modular videos to communicate solutions and pre-educate executives. This content helps advisors avoid repeating the same discussions and frees up time for personalized advising. 

“If we can avoid engaging in repetitive presentations by simply putting it into a video, it frees up our advisors and sales staff to focus on the things we do really well.”

—Michael Falkenstein, Partner, Simplicity Group

Simplicity Keystone found that executives who understand its unique benefits are more likely to elect packages during one-on-one meetings with an advisor. To make it easy for executives to watch the content while ensuring it’s protected from unauthorized access, the company uses login protection.

“Our biggest concern was that our content might end up in the hands of a competitor. We can’t guarantee someone won’t do that, so our best protection is to keep key pieces of our IP login protected. Our process is to create credentials for potential clients via a unique email and password.”

—Michael Falkenstein, Partner, Simplicity Group

Since every viewing session is tied to a specific executive’s credentials, advisors can review exactly which topics each prospect engaged with before walking into a meeting. Simplicity Keystone also uses a customized video landing page to tag and organize videos for an optimal viewer experience, making it easy for executives to find the content relevant to them.

“We’ve seen a 15-20% improvement in close rates by sharing the pre-meeting video content with executives.”

—Falkenstein, Partner, Simplicity Group

4. Gated Video for Paid Webinars: How Schothorst Feed Research Scaled to a 500-Video Library

Schothorst Feed Research, a specialized research institute, uses login protection with per-viewer view limits to gate a 500-video webinar library for paying clients, increasing consultancy hour utilization from 75% to 93% while expanding from regional in-person training to a global audience.

Before COVID, Schothorst Feed Research (SFR) conducted in-person client training. With restricted travel during the pandemic, streaming webinars became a primary way to deliver knowledge and consultancy.

Now, SFR records weekly webinars with around thirty unique companies attending each session. As SFR’s library grew to over 500 videos, protecting their proprietary video content from unauthorized access became critical.

“YouTube is nice if you want to share things with the whole world and collect Likes from people. But that was not our purpose.”

—Karin van de Belt, L&D Product Manager, SFR

SFR securely shares webinars via login protection and limits the number of views per viewer, ensuring only paying clients can access its growing library of archived sessions.

With the shift to online, clients can apply consultancy hours directly to video webinars, adding convenience and replayability to every session. SFR’s shift to recorded content improved efficiency and reduced costs, eliminating travel and the need for repeated sessions.

“The return on investment for building our video training content has been quick and significant. Our main benefit has been increased customer satisfaction due to our online services. The percentage of used consultancy hours has increased from 75% to 93%.”

—van de Belt, L&D Product Manager, SFR

5. Secure Video for Continuing Education: How Steel Structures Delivered 17,000 Hours of Certification Training Online

Steel Structures delivers online certification training to professional inspectors using SproutVideo’s login protection to match credentials to registration emails, track individual completion, and review engagement data to support students who don’t pass on the first attempt.

Steel Structures’ consulting engineer and founder, Bob Shaw, provides training for professional inspectors in the steel building industry who need continuing education to renew their steel construction certifications. His classes cover technical practices and code requirements for steel construction work.   

“In the early days, I traveled extensively, carrying carousels and slide projectors for seminars at various hotels. As technology evolved, I transitioned to using digital projectors and a laptop, but found the travel exhausting.”

—Bob Shaw, Jr., PE, President of the Steel Structures Technology Center, Inc.

Shaw shifted to live online training to reduce time on the road, then moved to recorded sessions on a secure video platform to protect his content and manage individual student access. 

Shaw hosts his classes with SproutVideo and manages online ordering through the Steel Structures website. When a student places an online order, Shaw matches the registration email with a unique video login password for secure access. Students receive a confirmation email with the password credentials and a link to the courses hosted on SproutVideo.

“We’ve provided around 17,000 hours of training since beginning our online seminars — all without leaving the office or incurring travel and meeting room expenses. Just the cost of SproutVideo.”

—Shaw, Jr., PE, President of the Steel Structures Technology Center, Inc.

For certification, students must earn at least a 70% score to pass. When a student does not pass, Shaw leverages individual engagement data to determine whether a student has watched all the content or rewatched specific sections. This data allows Steel Structures to directly address issues a specific student may be having and ensure they can pass the exam and earn a certificate of completion. 

“For students who struggle, we can check to see if they watched the videos or attempted to take the exam without viewing all of the training materials. We can also check to see if a student gets stuck on a specific question.”

—Shaw, Jr., PE, President of the Steel Structures Technology Center, Inc.

6. Confidential Investor Video Sharing: How a Private Equity Firm Meets Fiduciary Duty with Login-Protected Video

A private equity firm shares annual investor meeting recordings using login protection to limit view counts and access duration, while maintaining a full access log to satisfy fiduciary and regulatory requirements.

Like most financial institutions, the private equity firm operates within a regulated environment. As such, the firm has a fiduciary responsibility and must comply with regulations. If confidential financial information is leaked, a company risks losing customer trust, proprietary IP, and competitive advantage, and potentially its legal standing.

“When confidential financial information is disseminated to unintended recipients, it slips from our control, potentially leading to negligence. We have a fiduciary duty to protect financials included in our private video content.”

—Customer, IT Manager, PE Firm

The PE firm needed to restrict access securely, so it enabled login protection with view count limits and access expiration controls. This workflow helps ensure only authorized viewers can access the sensitive financial data. The firm also reviews viewer access logs to confirm that only authorized individuals accessed the recording.

“With login protection, we can limit access based on a specified view count and date range. So if they hadn’t watched the video within a certain time, it would expire, and they’d have to request additional access.”

—Customer, IT Manager, PE Firm

Key Takeaways: How to Protect Video Content for Business

• Business owners protect video content by restricting access, preventing leaks, and monitoring viewers with a secure video hosting platform.
• The right protection depends on content sensitivity and audience. For access controls: password protection for low-risk content, login protection for sensitive or paid content, and SSO for enterprise scale.
• Login protection requires no account creation on the viewer’s end and no IT team to manage access. The person sharing the video can create unique credentials for each viewer, track individual engagement, set expiration dates or session limits, and revoke access at any time.
• Every login-protected session is tied to a specific person, enabling personalized follow-up, verification of completion, and detection of unauthorized access.

For businesses that have outgrown shared passwords but don’t require enterprise SSO, SproutVideo’s login protection provides individual viewer credentials, session-level engagement tracking, access expiration, and one-click revocation — again without requiring viewers to create accounts or IT involvement from the host.

FAQ on Protecting Business Video Content

What is the best way to protect video content for business use?

The best way to protect business video content is with a layered, secure video-sharing workflow that restricts who can access content, prevents redistribution after sharing, and monitors viewers for unauthorized access. The right combination of features depends on content sensitivity and audience size.

This workflow starts with access controls: 

• For low-risk content (marketing assets, non-sensitive internal communications) password protection is sufficient. 
• But for riskier communications, large groups, or individual tracking, login protection or single sign-on (SSO) allows businesses to grant access to individual viewers with unique credentials. 

For SMBs, login protection is often the ideal middle ground, offering individual accountability without the infrastructure or cost of enterprise SSO. 

Beyond access controls, a complete workflow also includes protection against leaks and piracy to ensure content remains safe even after sharing. These security features allow businesses to control where video will play, both online (allowed domains or signed embed codes) and offline (IP address or geographic restrictions). 

Additionally, companies can use dynamic watermarks. Visible dynamic watermarks deter misuse by displaying the viewer’s personal information on-screen; invisible dynamic watermarks create a traceable record to identify the source of a leak. Individual engagement tracking is the final layer of a secure video workflow; this data gives businesses an audit trail and the ability to spot unauthorized access before exposure. 

  Build your secure video sharing workflow: 2-Minute Guide to Video Privacy

What types of businesses use login protection to protect video content?

Any business that needs to share private video with a specific audience and needs to know exactly who watched should consider login protection. Common industries include B2B software, financial services, continuing education, media production, research institutes, and private equity.

Businesses use login protection to share private videos with specific people only by assigning unique viewer credentials and tracking engagement. 

The six case studies in this article represent the most common use cases: B2B software companies protecting client training, filmmakers and media producers managing pre-release stakeholder access, financial services firms protecting proprietary IP and pre-sales content, continuing education providers verifying student completion, research institutes gating paid webinar libraries, and private equity firms sharing confidential investor communications. 

The common thread: organizations that have outgrown shared passwords but don’t need enterprise SSO infrastructure.

  See login protection in action: 7 Ways to Restrict Video Access in Your Business

How do businesses use video engagement data to monitor protected content? 

Businesses use video engagement data to monitor protected content by looking for unusual patterns: unexpected access times, repeated views from unfamiliar locations, or credentials used beyond their intended audience that signal unauthorized access before a breach is confirmed.

Since login protection and SSO match every viewing session to a specific user, businesses can regularly review engagement data to ensure compliance with secure video sharing practices. With unique credentials for every viewer, engagement data becomes actionable.

In practice, this looks different across industries: 

Across industries, individual engagement data is what turns a secure video platform into an operational tool.

• Manfred Poppenk uses replay data to identify problem sections in editorial review. 
• Simplicity Keystone reviews pre-meeting engagement to tailor one-on-one advisor conversations. 
• Steel Structures checks whether struggling students watched all the course content before attempting certification exams. 
• A private equity firm reviews access logs to confirm that only authorized investors viewed confidential meeting recordings.

How do online course creators protect their video content?

Online course creators protect video content by using login protection to tie every viewing session to a specific student, ensuring only enrolled or paying students can access course materials. Unlike shared passwords and unlisted links, login protection gives course creators visibility into who watched, how much they watched, and how viewers engaged with content.

For example, Steel Structures, a continuing education provider for professional inspectors, delivers online certification training. When a student enrolls, they receive unique login credentials tied to their registration email. Steel Structures can review individual engagement to confirm course completion or address learning gaps for struggling students.

Course creators can also layer additional restrictions and dynamic watermarks to prevent content from being saved, shared, or embedded outside its intended environment, protecting paid content from piracy and unauthorized redistribution.

How do financial services firms protect confidential video content? 

Financial services firms protect confidential video content by combining login protection with access expiration, view count limits, and engagement tracking to ensure sensitive material is available only to authorized viewers. 

For example, a private equity firm uses login protection to share annual investor meeting recordings exclusively with authorized viewers and reviews access logs after every distribution to confirm compliance.

For financial services firms with fiduciary responsibilities, login protection (or SSO for firms operating at enterprise scale) provides the individual accountability and audit trail that the regulated industry requires. 

Firms may also layer dynamic watermarks to ensure any misuse of the video is traceable to the accountable party and to demonstrate that the firm diligently protected the data. 

The post How to Protect Video Content: 6 Business Case Studies appeared first on SproutVideo.

In the U.S., more than 5,000 convention and visitor bureaus (CVBs), destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and regional tourism associations drive the travel business. These groups don’t just promote places; they power local economies and act as primary tourism marketing engines for them.

Tourism is a multi-billion-dollar industry. For example, New York City Tourism + Conventions reported an estimated $79 billion total economic impact in 2024: more than U.S. steel output and comparable to the entire video game industry.

Today, destination marketing goes beyond ads. It’s about immersing travelers in an experience before they book. That’s why Visit Bentonville, the destination marketing organization for Bentonville, Arkansas, curates a lifestyle through cinematic visuals and authentic local voices.

A Conversation with Kalene Griffith, CEO of Visit Bentonville

In Episode Five of the Business Video Playbook, we spoke with Kalene Griffith, who has led Visit Bentonville since 2005. Under her leadership, Bentonville has evolved from a Walmart company town into a nationally recognized hub for cycling, art, food, and hospitality.

Griffith explained how video storytelling connects with travelers, elevates local businesses, and reinforces Bentonville’s vision as a lifestyle destination.

“Our job is to collaborate with everyone. We sit down with our partners and define shared goals for a video within five key pillars: cycling, arts, culinary, outdoor recreation, and medical and wellness tourism.”

—Kalene Griffith, CEO, Visit Bentonville

To discover Griffith’s formula to grow tourism in Bentonville, watch our full interview now:

5 Tourism Video Marketing Lessons from Visit Bentonville

1. Lead with Authentic, People-First Storytelling

What makes Bentonville’s videos resonate is the people behind the experiences. Local voices like professional mountain biker Anneke Beerten, a chef sharing a dish, or an artist explaining a mural. These people and their passions create emotional connections that polished ads can’t.

2. Collaborate for a Content Engine

Instead of owning every attraction, Visit Bentonville amplifies local partners. Chefs, shop owners, and event organizers all become storytellers. This collaboration multiplies marketing impact and strengthens the local economy.

“For us, it’s driving traffic to our community. For them, it’s driving traffic to their business directly.”

—Kalene Griffith, CEO, Visit Bentonville

3. Use Video as a Sensory Bridge

Video brings the destination to life. Viewers can see, hear, and almost feel Bentonville’s trails, art, and food. In a crowded market, cinematic imagery paired with authentic voices makes travelers want to enter the story.

“The video creates this experience where you want to feel and see.”

—Kalene Griffith, CEO, Visit Bentonville

4. Take a Multi-Channel Approach

Visit Bentonville blends social media, web, PR, print, and digital advertising and invests in grassroots education so locals can share the story, too.

“It’s our job to ensure that our hotels, restaurants, retailers, and residents all understand the story we’re trying to tell.”

—Kalene Griffith, CEO, Visit Bentonville

5. Build Accessibility and Inclusivity Into the Brand

With 80% of bike riders being casual participants, Visit Bentonville highlights families and first-time visitors over extreme athletes. Infrastructure like the wheelchair-accessible Razorback Greenway signals that the city is open and welcoming to all.

“We may want to experience the trails, but we’re not all going to fly through the air.”

—Kalene Griffith, CEO, Visit Bentonville

Bentonville: A Vision Beyond Tourism

From the Kohler Mountain Bike Preserve with its trail-only coffee shop to The Ledger, the world’s first bikeable office building, Bentonville blends recreation with everyday life. Visit Bentonville’s videos show that this is more than a trip; it’s a way of life.

Bentonville proves that destination marketing is most powerful when it tells a community’s story through authentic video storytelling, collaboration, and inclusivity.

Watch the full interview with Kalene Griffith to learn how Visit Bentonville uses video to turn visitors into believers.

If you’d like a quick summary of the main points and answers to common questions about tourism and destination marketing, see the FAQ section below.

Episode 5: Growing Tourism with Storytelling with Kalene Griffith

This episode offers helpful insights and practical tools:

• Downloadable guide: Tourism Video Marketing Playbook
• Full interview transcript
• Ready-to-share FAQ for internal stakeholders

Watch The Full Interview

FAQ: Tourism & Destination Marketing with Visit Bentonville

1. What is a destination marketing company?

A destination marketing company (DMC) partners with cities, regions, or attractions to promote them as travel destinations. Unlike a traditional travel agency, a DMC focuses on branding and storytelling that inspire people to visit, stay longer, and support local businesses.

2. How does tourism destination marketing work?

Tourism destination marketing connects travelers to experiences before they arrive. It uses tools like video storytelling, social media, PR, and community partnerships to showcase a destination’s culture, attractions, and lifestyle. The goal is to spark emotional connections that lead to trips and visitor spending.

3. What services do destination marketing organizations provide?

Destination marketing organizations (DMOs) provide tourism destination marketing services such as:

• Video production and storytelling campaigns
• Digital and social media marketing
• Community collaboration and co-marketing
• Hospitality education and training
• Event promotion and PR

These services help align a community’s identity with its tourism brand.

4. Why does Bentonville’s story matter in tourism marketing?

Bentonville, Arkansas, transformed from a Walmart company town into a nationally recognized hub for cycling, arts, food, and hospitality. Its success shows how a shared vision plus authentic storytelling can reposition a destination and attract new types of visitors.

5. How does Visit Bentonville use video marketing?

Visit Bentonville uses cinematic visuals and authentic local voices to make travelers feel like they already belong. Videos feature chefs, artists, athletes, and business owners, creating a people-first story that builds trust and emotional connection.

“The video creates this experience where you want to feel and see.”

—Kalene Griffith

6. What role does collaboration play in destination marketing?

Collaboration is central to Visit Bentonville’s strategy. The DMO works with chefs, artists, shop owners, and event organizers to create content that benefits both the city’s brand and local businesses.

“For us, it’s driving traffic to our community. For them, it’s driving traffic to their business directly.”

—Kalene Griffith, CEO, Visit Bentonville

7. Why is authenticity important in tourism marketing?

Authenticity builds credibility. Travelers trust locals more than ads. Visit Bentonville creates insider perspectives that inspire action by spotlighting real people, like professional mountain bikers or chefs sharing a dish.

8. How do accessibility and inclusivity fit into destination marketing?

Bentonville’s videos highlight that the city is welcoming to families, first-time visitors, and casual riders, not just elite athletes. Infrastructure like the Razorback Greenway, a 40-mile wheelchair-accessible paved trail, ensures everyone feels included in the city’s tourism story.

9. What channels are most effective for destination marketing?

Visit Bentonville uses a multi-channel approach: social media, digital ads, PR, print, and grassroots education. They also train local residents and businesses to understand the story, so the whole community reinforces the brand.

10. What can other destinations learn from Bentonville’s success?

• Lead with authentic storytelling: People connect with people more than scenery.
• Collaborate with local partners: Shared goals create shared wins.
• Think multi-channel: Blend digital, PR, social, and grassroots education.
• Prioritize inclusivity: Market to casual visitors as much as experts.
• Use video as a sensory bridge: Show what makes your destination come alive.

Want to tell your destination’s story with impact?

Start your free trial of SproutVideo today and bring your community to life through video.

The post Tourism Marketing Through Video: How Destination Storytelling Drives Local Economies appeared first on SproutVideo.

Yet simply adding product videos to your website and social media accounts doesn’t necessarily make them effective.

Video marketing, especially for B2B products and services, requires a strategy with clear goals, a winning customer experience, and contextual market understanding. 

The right B2B strategy will leverage video content for lead capture, relationship building, customer support, and sales. 

In this complete guide, we’ll walk through every step — researching, planning, budgeting, and executing — of an effective B2B video marketing strategy, with examples for brainstorming. 

What Is B2B Video Marketing?

Business-to-business (B2B) marketing sells products and services to other businesses and organizations. B2B video marketing is a marketing strategy that uses video throughout the customer journey to inform, educate, and assist current and prospective customers. 

B2B marketing focuses on the pain points, desires, and solutions needed for businesses and organizations. These marketing strategies balance the needs of the business and the wants of the decision-maker. 

A formal approach may feel natural, but B2B sales still hinge on building connections. Instead of old-school salesmanship, foster authentic relationships through knowledge sharing and genuine care. This is why video is why it is becoming standard across industries. It is highly effective at establishing trust with the viewer.

Why Use Video for B2B Marketing?

A potential customer can absorb much more information from a 15-second video than in 15 seconds of reading text. But the benefits of video marketing go beyond information retention.

• 59% of B2B decision-makers prefer video over text when learning about a product.
• 92% of video marketers cite a good return on investment (ROI) for video content.
• 70% of B2B marketers say videos convert better than other types of content.
• 4.8% is the average conversion rate for websites with video (compared to 2.9% without).
• 70% of B2B researchers and buyers watch videos during their path to purchase.
• 60% increase in response rates when using video for sales outreach.

How to Create a B2B Video Marketing Strategy

1. Create Clear Marketing Goals

A marketing strategy is a cohesive approach with a theory of success. Assuming it is successful, what are the key performance indicators (KPIs) that will indicate its success?

Every KPI should be measurable, specific, and include a deadline. Here are some general examples:

• Increase trial conversions from 5% to 8% by Q4 2024. 
• Secure two new enterprise memberships a month.
• Reduce customer churn 2% month-over-month by end of year.
• Achieve a 10% increase in organic traffic year-over-year.
• Generate a minimum of 100 activations per month by Q3 end. 

The strategy you develop will determine how you approach achieving these goals. But knowing what you intend to accomplish ahead of time will make it easier to create an effective strategy, ensure it’s working, and pivot as needed. 

How to Use Video

Internal communication is important for success. Most marketing strategies will involve multiple teams within a company. Using video to communicate goals and outline the strategy is an efficient way to ensure everyone is on the same page and contributing their ideas throughout the planning process.

2. Refine Your Brand & Voice

Branding with a consistent tone produces a sense of trust and reliability. A clearly defined brand will make it easier for prospective customers to remember your business and visualize the unique and innovative ways in which your business solves problems.

Ahrefs is a standout example. From its bold color scheme and unique graphics to the blocky font and educational content, its branding choices align with the target audience. This allows it to feel both personable and professional while setting the company apart from its competitors.

Unless your business is new, your brand and voice are likely established. Evaluate all of your marketing channels and your website. 

Implement a consistent brand and voice across channels as part of your B2B video marketing strategy. Consider the tone, colors, fonts, images, and user experience you present. 

How to Use Video

A consistent brand and tone of voice can be brought into your video content as well. Bring the same energy and perspective, and use the same graphics, fonts, and colors in your videos as the rest of your marketing content. With SproutVideo, you can also customize the video player itself for a branded, distraction-free customer experience.

3. Identify Target Market & Audience

An essential aspect of creating a successful B2B marketing strategy is understanding your company’s market position and its relation to the competition. 

Review your sales data. What kinds of businesses move through your customer journey and make a purchase? What companies become return customers or long-term subscribers? 

Identify the businesses you want to target. Consider,

• Business Size (small, medium, enterprise)
• Industry (Healthcare, Education, etc.)
• Number of Employees
• Revenue
• Location (by region or specific country)

Next, who are the people within those businesses that you are targeting? Identify the departments within the company that your product serves — marketing, human resources, executives, product development — the list goes on and on. 

Develop a specific persona for the person who works at this company. Consider,

• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Job Title
• Beliefs and Perspective
• Education Level
• Pain Points
• Consistent Routines
• Industry Idiosyncrasies 

Use this information to develop customer avatars. These buyer profiles will make it easier to map a successful customer journey and gain potential leads. 

Every business attracts outliers with similar needs and interests. But your core business marketing should be positioned for your ideal persona. Take notice of the audience segments that convert at the highest rates and investigate. 

Example: A social media management platform might target small business owners in North America who are women aged 20-35 that feel burned out and frustrated with social media. Alternatively, a semiconductor manufacturer might target Senior Product Managers in Asia over 45 who are hesitant to change and require executive approval. 

How to Use Video

Customer profiles are an essential part of any business strategy. But it can be challenging to personalize content for a group. Consider asking customers to share video testimonials or host video interviews in exchange for exclusive discounts or benefits. Identify individuals who fit your audience segments and ask yourself if they would personally benefit from your content.

4. Analyze the Competition

Next, review your company and assess your competitors to determine where your business fits, and how it should be positioned, within the market.

Start by researching direct rivals: businesses that are similar in size and target the same industry. Make a list of these competitors, as well as companies that are smaller and larger.

From your list, select three to five companies that cater to the same target market and audience as your own. Review their branding, customer journey, and product features. Become a potential customer to learn more about how your competitors convert browsers into buyers. 

Example: SproutVideo is a video hosting platform. While there are many video hosting companies, the list of competitors with platforms built for enterprises and priced for small businesses is short. We serve this niche. 

How to Use Video

Knowing where your business fits into the market will allow you to create a winning strategy that sets your company above the rest. Depending on the industry, competitors may be underutilizing videos or creating lackluster content. Consider how you can use video to outdo the competition by making each step of the customer journey easier to engage with and enjoy. 

5. Build a Market-Specific Strategy

Think of your strategy as the thesis statement of your organization. What is the outcome your business wants to achieve? What approach would make your competition irrelevant? 

1. Outline Brand Vision

Develop a clear vision of what your business intends to accomplish. Answer these two questions for your B2B marketing strategy: 

• Why are we in this market (and not another one)?
• How are we going to be the best in this market?

Look at how your company solves customer pain points in a superior way. Or pinpoint the ways your business innovates in your market to create new demand. 

2. Identify Unique Value Proposition

Reflect on your company mission statement and the transformation your product or service creates for customers. Having researched your close competitors, are you filling a gap in the market or innovating on the current standard? This is your unique value proposition. 

If you’ve ever wondered why there are so many companies solving the same problem, take a closer look at their unique value propositions. You will see significant differences in the audiences those businesses serve and the core features they promote.

Example: Mailchimp focuses on helping small businesses grow email newsletters. The company was one of the first to allow new business owners to freely use the platform’s core functions until a certain number of subscribers is reached. This continues to be one of Mailchimp’s main strategies, even as its audience and offerings have expanded. 

3. Compose Your Strategy 

Share your vision of success in its realized form. For some businesses, the overall business mission will naturally guide the marketing strategy. Consider all of the steps you have completed and the information you have gathered so far. 

Write down your strategy and include:

• Your vision for the business
• Any issues the strategy needs to address
• The projected result of a successful strategy 

Your strategy might be a sentence or a few paragraphs; keep it succinct. Your marketing strategy postulates success: what must happen for this to be true?

Combine your brand vision, innovative approach in your market, and the intended result.

Example: Ghost is an all-in-one CMS platform that offers a minimalist website, email marketing software, and payment processor, which collects 0% in fees. Its open-source software allows developers to unleash their creativity and businesses to customize the framework. Fully bootstrapped, Ghost is a reliable platform built for longevity. It is the solution of choice for modern enterprises that value content marketing.

How to Use Video

Your brand strategy should inspire you and your employees to bring your company mission to life. Use video to show appreciation for employees and to generate excitement and motivation for upcoming events, projects, and strategy shifts. 

6. Outline Channels & Technology

With the information you have now and your strategy in hand, determine if there are any gaps. Start by listing your marketing channels. Common channels include:

• Website or landing pages
• Newsletter
• Blog
• Social media 
• Paid advertising 
• Webinars
• Demo or Trials
• Opt-in Offers (White Papers, Case Studies, etc)
• Knowledge Base

Perhaps you thought social media was covered; however, after reviewing the market and your competition, you’ve learned that your audience is more likely on TikTok than Facebook. Alternatively, maybe you’ve been paying for advertising but haven’t developed a marketing funnel to attract organic leads and nurture potential customers. 

Additionally, consider how you will distribute your content. Each stage of your sales funnel (discussed in the next section) will require its own distribution plan. As you map your customer journey, determine how and where you will reach people with your content. 

Example: An explainer video might be shared on your website, uploaded to YouTube for paid advertising, and shared across social media. This is your distribution plan for the awareness stage of your sales funnel. Educational videos, on the other hand, might be shared exclusively on your video help site and embedded in your email newsletter for the conversion stage. 

How to Use Video

As you outline your marketing channels, take note of how many videos you are currently using to market your products and services. Consider the videos on your website, social media pages, paid advertising, onboarding process, and more. Review your analytics. Are there any obvious areas where a video would improve engagement or conversion? Start to outline how you might use video to improve your customer experience. 

7. Map Your Customer’s Journey

In most cases, B2C businesses create awareness of their product, potential customers consider it, the company stokes their desire or nurtures the relationship, then a purchase is made. The buyer may need customer support and will hopefully become a return customer, but the funnel is complete. 

The B2B customer journey is different. The research and comparison phase of the B2B journey is crucial, often due to higher prices or more complex offerings. 

The Standard B2C Customer Journey

The Standard B2B Customer Journey

Furthermore, there is an additional stage in B2B marketing that we’re calling Post-Sales Service. This is the company’s user experience from purchase through utilization. 

B2B solutions are rarely one-off purchases. For this reason, companies offer robust customer support, including product customization, onboarding assistance, and exclusive content.

Map Your Customer Journey

For each customer persona you have created, how does that audience segment move through your sales funnel? Look broadly at how people move through each phase of your customer journey. Learn why and how they:

• Discover your business
• Engage to learn more
• Gain trust in your services
• Choose to make a purchase
• Continue to subscribe or buy again

If your analytical data provides an incomplete picture, solicit feedback from current customers in exchange for bonus offerings or discounts. This information is vital to implementing effective marketing tactics that resonate with your ideal audience. 

How to Use Video

Using videos in your sales funnel allows you to collect significant data with analytics. This information can be used to improve your customer’s experience. For example, heat mapping shows what portions of your videos are being watched, re-watched, or skipped. With individual tracking, you can tag a viewer to track how many minutes and what videos they’ve watched. 

8. Plan Your Video-Led Customer Experience 

With all the information you have gathered, plan how you will reach potential customers at each stage of your sales funnel. Here are some examples of content you might create at each stage.

• Awareness: Blog posts, educational videos, social media
• Research & competition: White papers, case studies, comparison guides
• Conversion: Demos, trials, testimonials
• Post-Sales Service: Exclusive video content, email newsletter, success stories
• Loyalty & Retention: Feedback surveys, community groups, loyalty programs

At every stage, use video content to improve the user experience. Creating videos takes time and work — whether producing them in-house, hiring freelancers, or employing a production company. Make a list of content to be produced and prioritize implementation as outlined below.

1. Start with the Basics (Website, Social)

Produce videos that target the awareness stage of the buyer’s journey and set the tone for your brand. An explainer video, for example, showcases the transformation your product or service creates. It can be shared on social media and featured on your website and landing pages. 

2. Guide the Buyer’s Journey 

Evaluate your sales funnel and marketing automation. Create videos that will improve your customer experience. Add video to your email nurturing sequence, create a series of onboarding how-tos, or animate a stellar customer testimonial. Engage, inform, and motivate your audience at every stage of the customer journey. 

3. Add Educational Content

Educational videos explain topics related to your product or industry. They cover a broad subject concisely or answer a specific question in detail. These videos generate new leads and build trust. They add value to potential customers without asking for anything in return. This content is also useful when building an audience on social media as a business.

4. Consider Support & Retention

There are multiple ways video can be used for customer support and retention. Start by creating videos for your most frequently asked support questions. This knowledge base will allow users to self-service, freeing resources up in your business for high-profile customers. 

Things to Consider

Each stage of your customer journey will have different video content and a different means of distribution. For example, how-to videos for trial customers should be privately hosted and embedded within an email or webpage. But a corporate advertisement will be publicly shared across social media. Keep this in mind when outlining your plan of action.  

9. Set Video Production & Marketing Budget

Return to your goals from step one and estimate the cost of each. Project an expected ROI using past campaign data to estimate your expected cost per new lead or conversion. 

If your goal is 100 conversions and past data reveals that each conversion costs $200 to acquire, you can estimate a marketing budget of $20,000 to complete the goal. 

[Conversions] X [Cost Per Conversion] = [Marketing Budget]

To estimate your projected ROI, multiply the number of conversions (100) by your sales price. This will provide you with the projected revenue. 

[Conversions] X [Sales Price] = [Projected Revenue]

Subtract your marketing budget ($20,000) from the projected revenue to get your ROI.

[Projected Revenue] – [Marketing Budget] = [Projected ROI] 

Track your actual ROI over time. Use analytics and marketing automation software to continuously gather data on your marketing campaigns and assess conversion data. 

Before setting a video production budget, consider the other costs associated with your marketing plan. This will ensure you don’t over- or under-spend on video content. 

Things to Consider

Save money in the long term by producing evergreen videos — meaning the content will continue to be accurate and relevant for years. This will allow you to generate higher returns on your investment as well. Consider video longevity when adding humor and style; ensure the choices will allow your videos to remain modern and relevant. 

10. Take Action & Schedule Implementation 

Time to implement your B2B video marketing strategy! Formally compose a plan of action, use work management tools to stay on track, and collaborate with internal team members. 

If time and budget are concerns, implement your B2B video marketing plan in stages starting with the highest-impact content. Talk to your customers, get their feedback, and focus on creating a customer experience that consistently converts.

Things to Consider

Utilize the vault of knowledge we’ve compiled here at SproutVideo to make every stage of the process smoother. Check out these essential planning documents for video production, how to hire videography freelancers, and maximize your video ROI with these tips. 

Examples of B2B Marketing Videos

Hubspot Master Class

Hubspot hosts marketing master classes to educate and inspire. In this master class, Buzzfeed video producer Daysha V. Edewi shares her approach to crafting viral content. 

Snowflake Advertisement

This ad is a perfect example of exaggerating a common pain point for laughs: the only way to end the feuding department’s prank war is to use Snowflake for cloud data management. 

Workday Explainer

Combining animated graphics with a live-action host, this video skillfully presents the key benefits of Workday’s human capital management (HCM) system in under three minutes.

SAP Behind-the-Scenes

During Take Your Child to Work Day, SAP interviewed employees’ kids about what their parents do. The result is a fun peek into the lives of the people who keep SAP running day-to-day.

Volvo Trucks Advertisement

Prepare to lift your jaw off the floor. Volvo Trucks wanted to showcase the stability and precision of its Dynamic Steering, so it enlisted the help of action star Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Ahrefs Educational Content

Educational videos help businesses fully understand and utilize your product or service. This is a great example of an educational video that gets right to the point and solves a problem. 

Zendesk Advertisement

This light-hearted ad likens the relationship of an older married couple to that between a business and its customers. It also manages to explain the value of Zendesk in one minute.

Quick Tips for Your B2B Video Marketing Strategy

• Pick The Right Video: Align your content with your goals. The secret ingredient for success is to speak to your target persona.
• Think Outside The Box: Your video is an opportunity to differentiate yourself from potential competitors. Creativity creates engagement.
• Be Mindful of Customer Time: Make a series if you have a lot to share. Each segment can highlight your business and go into more depth about philosophies or products.
• Curate Supporting Content: Buyers don’t make big decisions or large purchases based on one persuasive video. Create a spectrum of content for your audience.
• Let Your Customers Do The Talking: Client testimonials are seen as more credible and more authentic than any traditional pitch. They also demonstrate real results.
• Encourage Video Sharing: An engaging, creative video is primed for sharing, through social media and old-school word-of-mouth. Also, include a call to action.
• Don’t Fret Over Production Quality: A polished video doesn’t have to make a huge impact on your wallet. These free resources will help you make professional videos.

The post B2B Video Marketing: How to Build A Successful Strategy appeared first on SproutVideo.