From spreadsheets to storytelling: How video content is changing B2B marketing

Traditionally associated with influencers, digital creators, and consumer brands, video has often been shunned by the B2B community for being a ‘less efficient’ medium compared to more traditional B2B channels. When looked at carefully, however, data tells a different story: companies with a B2B focus are slowly warming up to and also recognising the strategic potential of video, and they are starting to integrate it, albeit cautiously, into their communication and marketing strategies. 

In the context of B2B relations, the impact of video is increasingly tangible, becoming one of the channels that creates the most engagement. The formats are also changing: gone are the days of standardized virtual fairs or webinars – video is now a key tool for inspiring, informing and generating value in the most intuitive and time-efficient way possible.

This trend follows a deep change in user behaviour – the magnitude of which is akin to what happened when televisions started populating people’s homes. Users now spend more and more time online and as a result, companies are revisiting their digital ecosystem. Today, video is one of the most powerful assets designed to capture the audience’s attention, improve brand awareness and strengthen brand positioning in the market. Animated content is the language of the new digital age: dynamic, engaging and built to maximize impact in an increasingly competitive market.

The process of customer acquisition in B2B is undergoing a profound transformation. In the past, winning the attention of a decision-maker meant drafting detailed technical documentation, market analysis, and scheduling a long series of meetings. Today, an effective 90-second video can have a much higher impact from a communication point of view, positioning the brand in a memorable way from the very first interaction.

Time has become more valuable than ever with the attention span of the average person, from end-customer to top executive – plummeting. A recent study by Forbes and Google shows that 59% of top executives prefer to watch a video rather than read a text, even when both options are available. 

YouTube is also changing: once exclusively a platform people would turn to for entertainment, now it is increasingly populated by professional content. Formats such as corporate videos, case studies, product demos and tutorials are performing tremendously well, demonstrating that they are able to attract specialised audiences.

LinkedIn has also undergone a significant evolution from simple job search platform to strategic hub for B2B knowledge exchange. Videos published on LinkedIn generate engagement rates up to three times higher than simple text content, and according to the platform’s data, the performance of corporate videos is five times higher than that of other formats, serving as a catalyst for business connections and buying decisions.

The adoption of video in the B2B context is part of the natural evolution of user consumption habits as well as being a generational phenomenon. 
Millennials – those born between 1981 and 1996 –  who make up the vast majority of managers, decision-makers and often entrepreneurs today – have developed a natural inclination towards video and using it as the go-to tool for learning and problem-solving. Millennial behaviour shows that they would much rather receive quick, visual, and easily digestible answers than read a manual. Data confirms this: 70% of millennials on YouTube in fact regularly use the platform to acquire new skills.

The appeal of video content isn’t just limited to millennials but has spread to older generations as well. People from generation X  – term that refers to those born between 1965 and 1980 – although not a digitally native, show a high interest in video consumption, specifically clear, well-explained, and structured content. According to a study by Google, 65% of users in this category are reported to have made a purchase after watching an informational video about a product or service.

Perhaps unexpectedly, research shows that Baby Boomers (1946-1964) also play a strategic role in the consumption of digital content. Although not as present online in quantitative terms, they represent a key demographic for value-based content strategies that are informative, and depth-oriented. Quality and relevance in this case are the key elements that capture their interest and spark engagement.

Ultimately, emotional appeal emerges as a common trait for each of these generations, largely explained by the fact that curiosity, the quest for knowledge, and the desire to keep up with an increasingly digital world guide human behaviour. Video is thus a superior tool that can at once simplify complex concepts, skillfully present products and services, and activate authentic emotional connections.

In 2025, the question should no longer be whether to use video as a communication tool, but how to do so effectively. In terms of production, the technological barriers that stood a few years ago are no longer an issue: today you can create professional content with a smartphone, free video editing tools, and a bare minimum of creativity. Precisely because video is now extremely accessible, a new problem has begun to emerge: the excess of content.

In a digital landscape saturated with visual stimuli, the real challenge as a business is knowing how to differentiate yourself. Technology is not enough: brand identity, narrative consistency, and a deep attention to time and the expectations of the audience are essential elements to consider.

In B2B, this can be achieved by avoiding the classic mistakes of the past: videos that are too long, self-referential, and technical to the point that they seem designed for aerospace engineers. The audience wants to understand your product or service – yes – but also to be engaged, entertained and, ideally inspired. Even in traditional sectors – such as logistics, manufacturing or industrial services – there are authentic stories to tell through testimonials, business successes, and behind the scenes. The answer lies in finding the right angle, one that humanises the message and makes it relevant for those who watch it. Successful video content, today, has both the power to inform and to create an emotional connection with the audience, increasing the perceived value of the brand and fostering solid and lasting business relationships.

A perfect example of B2B video marketing is Volvo Trucks’ famous “The Epic Split” campaign featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The video, made to demonstrate precisely the stability and manoeuvrability of Volvo trucks thanks to a complex technical element – dynamic steering control makes the product understandable and engaging for a wide audience. The video immediately went viral, generating over 100 million views, 6 million shares and more than 20,000 articles online. The campaign also brought tangible results from June 2012 to May 2014, with an increase in monthly visits to the site from 175,000 to over 300,000 and a significant growth in the social fan base, from 16,000 to 362,000 followers on Facebook, from 6,000 to 19,000 on Twitter and 3,500 to 92,000 on YouTube. In addition, 40% of potential customers said they were more likely to choose Volvo after watching the video.

In the past couple of  years, the video marketing landscape has undergone a significant shift, introducing new formats and technologies. “Mobile-first” content is gaining more and more space: vertical videos, once associated exclusively with platforms such as TikTok or Instagram, have now become a standard across platforms, appearing both on YouTube (with Shorts) and LinkedIn as well.

Live streaming has become increasingly popular, especially useful for digital events, product demos and interactive webinars, as they offer immediacy, authenticity, and real-time engagement. At the same time, the adoption of AI now makes it possible for users to generate personalised videos in real time which are adapted to specific audience segments.

The result is increased accessibility and flexibility in video content creation and distribution. Today a product can be presented using a 30-second video on LinkedIn, alternatively a technical demo in live streaming on YouTube can be scheduled or launch a campaign consisting of dynamic clips based on the user’s industry can be shared. The options are endless. 

Video thus ceases to be a single piece of content and becomes a modular ecosystem instead, which adapts to every touchpoint of the customer journey and responds precisely to the needs of an increasingly demanding, informed, and mobile-oriented audience.

There is one last, crucial element to consider: in B2B, trust is everything. No decision-maker signs a contract or changes a supplier based on an ad they saw. Before any conversion, a solid relationship needs to be built first. In this context, video should not be interpreted as a direct sales tool, but rather as a means of approaching, and positioning the relationship. Its value lies in the ability to transmit transparency, empathy, and authenticity, three essential prerequisites for establishing trust. 

That’s precisely why video is extremely effective in B2B: it breaks down distance, humanizes the brand and makes the message more accessible and memorable at once. It is the ideal format to tell the story of a company and what it stands for, show technical expertise, share authentic stories and create a bridge between the market and the people behind a certain brand.

In today’s competitive landscape, the ability to truly engage, inspire and generate value through communication is a must. Traditional formats – like text brochures – often fall short in creating a real connection. Video, on the other hand, enhances the quality of communication by helping companies to be heard, understood and remembered. It’s not just about adopting a new format, but about communicating more effectively, with the right audience, at the right time, through the right channels. The biggest advantage? Video content is now more accessible than ever, thanks to new technologies, flexible formats and tools that also fit limited budgets.

In an environment where relationships count as much – if not more – than product performance, video becomes an essential asset for those who want to build authority, maintain relevance, and establish trust.