With the rise of AI and other tech tools, creating content quickly and affordably has become more accessible than ever. But here’s the kicker: is all this content actually making an impact?

At Tuff, we’re embracing AI across our creative process, from testing multiple variations swiftly to streamlining everything from concepting to final assets. This not only allows us to pass savings to our clients but also enables us to serve our clients faster and more efficiently, without compromising on quality.

However, there’s one crucial piece that can’t be overlooked: a solid creative strategy. Without it, your content won’t consistently engage your audience or drive revenue, no matter how much you produce or how efficient the process is. Sure, AI has improved our creative process and outputs, but without a strong creative strategy, success can still elude us.

In this post, I want to dive into why we believe that authentic, low-fi assets can actually outperform their slicker counterparts when it comes to developing ad creative that will  maximize your media dollars.

The Cost of Playing it Safe

As organic reach declines, the natural response is to pump out more content faster and cheaper to increase your chances of being seen. Doubling down on paid media often goes hand in hand with this approach. But the reality is that pouring resources into run-of-the-mill content doesn’t necessarily lead to revenue. It just drives your waves of messages into a sea of sameness, regardless of your audience targeting and budget. 

In crowded online (and offline) spaces, generic content blends into the background making standing out tougher than ever. At Tuff, we’ve seen firsthand the power of breaking the mold.

The Rise of Authenticity

One of the most exciting content trend developments we’re seeing is in B2B marketing. Influencers and user-generated content (UGC), once reserved for consumer brands, are now becoming staples in B2B creative. Why? Because behind every business is a human decision maker who responds to visuals and messaging just like you would. In a space flooded with charts, graphs, jargon, and salesy buzzwords, it’s genuine human connection that stands out. By partnering with influencers and content creators to embrace UGC, B2B brands can build trust and connect with their audience in meaningful ways.

B2B Ads With Personality: A Case Study with goHappy

Let me give you a very specific example using one of our existing clients, goHappy. Rather than sticking static assets, we decided to level up by collaborating with a content creator to test a couple of user-generated videos tailored specifically to their audience. Our main priorities with these assets were nailing the messaging and ensuring standout creative design.

• Strategic Messaging: By utilizing goHappy’s persona research and applying insights gleaned from our previous message testing results, we had a solid head start in understanding what types of tedious HR tasks our audience struggles with and some of the language they’re responding to in ads. We also knew that the average HR manager appreciates work related humor, so video scripts were written with some spicy HR memes in mind.
• Creative Design: Nothing humanizes HR like adding some personality. We turned to a UGC content creator marketplace called Twirl to help source a creator that would deliver our scripts in an engaging way. (Our creator, Amanda, even has HR experience, so we knew it was a perfect match!) From there, the Tuff motion team added gifs, goHappy branded motion graphics, and sound effects to her footage to bring additional life to the videos.

The results speak for themselves. After introducing the following 3 video assets to our LinkedIn ad creative mix, we were able to improve goHappy’s CPL by 34% in just 30 days.

Putting People First: Practical Steps for Your Strategy

Now, goHappy is just a single example, and there are numerous ways to infuse your ad creative with a human touch and authenticity. Here are some practical tips, based on what we’ve seen work across our client accounts, that you can start implementing today:

1. Know Your Audience: Dive deep into who your audience is and what their day-to-day struggles are. Aim to help them solve their problems, not sell them your platform. Lean into value propositions, customer research, and agile message testing to determine what your customers care about and how to get their attention. Create Intentionally: Consider the most impactful ways to get your message across to your audience. If it’s a quick message, a static graphic is great. If it requires some explanation, video is your friend. Keep in mind that your viewer is always a human, even in B2B.
2. Test and Learn: Experiment with different approaches and learn from what works (and what doesn’t). As long as you have a creative testing framework, no under-performing content is wasteful. A nimble approach allows you to adapt and evolve your strategy over time.
3. Embrace Technology: Use tools and automation to streamline your content production process. This gives you more time for strategic thinking and ensures your messaging stays human-centric. Currently, we’re finding great support from tools like Envato, Stocksy, Adobe Stock, Pexels, Unsplash, and Artlist.io.

By prioritizing a people-first approach and embracing a nimble testing strategy, you can create content that stands out and drives real results. Whether you’re a big brand or a scrappy startup, these insights apply to businesses of all sizes. By putting people at the heart of your strategy, you can cut through the noise and make meaningful connections that drive growth.

The post Authenticity: A Critical Component for Effective Ad Creative in the AI Era appeared first on Tuff.

Have you seen how folks are skimming past those long ebooks and hefty guides lately? You pour your heart and soul into crafting these valuable resources, but still, it’s tough to generate leads and MQLs on the platforms you’re promoting them on.

We’re starting to notice this because search engines are dishing out answers directly on the search results page (SERP), resulting in fewer visits to your website from Google. Plus, more people are tuning in to short video clips, newsletters, and LinkedIn posts instead. In 2022, video accounted for 82% of all internet traffic, up over 10% compared to the time period before the pandemic – likely due to how our consumption behaviors have changed since then.

At Tuff, we’ve found that engaging and authentic videos, not just slickly produced ones, are your golden ticket to standing out and building stronger connections with your audience, especially in the B2B realm. It’s not just about being visible; it’s about forging genuine bonds. Nowadays, people are turning to video content for more of their information, evident in YouTube’s longstanding position as the second most popular search engine globally and the rising use of TikTok for searches. Your audience is already consuming plenty of videos in their personal time—why wouldn’t they want to watch them when it comes to business decisions?

In this post, I’ll break down why short form video should take the spotlight in your B2B content and creative strategy. Plus, I’ll dish out some examples of the video marketing that have been hitting it out of the park with our clients. Ready to dive in?

The Case for Short Form Video in B2B Content 

When it comes to grabbing attention, videos take the cake over static images. They’re dynamic and include movement and sound, making them harder to scroll past. Plus, viewers tend to stick around longer, getting more engaged as they watch. Starting with a hook ensures viewers are drawn in from the get-go.

Also, in one video, you can convey multiple messages or clips, saving you from creating separate ads for each. With video, creative testing becomes a breeze—it’s way more efficient and scalable compared to static assets. This versatility is especially handy for products or services that need a bit of explaining to pique interest. And with a whopping 88% of people persuaded to buy after watching a brand’s video, it’s clear videos are more than just informative—they drive conversions.

Insights into High-Performing Videos and Categories: Current Success Factors

In our client portfolio, we’ve got a diverse mix of B2B brands, and nearly all of them have jumped on the video marketing for bandwagon for both their paid and organic inbound efforts campaigns.

Now, a common question we get is: what types of videos should you be creating? Well, based on recent successes, here are some categories we suggest diving into or at least considering, along with examples of each:

Explainer Videos: 

One awesome aspect of explainer videos, especially for intricate products or services, is that they’re easily crafted using stock images or videos. This makes them super useful for brands that don’t have a load of their own footage lying around.

Check out these two recent explainer videos we whipped up for clients. They’ve been successful in various paid campaigns, boosting both awareness and conversions:

Testimonial or Case Study Videos: 

Social proof is absolutely crucial for B2B. With decisions often hinging on referrals or thorough research, it’s key to have that backing. When we’re targeting specific audiences further down the funnel in our campaigns, we lean heavily on social proof and case study videos to encourage action. Our goal is usually to get them primed for engagement with the sales team. 

Check out this recent example of a short-form social proof video we used in B2B campaigns on LinkedIn:

We’re big believers in short-form video testimonials, so much so that we use this strategy for our own growth efforts too! Take a peek at this collection of testimonials from our clients sharing their experiences working with our team.

Animated Videos:  

When it comes to animated videos, nailing that attention-grabbing hook in the first few seconds is crucial. Plus, don’t forget to add some text overlay for an extra boost of engagement. These short-form videos, like explainers and testimonials, can really shine on your website and in LinkedIn and YouTube campaigns. Check out this recent animated video we did for a B2B brand—it nails all the key creative elements and has been a real winner for us in campaigns

User-Generated Videos: 

While you might think of UGC content as more fitting for DTC brands, it’s gaining traction and significance in B2B efforts too. One major perk? You can repurpose, tweak, and leverage UGC in various ways to maximize your budget. People connect with faces, so showcasing them in your content builds a deeper connection. That’s why UGC is such a hit—it works wonders in B2B, just like it does in D2C setups.

Check out one of our recent favorite examples that we crafted for a client to use in their paid campaigns:

Measuring Success with Short Form Video Campaigns

Wondering how to gauge the performance of your short form videos? Here are some key metrics to focus on when leveraging them in campaigns:

1. CTR (Click-Through Rate): This percentage shows how many people clicked on your ad out of those who saw it. It’s a good indicator of how engaging your ad is.
2. VTR (View-Through Rate): Similar to CTR, but calculated based on the number of people who viewed your ad. Depending on the platform, a view may be counted as 2 seconds to half of the video.
3. Ad Hook Rate: This measures how effective the beginning of your video was at capturing attention and keeping viewers engaged.
4. Completion Rate: This percentage tells you how many viewers watched your ad all the way through. It gives insight into overall engagement with your video content.

Ready to jump into video marketing? Now that you’ve seen what works and how to check if it works for you, it’s time to get going! You don’t need fancy gear or editing software to start—just dive in. But if you need a hand, reach out to our team! We’ve got a skilled bunch who can craft your performance creative strategy and handle everything from start to finish for your first video ad. 

The post Video Marketing for B2B: The Key to Elevating Your Content Strategy with Short Form Video appeared first on Tuff.

An image focusing on a laptop with a video editing program open, representing the technical side of crafting engaging content for video marketing campaigns.

A great inbound strategy revolves around one central component: creating an experience where prospects’ can have all their questions answered quickly. If video is not part of your inbound strategy, consider this: 91% of businesses use video as a marketing tool in 2023. 

Video is no longer a supplement to your marketing mix, it’s part of the table stakes. It allows businesses to communicate their message quickly, effectively and in a way that captures the attention of their target audience. 

Let’s take a deeper look at why video is so effective for your growth marketing strategy and what you can do to enhance your video usage quickly. 

Video helps users understand your offering faster

Videos offer speed in a way that other forms of content simply cannot. I’m not talking about loading speeds of a particular webpage, but rather the speed at which your prospects truly understand the essence of your offering. 

Let’s face it, people do not have the time or patience to read through every bit of text on your website. While you should still take care of your blogs and be very intentional with copywriting, you need content that quickly gets to your brand’s core. 

Video content is a highly effective way to convey your message quickly and in a way that is easily digestible. In fact, 96% of people have watched an explainer video to understand a product or service. By creating short and informative videos, you can convey your brand’s message in a way that is easy to understand, informative, and engaging. Best of all, it accomplishes all this quickly. 

Video marketing for technical services and products

This becomes all the more important if you have a technical or niche offering. Can you really rely on new users to read your 5,000 word blog explaining your product? Probably not. Can you rely on them to watch a 15 second intro video? Now we’re thinking more realistically. 

Here’s an example from one of our partners, Hustle. Hustle is a platform that allows mission-driven organizations to send text messaging campaigns out to their audiences. They offer a technical product with a ton of features, and needed a way to quickly and effectively explain why their features stood out amongst competitors.

We all know that a slow loading homepage destroys a website’s conversion rate. Think of your prospects’ brains as an extension of this “loading time”. The faster and more frictionless the “loading time”, the greater your likelihood of success. 

The shareability of video marketing

Regardless of your industry or vertical, peer-to-peer sharing plays a crucial role in growing your business’ reach. Whether you need your messaging relayed to a key decision maker, or simply need a larger digital footprint, you need content that is highly shareable. Videos are just that. 

Users are far more likely to share a brand with their peers if it includes a video. In fact, videos are far more shareable than static posts, blogs, or any other form of content. By creating engaging and shareable videos, you can increase your brand’s reach and awareness.

The video below is a great example of Tuff using video marketing for our own marketing strategies. In this video, a PPC expert on our team, Adli, talks about performance max. Sure, we could have posted a blog link or a graphic. But we knew that a video would be a more effective way to explain a semi-complicated topic, and it would be more shareable online.

If you’re thinking that video is simply too costly to produce, it’s really not. There are lots of ways to produce inexpensive video content that can bolster your inbound strategy. 

Using video to build credibility

Adding credibility or social proof to your site is important for gaining traction with users who have never heard of your brand. But the secret is out about reviews and users have grown skeptical of 5-star reviews from aggregator sites they’ve never heard of. And a written testimonial from some random person doesn’t always inspire a ton of confidence. 

Video testimonials are a much more powerful way to demonstrate your brand’s credibility. They provide social proof that your products or services are reliable and trustworthy. In fact, 79% of people say that watching a video convinced them to buy a software or app. By showcasing customer experiences, you can build trust and credibility with potential customers. 

We do this ourselves here at Tuff! Look how much more powerful a video testimonial is at giving a real authentic look at our offerings, compared to a random 5-star icon that could easily have been written by a bot.

Humanize your brand

We get it, chatGPT is everywhere. It is exciting, intimidating, and all anyone wants to talk about. But let’s take stock of what people are doing with it and what impacts AI is currently having on marketing.

With chatbots, anyone can quickly (and cheaply!) increase their blog output by a hundredfold. Regardless of the quality of that content, the fact is there’s about to be a lot more noise in the form of blogs. Blogs used to be a space where experts could directly convey their findings to a broader audience. With chatbots part of the marketing equation, the barrier to entry for creating decent blog content went from low to non-existent. There’s not really much time left for blogs to allow you to really stand out as a business.

While blogs are becoming increasingly easy to produce with the help of chatbots, videos still require a human touch. Sure, AI can produce videos now too, but a well-crafted explainer video, testimonial, demo, etc. still requires a human touch with extensive expertise of a brand’s offerings. 

A well-produced video gives your brand a more authentic experience rather than pages and pages of copy that’s just AI-generated. By creating authentic and engaging videos, you can connect with your target audience on a more personal level.

Video content is highly effective and important for inbound marketing. It is a powerful tool that can communicate your brand’s message quickly, effectively and in a way that captures the attention of your target audience. By leveraging the benefits of video content, you can increase your brand’s reach, credibility and ultimately, your revenue. Stay ahead of the curve and start putting your video content to the test. 

The post Why Video Marketing Should Be the Centerpiece of Your Inbound Strategy appeared first on Tuff.