Full disclosure — I love to laugh — which is why I’m a big believer in using humor in B2B video.
So much so that my friends call me a cheap laugh. Typically, I’m the only guy at a stand-up comedy show slapping my knee as I let out a mighty guffaw while everyone else sits there in silence.
For me, humor is one of the key ingredients to happiness and memory. We remember the funny times because we associate it with a positive experience.
Just the other day I ran into a high school friend who always has a joke in his back pocket. We talked about old teachers, the epic food fight in grade 11, and our frame of mind when we wrote up our embarrassing graduation write ups for the yearbook.
Now that we’re grown up, we find ourselves both working in marketing. He’s in B2C at an advertising agency, and I’m in B2B. Naturally, we debated which marketing industry was better!
Today, B2B brands both large and small are getting results using humor in their video marketing campaigns.
I told him I’d show him how some of the top B2B marketers are using humor in their videos, with great results. And that’s where this blog post comes in.
So without further adieu, here are some of my favorite B2B marketing videos that will inspire you to rethink your next creative campaign.
Schneider Electric: Llama superstar
The title of this video so random it piques our curiosity, forcing us to figure out what the heck a Llama has to do with facility equipment.
Schneider Electric a typically low-key persona noticeable, producing a video with ridiculous dramatization and humor. Kudos to a company in traditionally cut and dry industry who were willing to take a chance on a different storyline.
10/10, would watch again.
A Video Conference Call in Real Life
Zoom.us has partnered with YouTube sensation Tripp and Tyler — famous for producing videos of typical office pitfalls using a dry, simple, and sometimes controversial sense of humor to widen the video audience for B2B marketers.
With more than 750,000 views, lots eyeballs have pointed this way. Here’s something to think about — if only 10 percent of these viewers convert, a relatively inexpensive production budget will have generated a massive return.
Lenovo “I Fixed It” – The IT Anthem
Hilarious and relatable for any IT department, this video was also given the award of Best Personalized Video at the Viewtopia conference in San Francisco.
Lenovo and their agency partner used Vidyard’s personalized video engine to feature things like name, position, and company within the video content.
When e-mail recipients received an email, their name was featured on the video thumbnail, adding an extra personal touch to everyone’s inbox. Who wouldn’t click on that?!
The moral of the story? Be kind to your IT team. They deserve it.
Citrix is an established company with a strong product suite catering to a variety of business buyers from every geography, all with similar yet varying needs.
With a broad audience to appeal to, Citrix went back to basics to promote ShareFile in a short, compelling video with a story that stands up. When paired with slick production values, strong casting, and well-tuned writing they can’t help but hit a home run.
Their message is clear: Missing files leads to confusion, frustration, and exhaustion. Keep your team working together without the theatrics. No drama. All business.
Let’s say humor angle in this one is, in a word, unique. But I still love it.
Zendesk’s video does a great job of communicating value, showing product functionality, and highlighting customer pain points all in one-shot. In place of the spoken word, Zendesk uses body language and email body language (which is a daily struggle for support teams).
Zendesk brings all stages of the buyer journey under one roof using quirky video styling and product screenshots, there’s something in this video for decision makers, users, and even customers of customers. It’s just that granular.
Humor is Human
To connect with your audience, you have to relate to your audience. To do so, you need a proper script and precise video execution.
Brands that don’t take themselves too seriously appear more approachable and science tells us that humor reduces anxiety levels — which has some merit when you consider B2B buyers are in a stressful position on a daily basis.
Organic Reach
People share things that are funny. Don’t believe me? Take a look at your Facebook page. How many funny videos about cats are in your feed right now?
By adding a bit of humor to a traditionally staid B2B video, you increase your odds of building organic shares on your social channels and emails.
Better Results
More views don’t guarantee more conversions, but proper targeting does.
It follows that more eyeballs will provide more data, which translates into more business. By analyzing engagement trends, you can target new accounts, new personas, and new areas.
One final thought — before using humor in B2B video, make sure you use your powers for good and avoid anything controversial or offensive.
Keep it light and relatable, and you’ll succeed!
