Video in B2B: What Works, What Doesn’t, and Where to Start

Summary

B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt: Video in B2B – What Works, What Doesn’t, and Where to Start

Release Date: April 24, 2025

In this episode of B2B Marketing with Dave Gerhardt, host Danielle from Exit Five engages in a compelling conversation with Connor Lewis, the founder of Studio Lewis and an authority in B2B video marketing. Together, they delve deep into the nuances of leveraging video in B2B marketing, offering actionable insights and strategies for marketers aiming to harness the power of video without hefty budgets or extensive teams.

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1. Guest Introduction and Background

Danielle opens the episode by introducing Connor Lewis, highlighting his transition from an in-house marketer at an HR software company to founding his own agency, Studio Lewis. Connor shares his journey, emphasizing the rapid growth his previous company experienced—from $10 million to $100 million ARR—and the pivotal role video played during this expansion from [03:15].

Connor Lewis [03:57]: "We hosted huge events, built a category, and established a small video team in-house. That was crazy."

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2. The Evolution of B2B Video Strategy

Connor reflects on his early days handling video content, initially focused on simple talking head videos. As demands grew, he had to upskill, venturing into animation and scriptwriting, which broadened his perspective on effective video marketing.

Connor Lewis [05:13]: "I started out in that world and learned so much from it."

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3. Current Trends in B2B Video for 2025

The conversation shifts to the present landscape of B2B video marketing. Connor discusses the surge of video content on platforms like LinkedIn, noting a shift in community preferences and the types of videos gaining traction.

Connor Lewis [06:59]: "We're settling into what kinds of videos we like as a community, as a larger platform."

He identifies three successful video strategies:

1. Building in Public: Sharing business processes and milestones transparently.
2. Edutainment: Blending education with entertainment to keep content engaging.
3. Collaborations: Partnering with other creators to expand reach and tap into new audiences.

Connor Lewis [08:00]: "How do we bring it out of, you know, the virtual kind of we're at our desks with microphones world and make it a little more interesting."

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4. Starting with Video: Practical Approaches

Danielle and Connor discuss how B2B marketers can embark on their video journey. Connor advises against diving straight into high-production ads without first understanding effective messaging. Instead, he recommends starting with virtual production ads—such as animated or text-based videos—that are cost-effective and simpler to produce.

Connor Lewis [09:22]: "A lot of people are premature with video ads because you have to have a good understanding of what kind of messaging works before you invest in that kind of creative."

Additionally, Connor emphasizes repurposing existing content, like transforming top-performing blog posts into video formats to maximize reach and SEO benefits.

Connor Lewis [10:16]: "We knew that we wanted to repurpose them for YouTube too. I'd try a bunch of different iterations of the title of the blog post and the content of the blog post, making it into a video title."

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5. Enhancing Engagement Through Effective Video Elements

A significant portion of the discussion centers on crafting engaging videos. Connor highlights the importance of the first five seconds, stressing that capturing attention swiftly is crucial.

Connor Lewis [16:48]: "It's so important because it just contextualizes what they're about to watch. And for the Q and A, you just put the question on screen and if people have that question, they'll watch."

He introduces the "Reverse Rambo" hook technique, which involves stating a common belief, countering it with a personal perspective, and backing it up with data or experience.

Connor Lewis [19:09]: "Say a bold statement... declaring that I almost went bankrupt at the beginning of 2024."

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6. Authenticity Over Perfection

Connor advocates for authenticity in video content over high production values, especially on platforms like LinkedIn. He shares examples of successful creators who maintain a genuine and relatable presence, often recording in unconventional settings to break the monotony of typical corporate videos.

Connor Lewis [22:03]: "If it feels like you're having fun with it, if it feels authentic to you, then it's going to do better."

Danielle echoes this sentiment, recounting her positive experience with authentic, behind-the-scenes clips that resonated well with her audience.

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7. Strategic Implementation for Marketing Teams

For marketing teams contemplating the integration of video, Connor advises a phased and experimental approach. He suggests starting with limited series or specific campaigns to test effectiveness before committing to larger-scale productions.

Connor Lewis [29:12]: "It's so experimental and I think that's how you need to be in the beginning. You can't go all in on something before you know what actually works for video for your brand."

He also highlights the importance of copywriting skills in video scripting, drawing parallels between crafting compelling copy and creating engaging video content.

Connor Lewis [30:32]: "Video is very much related to copywriting. If you don't know what copy works on like a landing page or a webpage for your ICP, it's gonna be really hard to build scripts that resonate."

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8. Overcoming Barriers and Continuous Improvement

Addressing common apprehensions, Connor encourages marketers to view video as a skill that can be developed with practice. He underscores the necessity of stepping out of comfort zones and embracing imperfections as part of the learning curve.

Connor Lewis [31:25]: "Don't be scared. Just get started."

Both speakers agree that consistent experimentation and learning from each video project are vital for honing video marketing strategies.

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9. Closing Thoughts

Danielle and Connor wrap up the discussion by reiterating the importance of authenticity, experimentation, and strategic implementation in B2B video marketing. They highlight the value of community support and continuous learning, inviting listeners to connect and collaborate.

Connor Lewis [32:05]: "You're only going to get better, and so you got to work that muscle."

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Key Takeaways

• Start Simple: Begin with virtual production ads or repurposed content before investing in high-production-value videos.
• Engage with Hooks: Utilize effective hook techniques to capture attention within the first few seconds.
• Be Authentic: Prioritize authenticity over perfection to foster genuine connections with your audience.
• Experiment and Learn: Adopt an experimental mindset, testing different video formats and strategies to identify what resonates best.
• Leverage Community: Engage with communities like Exit Five for support, feedback, and continuous learning.

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Notable Quotes

• Connor Lewis [16:48]: "If you can do both of those, then you're usually pretty good."
• Connor Lewis [19:35]: "There is no perfect hook format. There's just a lot of ones that do work pretty well."
• Connor Lewis [22:53]: "If you're stiff and in front of the camera and you're doing something that doesn't feel like you, they feel that too."

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This episode serves as an invaluable resource for B2B marketers looking to integrate video into their strategies effectively. Connor Lewis's expertise and practical advice provide a roadmap for navigating the complexities of video marketing, ensuring that marketers can create engaging, authentic, and impactful video content without overwhelming resources.

Transcript

[Danielle]

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[Dave Gerhardt]

You're listening to B2B Marketing with me, Dave Gerhardt.

[Danielle]

Hey, it's Danielle from Exit 5 here. And in today's episode, I'm talking with Connor Lewis, the founder of Studio Lewis and a total expert when it comes to B2B video. We talked about a ton from why high production value doesn't actually matter that much to how marketers can get started with video without hiring a team or spending a fortune. He shared super tactical advice for B2B marketers. Whether you're trying to repurpose blog content, promote your next live event, or figure out how to make videos that don't just look good, but people actually watch. If video is on your plate this year or you just want to make better use of the content you're already creating, you're going to get a ton out of this one. I'm so excited to have you here today, Connor. So Connor Lewis is the founder of Studio Lewis? Yeah. That's yours? Yeah. I mean, it has Your name in it. Right. An absolute expert in video for B2B, which is a really cool niche. I thought we would have him on today to talk like all things B2B video because that is such a hot topic. We see it in the community all the time at exit 5. We get questions about it. We see people like looking to hire, especially as I think important trend now as everyone's going to events and smaller events and how do you even address that and getting content and so yeah, I wanted to have you on today to chat about all things video. So yeah, Connor, tell us about yourself. Give us the lore as I like the lore.

[Connor Lewis]

Well, thanks for having me. This is already so fun. My name's Connor. I am the founder of Studio Lewis. But I didn't start as an agency owner. I started in house and I worked at an HR software place that had about 70 employees. Worked there for 5 years up until we had like 250 ish employees scaled from 10 million ARR to 100 million ARR. That was not all me. I'm not taking credit for that. That was just like the trajectory that I was on.

[Danielle]

Quite a ride, I imagine.

[Connor Lewis]

Oh yeah, we hosted huge events, we built a category, we built a small video team in house. That was crazy. And this was all like in the span of like 2019-2022. 2023.

[Danielle]

Oh, nice. You had like the COVID era disruption too.

[Connor Lewis]

So like, yeah, pre Covid, a little bit post Covid. It was wild. And the strategy changed a lot to fit where people were at that point. So I saw a lot of different iterations of video. We tried so much different video too. We tried ads, we tried social, we tried YouTube, we tried events, like everything. So it taught me a lot about my point of view on video.

[Danielle]

Yeah, so you had extensive experience in house and you kind of. We chatted a little bit before we started hitting record. And how did you approach even learning? Were you hired for video? Did you find yourself like in this niche?

[Connor Lewis]

I was hired for video, but it was like a risky hire at the time. It was 2018 and video wasn't hot then. We just had a pretty forward thinking director of marketing who hired me as like a video intern. This was Baby Connor and my main role was making sure that our videos looked good. And they were all talking head Danielle. Like they were all just straight to camera, educational, super straightforward. And then when it got more creative, like I was out of my comfort zone then I had to learn animation. I had to learn how to put together a compelling script. Which were all skills I didn't realize I was lacking. Until you get thrown into the job.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And then you're like, wait, I'm kind of a producer instead of a marketer, but also both.

[Connor Lewis]

You go from this videographer role to, you're right, a producer role. And then eventually you have to level up to like, some kind of strategist. Like, what videos should we make, Connor? With, like, the questions I started getting asked, and then I was like, well, shoot, I don't know, I should probably read up on this or test some stuff or come up with some theories. So, yeah, I started out in that world and learned so much from. From it.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And now you specialize in helping B2B companies specifically with video ads, or do you do other types of video?

[Connor Lewis]

I did other types of videos for two years, but I'm in the Fletch school of marketing now where sticking with one niche and one use case is best. I ended up doubling down on ads just because that feels like the medium I know best at this point. I don't think that's always the best starting point for companies when it comes to video. But, yeah, I have done it all, and now I'm in the middle of a transition when it.

[Danielle]

No, that makes sense. And that is like, good to niche down. And I think we see that across a lot of the people in our network that have started out more broadly. Like, I do B2B video, or like Tess Wilber was like, I do all these things. Nope, I do landing pages.

[Connor Lewis]

You're right. Yeah.

[Danielle]

So I want to talk about. Well, obviously, if you've been on LinkedIn or pretty much any platform, you know that, like, video is here. It's not going away. We did the pivot to video.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, we did.

[Danielle]

Probably a little PTSD from that phrase, but I feel like it's getting put on a lot of marketers plates that's like, hey, we should do a video or we should do a podcast and then use that video in some way. So what are you seeing across B2B video with your clients? And just like in our little world, I'd love to know what you're seeing in 2025 and what you saw last year and what you think we're going to see going forward.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah. So I'll Talk specifically about LinkedIn video, because you brought that up and it's a hot space right now. It was because in 2024, we had those explosion of impressions that people kept boasting about that I'm sure you saw. And there were real impressions. Even though the engagement looked low, they were trying to push video really hard. And so it brought a lot of video creators to the platform. And I think now what we're seeing in 2025 is like this. We're settling into what kinds of videos we like as a community, as a larger platform, because I think that's still to be determined. But the three things, at least, that I've seen with clients that work the best on social video specifically, and have worked for me for my own business is, number one, is building in public. I think there are a lot of creators you could point to who you probably know how their business is doing and what they're doing. Vinmitano comes to mind from creator Buzz as an example. Building in public's really hot right now. It's not always the easiest thing to do if especially for businesses, but does work really well. The second one is, I call it edutainment. It's basically a mix of education, but how do we make it fun?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Connor Lewis]

How do we bring us. We're on zoom screens all day, or a lot of are in SaaS at least. And so how do we bring it out of, you know, the virtual kind of we're at our desks with microphones world and make it a little more interesting. That's what I've tried to be. I've been going outside, for instance, and just the change of setting alone has been like a pattern breaker. And a good hook will kind of bring people in. So that's edutainment. And then the third thing that I think is working really well is collaborations. I'm looking at like Devin reads between the lines. I'm looking at Event Shark is doing a lot of different collaborations. ClickUp is collaborating with even creators who are from Instagram. You're sharing other audiences when you do that. So you naturally get more reach and you get access to people you otherwise wouldn't have had access to. So those are the three things that I think are working on social video. That said, you don't have to do video to blow up on LinkedIn. Like, there are text creators and carousel creators who are doing just as well.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I did like one video and it did really well. But I. I don't know. I'm still. I think I'm more of a text creator than a video creator, but maybe a podcast will change it.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, this is your coming into yourself, Mom.

[Danielle]

Yeah, no, something you said really interesting a little earlier in the conversation was around video ads and like, you don't think that companies should always start there. Tell me more about that. If not ads, where should they start and when is the point where you start actually bringing video into your ads mix?

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, good question. I think a lot of people are premature with video ads because you have to have a good understanding of what kind of messaging works before you invest in that kind of creative. In my opinion, there's a really good way to get started, which is just doing virtual production ads. And by that I mean like animation ads or text on screen ads. Stuff that doesn't include like someone sitting in a studio with really nice professional lighting or you know, actors and locations and stuff like that. I feel like you should move into that realm once you've figured out messaging, once you have a bigger budget. But the, the virtual production is kind of a good place to start. But even before ads, like we didn't really have a huge ad budget when I first started out. And so what we did, we had an SEO based strategy. And so a lot of our videos, a lot of my first videos in house that were actually really successful were just taking our best performing blog posts and turning them into how to videos specifically.

[Danielle]

Interesting.

[Connor Lewis]

And the process for that I can share if that's interesting.

[Danielle]

Yeah, yeah, definitely share that. So how do you do that? So say I have this like awesome blog post. How do I then get it into a video that people actually want to watch?

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, good question. My process was we knew that we wanted to repurpose them for YouTube too. So I would use, I would use this tool called TubeBuddy and TubeBuddy would tell me which, it's basically an SEO ranking tool for YouTube. And so I'd try a bunch of different iterations of the title of the blog post and the content of the blog post, making it into a video title and then work towards the video from there. So for instance, we were an HR tech company, so we had the top 10 ways to engage your employees was a huge blog post for us. And at the time that we were making the videos, we were having a huge disengagement crisis called quiet quitting. And so one thing that was like really trending on YouTube at the time that people that there was a huge gap in the space for is like, why are people quiet quitting? Here are the top 10 ways. And so when I had that title and I saw that it ranked well, we backed into that title for the YouTube video and got around 6,000 views in about six months, which is pretty good for B2B.

[Danielle]

No, that's great for B2B.

[Connor Lewis]

And when we just stapled that to the blog post, it gave it a huge refresh. We were able to say last written the current date that we posted the video, which brought our ranking up. It also allowed it to show up in more search queries. So when people were looking this on Google, they could go over to the video tab and find us that way. We were even getting in the top ribbon of Google before Google AI was there. And so that was just a huge way to like double down on something that was already working for us and for most companies. To answer like your original question, which is how should people even think about getting started with video, I would just say double down on what's working. Video fits into blog posts, it fits into event marketing, it fits into ad campaigns. Just like I was talking about, like if you are doing paid, then good use video and paid. If you're not doing paid, don't change strategies just to do the hot new video, you know?

[Danielle]

Yeah, I like what you said about video for events. I think one of the things that it's like kind of a low hanging video fruit that I've done is like, so say we have a virtual event coming up in a couple of weeks and one of the things I want to do pin in that if I find the time is you get like your key speakers just to record 10 to 15 seconds of them. Like being excited about their session and what they're going to talk about and like releasing that. Getting people engaged, I feel like is a really good way to incorporate it for events.

[Connor Lewis]

Totally agree. We did that in house too. We ran an event called Optima, which was like our big conference and we were nervous about getting people to actually show up for it. And we did one virtually too. And we were extra nervous about that one because virtual events, we always, at least we in house had this stigma that like no one wants to go to them. So how do we get people hyped? But we did have big speakers. So yeah, I would say that getting your speakers just to do a quick little promo for you, 15, 20 seconds. And the more humid it is, the better. Like if they're stiff and being like in my session we're going to talk about. No, maybe even put the producer who's asking the question in there, get a little laughter, like a quick summary of what they're going to talk about. And mostly they're going to be there to be with that person and ask them questions. So bring that up too. Yeah, I really like using speaker promos. Another thing that we did was for webinars, which is similar to a virtual event. We would actually to drive people to the webinar recording, which is a lead magnet for us at the time. We would take the Q and A section, not the actual content of the webinar, but the Q and A section. We'd repurpose the top questions into shorts basically for social and for our newsletter. And so people would just click in, they'd see the number one question asked at the newsletter and what people seem to be responding to the most in chat. And that was a bigger lead magnet than when we just recapped the newsletter or like pulled a clip from or sorry, recapped the webinar or pulled a clip from the webinar because it was what our users were curious about, it's not what our predetermined agenda was. And so that was a huge unlock for us where it's like, oh, people really care about the Q and A for virtual events. Let's just keep boosting the Q and A. And that created a really nice cycle for us.

[Danielle]

Yeah, that's super smart. I'm even thinking of like our own webinars. Don't call them webinar, they're live sessions. That's like our little in thing, even though we call them internally webinars. But I digress. We always do a Q and A.

[Connor Lewis]

I like live session.

[Danielle]

I do too. And it's like a webinar. Makes me think of I'm just going to like an online training that I have to check off a box. It brings me back to my corporate days where I'm just like when I was in finance and it was like, here's basically how to insider trade but don't do it. And it's like all these like actors in horrible suits.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, no kidding. Yeah, Live session sounds like, oh, you're just hanging out with a bunch of musicians. Like we're jamming. There's art happening here.

[Danielle]

Yeah, we kind of describe it as like a live like podcast recording almost where we like bring in experts. Maybe it's on a teaching subject, maybe it's more panel style. But we always like love doing the Q and A section and we always kind of like rush through whatever the other stuff is to get to the Q and A because I mean we have built a really engaged audience and it's a like self feeding cycle too. Right. It's like people show up, they know they're going to get their questions answered. It's really fun. People are adding their own stuff in There. But I think we can really even lean into that at exit 5 with our recordings because we do put them on the podcast and then we have the video. But I like that like narrowing in on that specifically the Q and A section as a short of like, hey, here's the top three questions. Let's use that for video.

[Connor Lewis]

Yes. And you know, it makes such a good title too. I think what's underrated in social video especially is the actual text on screen that is in the first five seconds. Like is so important because it just contextualizes what they're about to watch. And for the Q and A, you just put the question on screen and if people have that question, they'll watch. If they don't, then the content's probably not for them anyway. So yeah, it makes itself and it creates this little feedback loop that's just beautiful.

[Danielle]

I love it. So that's actually a good question. So you have the text on the like the actual video, right? Is like you start what are I think like maybe like 3 to 4, 5 elements of B2B video you should like really focus on getting right. You said like the YouTube title. Having those first five seconds question on screen. I think we over index a lot of on like, oh, the production has to be perfect and I have to get this awesome camera and like the fancy microphone and make sure the setup's perfect. But does that actually matter or.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, I'm a high production agency and I'm here to tell you that it really doesn't matter that much, especially on LinkedIn. I spend as much time in the first five seconds as I do in the next five minutes, if you will. Because attention is just so scarce these days that like if you're not hooking them immediately, then it's tough. And I can give you several tips on hooks. I'm sure everyone on LinkedIn can give you several tips on hooks if you're doing a gut check on your hook. Just like does this succinctly tell people what the video is about and do I probe on some kind of pain in the first few seconds? If you can do both of those, then you're usually pretty good. How I posts work better than how to posts. So always speak from your own experience.

[Danielle]

Ooh, that's interesting. I think I over index towards how to instead of how I not in my video. Just like in writing anyways.

[Connor Lewis]

Writing. Yeah. Well, it's tempting because you want to seem like an expert, but honestly, the post that I've done where I'm speaking from my own experience do three times better than the one where I'm trying to grandstand. Even though it doesn't feel like I'm trying to grandstand. Whenever I say how to I look back on it, I'm like, oh, wow, I really look like a know it all there, don't I?

[Danielle]

Yeah.

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Any more tips on hooks? Cause I feel like, I mean, that's like kind of applicable across formats too, but like, video is really important.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. For hooks. I follow this person. He's been blowing up on LinkedIn a little bit. His name is Lewis Butterfield. Really cool dude. He has this hook format called the Reverse Rambo, which is really funny and I couldn't forget it. And it's worked for me, so I feel like I'll share it here. Now, you basically say like a very common belief in your first line. You're like, for instance, everyone says that cold emailing is dead. I'm so sorry I used that example. But you know, I just saw it today before this.

[Danielle]

Yeah, yeah, it's all over LinkedIn.

[Connor Lewis]

That's a classic. Just say a common belief and then say the word but and say your point of view on that belief and then back it up with some kind of stat or back it up with some kind of personal experience. And then their third line is, and here's how you do it. It's so simple, like destroying that Common belief. And then here's how you do it. Works really well. That's one of many hook formats. Another one is just like saying a bold statement. One of my posts that did really well was a building in public post. I just, like, declared that I almost went bankrupt at the beginning of 2024. And, like, just sharing something so stark about yourself can catch people off guard and want to read more. So, like, what are you feeling bold enough to share about your business? About how you're thinking about marketing? If you're ahead of marketing, you can share about, like, some of the struggles you're running into with marketing and how you overcame them. So it's a story about empowerment that also boosts your personal brand, that also showcases your software. So, yeah, I mean, I could wax philosophical about hooks forever. There is no perfect hook format. There's just a lot of ones that do work pretty well.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And I think, like you said, you kind of have to experiment and, like, play with it a bit and figure out what works for you and feels good and you want to, like, keep owning it on. That's funny. You said the struggles you're having. I posted maybe like, two weeks ago. Last week on, I just had a subject line that just, like, totally flopped and thought it was good. Really? Well, the post did awesome because everyone was like, oh, like, I love this. Everyone was, like, trying to, like, help me in the comments. And like, they're like, what was the subject line? And, like, how can we fix it? And it was really funny. I mean, not funny. It was really cool because, like, I also think, like, marketers are just inherently helpful people, too.

[Connor Lewis]

And you know what I love about that little anecdote that you shared is LinkedIn is full of bravado. It's full of people saying, I did it right all the time. I always do it right. And so for someone to be like, I actually struggled with this thing, and here's how it made me reflect on my own thinking that stands out just on its own by its ethos. That is something that's interesting. You're being honest with us.

[Danielle]

Well, it goes back to something you said earlier, too, which I think is interesting. Around, like, pattern interruption, like, just filming videos outside instead of, like, talking head at your desk with, like, perfectly styled background and manicured head. Yeah, exactly. I actually. I put on makeup today, so never do that.

[Connor Lewis]

Let's go.

[Danielle]

But even, like, going outside, Dave posts videos from outside all the time. Because normally when you think, like, B2B video, you're like, okay, like, I'm at a perfect office, or I'm like, sitting at my desk, but it's like, oh, hey, this person's outside. Maybe I should watch it because my brain is activated because it's different. I'm not conditioned to just, like, ignore it because I've seen it 10,000 times on LinkedIn.

[Connor Lewis]

You're so right. When it comes to pattern interrupt, the first person that comes to mind is Liam Maroney from Storybook Marketing. For me, he literally just has three to four minute videos where he's sitting outside, there's no editing, and he's talking about a concept, and sometimes it's even like snowing on his head. And you're like, how are you cold, man? But also, you're making really good points right now. I think it's very tempting to copy what seems to be working for other people, but by doing that, you're automatically blending in. So, like, how can you make something that's unique in your own. There's another person. I'm sorry, I'm just like, name dropping and referencing.

[Danielle]

No, go for it.

[Connor Lewis]

Renee Shah from Too Long didn't view tldv. It's like a recording software. She's awesome in that she has this, like, quirky personality and she brings you around her town as she's talking about something that she's doing. If it feels like you're having fun with it, if it feels authentic to you, then it's going to do better. Because people can inherently feel that in the video. If you're stiff and in front of the camera and you're doing something that doesn't feel like you, they feel that too. And they. And they tune off, you know?

[Danielle]

Yeah. And even thinking about the video that I ended up doing, and I was, like, excited about it because what I did was I just like, recorded a bunch of little clips from, like, prepping for Drive last year of like, us, like, unboxing all the T shirts and making all the boxes and what I was doing in, like, our hotel room, like, trying to get the newsletter off. And that did really well because it felt also, like, authentic to me. More so than me, like, sitting down and being like, this is how you do content marketing. I am the expert.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah. Yeah. Because people get to see the process. There's an obsession with process lately, and I think it's really good because it leads to a lot more transparency in business. From my in house days, we had a video of our CEO in a suit talking to the camera and basically declaring the different types of updates that we did to the software this month and then we had like a really laid back version of that too that we tested where he wasn't in a suit, he was just like in a normal sweater. He was kind of sitting down with one of the engineers and talking through it. And like we referenced a whiteboard and people liked the conversational one like three or four times more views and engagement. It's so tempting in B2B to just be on a high horse all the time, but really that's what's killing the videos, is being on a high horse.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And okay, so that actually leads into something else I want to talk about. And we touched on this a little bit before we hit record. But because video is so hot right now, a lot of marketing teams are probably getting it either put on their plates or they want to try experimenting with it. And like we were talking about like you had a super visionary head of marketing who was like, okay, we're going to go hire like, like specific video person. And I've been lucky to have that on my teams too. Like I, I worked at ProfitWell which like we had a whole studios team which was awesome and fun because like, like our CEO was super bought in. He was like, no, this is the future, this is what we're doing. We did full shows and it was super fun, unlike pricing pages and retention sequences. And it was fun. But that being said, how do you go ahead with video? Like you said, if you're say I'm like a marketing manager that now needs to do video or wants to try video without having that like dedicated person. We talked about like the best performing blog posts. I think that's an awesome entry point. But what else would you say?

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, I'm gonna say this answer, assuming that it's basically a solo head of marketing without too many team resources or money or the ability to hire an agency, stuff like that. So you're probably pretty early stage in those kinds of companies. I really think doubling down on whatever strategy you have, however you're going to market and seeing what's working, just try video in that area. You do not have to be a LinkedIn influencer to start on video. Honestly, it's one of the hardest videos to do because it's like nerve wracking and it's your public image and all those things and all of those are going to be blockers to you actually just getting started with video. And so if SEO is your strategy, the blog thing that we talked about, perfect. If you have a product led growth company, a lot of your Marketing efforts are probably going to be focused on upgrades. And so product updates. Teaching people like educational videos do so well in PLG companies with freemium trials, putting those in the products, actually putting those in nurture sequences. And literally it can be as simple as, like putting a phone on a tripod and having PowerPoint slides of the product updates. And just being really casual with it can go a really long way. There's this YouTube company that's trying to be the next search engine called I think I'm going to mess up their name. But it's something like the browser company. Their videos are entirely just the founder hopping in front of a computer and being like, here's what we worked on this week. I'm really stressed about this. And also I think here's how we can do it a little differently. And the features that I have in mind, and here's my dream and here's how you could get started today. And it's very product led. It's very, like, focused on their user base. Like, no one really watches it unless they have a free account. So for a PLG company, educational videos are a great way to start. If you do have a more social led strategy, then tiptoe around finding your voice on camera. You know, how are you going to tell an agency or even a video hire how you want your videos to look if you haven't experimented with yourself as a head of marketing even a little bit? I'm also of the opinion that, like, being in front of camera is a skill that I think marketers need today. And so you should get on that. If you tense up when you think about getting in front of the camera, like, you should probably flex that muscle. You can record videos and never show them. Just putting yourself in front of the camera is the first step.

[Danielle]

Yeah, no, that's a really good point. And like, just getting like, it's like with anything you need, like, practice.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah. Video is just a muscle.

[Danielle]

Right? And podcast appearances, great place to start. Like, you don't even have to start your own, just go on someone else's.

[Connor Lewis]

I didn't even bring up podcasts. So smart. The people saying podcasts are dead, I think are missing the point of podcasts. They build a deep audience, not like a wide one, which is amazing from like a benefit standpoint. But most importantly, they build the skill of just being able to talk in front of the camera and network. I know so many heads of marketing who have a podcast that doesn't have a ton of viewers, but an amazing channel for them to Connect with the people that they want to connect to. Just inviting them to a podcast and starting that connection. And then also their speaking skills get better. I'm still working on my speaking skills and I'm showing up to podcasts like this.

[Danielle]

Same. This is officially the third episode I'm.

[Connor Lewis]

Hosting, so you're killing it.

[Danielle]

No, and I think I was talking to someone a while ago and I'm going to forget who it was, but we were even talking about if even a podcast seems like too much because there is this feeling of permanence with that. It's like, oh, we have a podcast now.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah. And then you're committed.

[Danielle]

Do like a four video series on something and just interview someone. Like, if I wanted to do a series on like B2B video and get like, you and like, dang from event Shark or something like that. And it's like, okay, we're just doing like a miniseries. I love a limited series. They do well.

[Connor Lewis]

They do well on Netflix. They probably do well in B2B world. You know. I agree. That's a great idea, 100%.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And it's also like an easy, like not easy, but, but a good contained experiment. That's not like, hey, we have a podcast now. It's so permanent, blah, blah, blah. It's like this onerous thing that you have to constantly keep doing. But it's like, hey, we did that and it really worked. Or, hey, maybe we missed the mark on that. Let's try something different.

[Connor Lewis]

I love that because it's so experimental and I think that's how you need to be in the beginning. You can't go all in on something before you know what actually works for video for your brand. And a lot of video is just product messaging. Like you're figuring out your product messaging and your positioning and stuff like that. And also what personality works well with your audience. So, yeah, I love limited series because it sounds like you're testing a concept and you're, you know, we'll do four episodes, we'll see which episode did best. We'll see overall how it compared to our other marketing materials, if this is worth the investment. And then we'll pivot and try something new. And like, I think in the first year of doing video, that's all I would do is like, experiment one, experiment two. Oh, okay, this works. Let's double down on experiment two, that kind of thing.

[Danielle]

Yeah, I also, earlier you said something around and I don't remember the phrase you used, but basically like non production video. Is that what it is where it's basically like text on screen or something like that. Like, that's animation, virtual production.

[Connor Lewis]

It's all cheaper to make.

[Danielle]

Yeah. And like, animation, I feel like I'm like, oh, that sounds so scary. I need to go, like, learn after effects or something. And please forgive me if this is offensive. But, like, you can do that in canva.

[Connor Lewis]

You can. Yeah, it's not offensive. It's true. It's true. It's like those kinds of videos too. The animation style videos are closer to copywriting than closer to, like, actual production. I saw a poster that was like, the number one hire should be a product marketer. And I couldn't agree more because video is very much related to copywriting. And if you don't know what copy works on like a landing page or a webpage for your icp, it's gonna be really hard to build scripts that resonate too, because the amount of time you have is very similar. The length of sentences should be very similar to copywriting. It should be snappy, it should be punchy. So, yeah, to your point.

[Danielle]

Yeah. No, I love that. Well, this was super fun. Any kind of closing thoughts on video? Anything you want to touch on?

[Connor Lewis]

Don't be scared. Just get started.

[Danielle]

Yeah.

[Connor Lewis]

There's your inspirational call.

[Danielle]

But, like, so much of that is true in marketing.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah. It's not video specific. You're right.

[Danielle]

No, it's like, get out of the perfection bubble, that everything has to be, like, polished and perfect and just like, try the minimum viable version.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah. Also, my first videos were terrible. And then I did video for six years, and then my first social videos were terrible. You're only going to get better, and so you got to work that muscle. And we're all frumping around trying to figure out what works with video. No one has a golden bullet. You just have to test and learn each time and get better each time. It's just like any other marketing.

[Danielle]

Exactly. Well, this was super fun. I'm so glad we got finally got you on the podcast today. And also you made really cool videos from Drive, so we'll have to share those too. I loved those. And I might even get that little camera that you had. I loved it. But can find you on LinkedIn.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, please do.

[Danielle]

And also check out Studio Lewis.

[Connor Lewis]

Yeah, hit me up for any questions. You don't have to be into ads to ask me a video question. I'll give you my unbiased opinion, even if I'm not in that realm.

[Danielle]

And I can verify that because Connor is genuinely one of the most helpful people in B2B. So take him up on that offer. He's in the Exit 5 community too, but also on LinkedIn.

[Connor Lewis]

Oh yeah, 100%. I check Exit 5 every day, so if I see a video question, I'll try to hop in.

[Danielle]

I'm telling Dave that right now in Slack. He's going to be so excited. Really?

[Connor Lewis]

Oh cool. I love that community.

[Dave Gerhardt]

Hey, thanks for listening to this podcast. If you like this episode, you know what? I'm not even going to ask you.

[Danielle]

To subscribe and leave a review because.

[Dave Gerhardt]

I don't really care about that. I have something better for you. So we've built the number one private community for B2B marketers at exit 5. And you can go and check that out. Instead of leaving a rating or review, go check it out right now on our website exit5.com our mission at Exit 5 is to help you grow your career in B2B marketing. And there's no better place to do that than with us at exit 5. There's nearly 5,000 members now in our community. People are in there posting every day asking questions about things like marketing, planning ideas, inspiration, asking questions and getting feedback from your peers.

[Danielle]

Building your own network of marketers who.

[Dave Gerhardt]

Are doing the same thing you are so you can have a peer group or maybe just venting about your boss when you need to get in there and get something off your chest. It's 100% free to join for seven days, so you can go and check it out risk free and then there's a small annual fee to pay if you want to become a member for the year. Go check it out.

[Connor Lewis]

Out.

[Dave Gerhardt]

Learn more exit5.com and I will see you over there in the community.

[Danielle]

Today's episode is brought to you by Paramark. Q2 is here. Budgets are already under the microscope and leadership is probably asking you what's actually working in marketing. What should we cut? How do we hit pipeline with fewer resources?

[Dave Gerhardt]

How do we grow faster?

[Danielle]

Does that sound familiar? But most teams still don't have a clear way to measure what's actually driving results. And that's where Paramark comes in. Paramark is a marketing attribution platform that helps you understand what's working and what's not so you know exactly where to invest your next dollar. It goes beyond basic click tracking and utms because let's be honest, those don't tell the full story. Paramark uses marketing mix modeling and incrementality testing to give you a true picture of your performance. You'll see what channels to double down on. What campaigns are just noise, what's Dr. Results across, brand paid, organic, a certain geography, you name it. It's built by marketers for marketers. So if you're starting Q2 still guessing about where to spend, where to cut, or how to defend your budget to the CFO and CEO, you're probably flying blind. And that's where Powermark comes in. Paramark can help you fix that. Go and check them out right now. Go to paramark.com to learn more. I hope they can measure this.