Video is one of the most widely used marketing tactics, with 89% of marketers using it in different stages of the consumer buying journey. B2B marketers are among this group. Yet despite the investment, despite the potential, most B2B marketing agencies continue to miss the mark.

They approach B2B video ads with outdated assumptions, mistaking complexity for credibility, formality for influence, and volume for impact. However, buyers expect more. They want to see themselves as collaborators in something greater rather than customers.

Agencies that still cling to traditional scripts for B2B video ads fail to realize that the landscape has shifted. The future belongs to those who create with precision and understand the nuances of a high-value audience. Our guide explains why you need to rethink B2B video ads and how to do it well.

Why Agencies Fail to Create Impactful B2B Video Ads?

While video consumption continues to rise, the effectiveness of many B2B video campaigns remains frustratingly flat. Why? It's not because video has lost its power but because agencies are still operating with old playbooks in a new world.

Let's see where they're going wrong.

Prioritizing Features Over Vision

Too many agencies approach B2B video ads the way they may approach a product sheet. They list features and recite specifications. The screen is flooded with information that most viewers can't even fully grasp.

Buyers in complex industries usually make a purchase based on a vision of the future rather than mere features. They buy into possibilities.

Take a cybersecurity company as an example. They launch a new AI-driven threat detection system. An average agency handling their B2B video marketing may create a video listing encryption standards, compliance badges, and so on.

However, a visionary agency would tell a story about a future where security threats are neutralized before materializing. The latter is likely to work better because even though facts matter, they need to be woven into a larger narrative that buyers can believe in.

Confusing Professionalism with Blandness

There is a persistent myth that B2B content must be dry in order to be taken seriously. Agencies are terrified of injecting emotion, creativity, or personality into business messaging for fear of seeming "unprofessional."

In a Reddit post, the Redditor asks if blandness is a necessity for B2B ads to work. The general consensus is that it's just how things have been done. Compliance may also restrict copywriting teams from taking risks.

However, it's important to remember that decision-makers watching these videos are still people. They still respond to stories and crave content that excites or inspires. Sterile scripts and monotone voiceovers are not the only way to convey expertise and authority.

Slack's "The Big Meeting" YouTube ad is a good example of a non-bland video ad. The ad includes a lot of dancing, quirky outfits, funny copy, and creativity. Yet, it's relatable and speaks to the audience's pain points.

Overlooking the Buyer Journey

Most agencies treat B2B video campaigns as isolated events. They create a flashy video, launch it, and hope for the best. However, impactful B2B video aligns tightly with the buyer journey and understands that different stages require different messages, tones, and calls to action.

A single prospect may need a sequence of videos. For example, they may need a visionary manifesto to spark interest, followed by a thought leadership piece to build trust, a case study to reduce perceived risk, and a demo walkthrough to encourage a decision.

If there are no strategic connections between these moments, even the best standalone videos will struggle to create real momentum. These videos also fail to grab attention since they're not relevant to the viewers.

In research conducted by Media Science, an advertising firm, and LinkedIn B2B Institute, it was revealed that 36% of viewers fail to recognize a brand correctly when they see a video ad for it in their LinkedIn feeds. The same study shows that in 81% of the cases, the creative and media dollars spent on a video ad campaign are wasted since the ad is not noticeable or memorable.

Simply put, LinkedIn video advertising doesn't prove to be effective due to the disconnect between the ad and the audience. The same applies to other platforms, too.

Not Accounting for the Platform's Norms

A hard truth that many agencies still resist is that not every platform has the same conventions. You can't expect a quirky ad made for X to be as successful on LinkedIn. On the other hand, a professional-looking ad that works well on LinkedIn won't necessarily have the same impact on Instagram.

However, many agencies try to use the same ad on different platforms and expect similar results. That's not how it works.

Instead, there's a need to align your video content to the platform you're showing it on. Take TikTok as an example. Previously, many B2B brands thought that the platform was just for B2C brands and didn't consider it for their advertising efforts.

However, as the platform gained popularity and started catering to a wider audience, more B2B brands started using it for their ad campaigns. The brands that are successful on the platform create content specifically for their TikTok audiences.

Shopify does it wonderfully. They play into running trends and memes to generate engagement on the platform. Their ads are also short and to the point, catering to the platform's short-form content style.

However, when it comes to YouTube or LinkedIn, the tone and type of content changes. As a result, Shopify is successful on all these platforms.

Defaulting to Explainers Instead of Experiences

Explainer videos have their place, especially in product education. However, when agencies rely solely on explainer formats to introduce a brand, they fail to create emotional momentum.

Impactful B2B videos are experiences, not lectures. They immerse the viewer and dramatize the stakes. More importantly, they pull people into a story where the buyer is the hero, not the brand. Ideally, you want your potential customers to feel like they are part of the story and have a personal connection to the brand.

How to Make Your B2B Video Ads Work?

Now that we've looked at the mistakes agencies make, let's discuss how to correct them. If your B2B video ads are going to break through, they must feel designed for the people you want to reach. Here's how the best teams are doing it.

Start With Empathy, Not Just Features

It sounds simple, but it's radical: your audience isn't thinking about you. They are thinking about their challenges, their goals, their deadlines, and their pressure points. Too many B2B videos open with a product demo or a list of capabilities.

However, smart brands begin with an understanding of what the customer is actually trying to achieve. They position themselves to help the customer on their journey rather than just promoting a product.

Semrush does a great job of this in their YouTube video ad. The company does not list its features in the video. Instead, they let viewers know that they wouldn't have to limit their SEO with Semrush. Then, they follow with a bunch of benefits the viewers can get if they make the move to Semrush.

Such an ad works because it grabs people's attention. Once they're in, you can then share features and specifications in a later video, such as a product demo or walk-through.

Match the Platform's Native Energy

We've already discussed that the ad must feel like it belongs where it appears. For that, everything from the tone and style to the pacing should match the users' mindset on that platform.

On LinkedIn, the ad should be professional but not stiff. Thought leadership wrapped in storytelling and authentic authority often works wonders on the platform.

On the other hand, TikTok video ads tend to be short and unpolished. They are more trend-aware, with a tinge of humor and relatability.

YouTube ads need to have a strong hook in the first five seconds, or else users will skip them. These ads should be entertaining and educational. If your content promises real value, users will not mind investing more time. For example, Monday.com's ad provides value by telling viewers what they can achieve from the platform. It also exhibits the platform's user interface to further entice the audience.

Similarly, if you're advertising on Instagram, visual aesthetics come into play since that's what the platform's users are used to. They also need quick emotional resonance to make a lasting impact.

Viral Nation, a digital marketing agency, uses these tips to create stellar Instagram ads. The agency's ad for its AI-powered brand reputation software has clean and high-quality visuals with a clear message and call to action. It also uses hashtags to attract people interested in features that the solution offers.

Distribute on the Right Platforms

Even the most brilliant B2B video will fall flat if it's shared in the wrong place. Video content distribution is not an afterthought but the engine that carries your message to the right minds.

Every platform is a different ecosystem with its own pulse, behaviors, and expectations. Successful brands recognize this and tailor their video distribution strategy accordingly. For example, LinkedIn favors professional insights and leadership content, making it perfect for thoughtful narratives and case studies.

Meanwhile, YouTube is better for depth and storytelling. So, your ads on the platform can be explainer videos or mini-documentaries. For example, Reach uses a one-minute-long ad to explain how you can use the platform alongside HubSpot to get a 45% email engagement rate.

TikTok and Instagram reward creativity, humor, and authenticity. Here, short-form, relatable videos can spark viral conversations even for B2B topics.

Measure the Right Metrics

Views and clicks are basic metrics that tell you if people saw the video. However, they don't tell you if the video mattered. Real metrics of success for B2B videos include:

• Watch time
• Sentiment analysis
• Share rate
• Progression metrics

Ideally, you want to see an increase in watch time and positive sentiment, as well as a high share rate. Plus, progression metrics such as completion rate can give insights into how engaged viewers are with the video content. The higher the engagement, the more likely it is that the video is successful in conveying its message and driving conversions.

Count on INDIRAP to Ace B2B Video Ads

When it comes to B2B video advertising, you need a true growth partner. INDIRAP is just the video product agency for this role, helping you build brand ecosystems that amplify your visibility and influence.

INDIRAP's strength lies in its full-circle approach. From creative strategy to video production, every move is crafted to drive real-world business outcomes. Unlike agencies that create content and hope it performs, our video production services include architecting a predictable, performance-driven framework.

As a leading Chicago video production company, we craft scroll-stopping videos tailored for each stage of the buyer journey, including brand stories, social media snippets, case studies, recruitment campaigns, and more. Then, we strategically distribute them across platforms where your audience already lives and engages. Book a free, no obligation Discovery Call today to learn how we can transform your B2B video ads strategies.