8 Video Marketing Ideas for MSP Marketers

Video plays a big role in lead generation and conversion for B2B companies. More and more managed service providers are discovering how powerful online video marketing is. Have you given it a try?

If you haven’t ‘bit the bullet’ yet, it’s probably because you don’t consider it a feasible option for your MSP. You’re imagining a film studio with expensive cameras, equipment, and video editing software - something you probably don’t have.

While this is one way that you can produce videos, it’s not the only way! You can use a cheaper camera, your smartphone, or your computer to record your video, then use a free or affordable video editing program to put it together.

What Types of Videos Should An MSP Produce?

Fortunately, there are a lot of video marketing options that a small to medium-sized managed service provider can easily take advantage of.

Let’s go over some of them.

1. Training & Walkthrough Videos - Videos of this type can be created using a screen capture program, and often a voice recording solution. These videos lead the viewer through a task that is unfamiliar to them, providing practical educational value and establishing the poster as an informational resource. Producing videos like this are a great place to start if you’re new to video marketing because they are simple and relatively cost-effective to produce, as they generally require minimal editing.
   
   
2. Q&A and FAQ Videos - This type of video gives a generalized overview of questions asked about a particular topic, and the answers to them. You could produce this video by recording a live interview-style question and answer session (either a screen recording, or in person), or by just recording yourself answering questions that your company is asked about a technology topic or service offering.
   
   
3. Event Coverage Videos - The next time your MSP hosts or attends an event, whether it’s a local one or a trade show, consider shooting some footage! At the end of the event, you can edit it together to showcase your company’s presence and experience at the event itself.
   
   
4. Animated Videos - These videos can do a multitude of things, depending on how you choose to use them. One way to use them is to demonstrate probable issues and the solutions to them, giving the viewer an approachable, often-simplified view of a practical solution. This typically has the effect of creating a strong impression that the target audience ideally wouldn’t mind repeat-viewing. To understand what these videos can be like and to get some of your own, check out our MSP Marketing Videos.
   
   
5. Company Culture Videos - Your company is made up of people - your employees! You can show off your “fun side” by shooting videos showing your clients and prospects what your internal company culture is like. You may have seen some of our Crock-Pot Thursday videos that we’ve shot over the years… if you haven’t you should check them out. We’ve had multiple clients tell us how much they love these; find something fun of your own that you can share!
   
   
6. Video Testimonials - Hopefully you’re already showcasing testimonials that you’ve collected over the years on your website and in your marketing efforts - they’re a great piece of social proof to have! Getting one or more of your clients to submit a testimonial through video can be even more powerful because it can give your prospects additional confirmation of the quality and value of your service and customer experience. You can quite easily fake a text-based testimonial; it’s harder to fake one through a recorded video!
   
   
7. Webinars - Webinars are a video marketing tool that you can take advantage of in multiple ways. First and foremost, you should be hosting live webinars as a way to educate your clients and prospects. You can go a step further and do on-demand webinars, which are more personable webinars that happen after someone requests education on a particular topic. Finally, recording the webinars that you host and putting them on your website allows your clients who weren’t able to attend to learn from you, and shows your prospects the time and dedication you put into educating your clientele.
   
   
8. Talking Head Videos - If you didn’t already know, talking head videos are videos where a speaker addresses the camera and discusses a topic of interest to the viewer, be it a list of answers to frequently asked questions or simple best practices for a task. These videos are seen as a valuable resource for the viewer’s benefit. If you’re interested in getting your own (shot in our professional studio so you don’t have to get your own), check out our Talking Head Video Service.

Do Something With Your Videos

With your videos, make sure that you’re actually using them as you should be, and not just letting them sit on your YouTube channel. Here are some ways that you can use them:

• Promote Your New Ones - When you have a new video that is particularly valuable, you should be running a marketing campaign to promote it! You can use email, direct mail pieces, and social media posts to link to your video.
  
  
• Embed On Your Website - Videos can be placed in multiple places, including your homepage, service page, landing pages, in blogs, on your About Us page, and numerous other pages. We also suggest including a place on your website where all of your videos can be found.
  
  
• Use In Social Media Marketing - Videos perform well on social media, and you should consider pushing your videos to places outside of YouTube. However, we do suggest that instead of sharing one of your videos to Facebook, you upload it instead so that it can be seen by more of your audience.
  
  
• GIF Them! - You can turn a valuable snippet of one of your videos into a GIF, which can then be shared on social media, through an email, or put on your website.

If you’d like more help incorporating videos into your marketing, let us know!