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B2B Video Agency vs B2B Video Production Company: See the Difference

Wojtek Jeżowski

February 5, 2024

Table of Content

When it comes to creating impactful B2B video content marketing, the choice between a B2B video agency and a B2B video production company is not just about preference. It’s about understanding the differences that can make or break your video marketing success.

Knowing these distinctions is vital for aligning with your business and marketing objectives without getting swamped by industry jargon or sales pitches.

Key Takeaways

  • B2B Video Agencies focus on developing comprehensive video marketing strategies, including crafting videos tailored to target audiences and promoting content, while B2B Video Production Companies specialize in executing high-quality videos that align with a company’s branding and value proposition.
  • B2B Video Agencies are involved in the overall process of content creation, from setting strategic objectives and understanding target demographics to video distribution and maximizing platform exposure, whereas B2B Video Production Companies are primarily concerned with video production, technical expertise, and post-production editing.
  • When choosing between a video agency and a production company, businesses must consider their marketing strategy needs, desired cooperation scope, budget, resources, and the type of collaboration model that fits their objectives to ensure the chosen partner aligns well with their video marketing goals.

Decoding the Terms: B2B Video Agency and B2B Video Production Company

Creating compelling video content involves key players, namely B2B Video Agencies and B2B Video Production Companies. Their operations center around video marketing, but their concentrations differ significantly.

B2B Video Agencies are about the bigger picture. They specialize in developing video marketing strategies tailored to your target audience’s needs and preferences, creating a variety of video content from explainer videos to product demonstrations, and driving brand recognition and customer retention.

On the other hand, B2B video production companies serve as the industry’s artisans. Their focus is the creation of superior video content mirroring your company’s potential and ability to deliver.

They are the masters of shaping the first impression your brand makes on potential clients, and their expertise ensures that your videos align with your business’s value proposition and don’t lead to the loss of audience trust.

Core Services Offered by B2B Video Agencies

B2B Video Agencies offer a collection of services that include:

  • Developing video marketing strategies
  • Developing engaging stories (storytelling strategy)
  • Providing creative input for video content marketing
  • Creating video content
  • Distributing and promoting video content

They are the architects of your video marketing strategy, the creative brains behind your video content, and the driving force behind your content’s distribution and promotion.

Marketing Strategy and Consultation

The first step in constructing an effective B2B video marketing strategy is to establish clear objectives for your video content. This could be anything from increasing brand awareness to fostering stronger connections with prospective clients.

A B2B video agency assists in crafting these objectives and tailoring your marketing strategy to your specific target audience, taking into account their demographics, interests, language, and desired theme.

A robust B2B video marketing strategy offers advantages not only to the B2B sector but also significantly aids B2C businesses by visually showcasing their products, reducing bounce rates, and extending on-site time.

To achieve this, a successful strategy must encompass clearly defined objectives, an understanding of the target audience, and optimized video content that maintains consistent branding across various channels.

It includes the part where the agency creates a story to be told by the given brand. It means the preparation of business and brand storytelling strategy and how it can be showcased by video marketing.

Full-Service Video Content Creation

B2B video content creation process

In the realm of B2B video agencies, content creation extends beyond the simple production of video content.

It involves a detailed and comprehensive approach to explaining the benefits and use cases of products or services to a business-oriented audience.

A significant component of this process is pre-planning and customer research, which is essential to ensure that the final video content aligns with your audience’s needs and fulfills its intended purpose.

This intensive process of producing videos allows you to create videos that are imaginative and engaging. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Brand videos
  • Product demos
  • Explainer videos
  • Recruitment videos
  • Testimonials
  • Case studies
  • Video ads

These videos not only distinguish your content but also capture the interest of prospective clients. By choosing the appropriate agency, you can create high-quality content that becomes an integral component of your video content marketing strategy, helping to increase brand awareness and securing internal support and approval from decision-makers.

Distribution and Promotion Expertise

Distribution and promotion go hand in hand with content creation.

B2B video agencies are adept at maximizing the exposure of your video content on platforms such as Vimeo, SlideShare, and LinkedIn, where a professional audience base thrives.

They also assess user interactions and engagement with your video content across various social media platforms to prioritize the platform that garners the highest engagement for targeted efforts.

The primary goal of promoting your B2B video content is to enhance its visibility among a targeted audience, attracting possible business partners and clients.

This is often achieved through paid advertising, which provides immediate exposure and yields valuable insights into video performance. These insights assist in refining your marketing strategies to enhance engagement.

The Specialization of B2B Video Production Companies

B2B video production company's high-quality video production

While B2B Video Agencies provide an array of services, B2B Video Production Companies focus intensively on the specialized field of video production. Their primary focus is on producing high-quality videos that effectively communicate your brand’s message.

High-Quality Video Production Focus

Within B2B video production, quality is not an extravagance but a requirement. The industry standards dictate the use of video equipment that can record at a minimum of full HD 1920 x 1080, ensuring the chosen video format meets these criteria. The objective is to:

  • Swiftly capture attention
  • Convey a compelling narrative
  • Provide educational value to viewers
  • Prioritize production quality to achieve superior outcomes.

The production companies achieve this quality through the use of professional-grade equipment, such as:

  • Cameras
  • Lenses
  • Tripods
  • Stabilizers
  • Lighting equipment
  • Audio recording devices

With quality checks and multiple reviews prior to finalizing and publishing high-quality video content, they ensure that the final output meets the industry’s high standards.

Technical Proficiency and Equipment

The journey towards superior video production involves technical expertise and sophisticated equipment. B2B video production companies are equipped with an arsenal of technical skills ranging from copywriting and technical writing to editing and strategic marketing.

They also possess professional-grade equipment, such as cameras, lenses, tripods, stabilizers, lighting equipment, and audio recording devices, which are critical for creating high-quality videos.

This technical proficiency plays a crucial role in ensuring a high standard of B2B video production. The mastery of video creation skills and access to state-of-the-art technology empower production companies to create professional and captivating videos, meeting the elevated expectations of businesses and marketers.

Post-Production and Editing Prowess

Post-production and editing process in a B2B video production company

Video production doesn’t conclude with filming; it continues into post-production. Here, the raw footage is transformed into a refined visual narrative that effectively conveys the brand’s message. Editing, which facilitates the seamless transition of raw footage from scene to scene, plays a vital role in this process.

In the blog post-production process, sound design and visual effects play a crucial role. Sound design reinforces the visuals, establishes an emotional connection with the audience, and enhances the overall message conveyed through the content.

Visual effects, motion graphics, stop-motion, branded intros, and animations contribute to creating a more captivating and dynamic viewing experience that effectively captures the audience’s attention.

Identifying Your Needs: Agency or Production Company?

Distinguishing between a B2B video agency and a video production company is only half the battle. The other half involves identifying your business needs and determining which aligns better with your objectives and resources.

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Assessing Your Marketing Strategy Requirements

Identifying your marketing strategy requirements is fundamental in deciding the kind of services you require. If your website is not generating sufficient traffic, social media engagement is low, competitors are effectively utilizing video, or sales are not meeting expectations, you may need to implement a comprehensive video marketing strategy.

A B2B video agency can help you develop this strategy by defining clear objectives, understanding your target audience, and optimizing your video content.

However, a thorough video marketing strategy isn’t limited to the B2B sector. It can also offer numerous benefits to business to consumer companies, such as visually presenting their products and services and increasing on-site time.

Determining the Scope of Cooperation Needed

Another consideration is the desired scope of cooperation. If you already know what actions you need to take to reach your audience effectively or have your entire marketing strategy worked out, and all you need is high-quality video content that will be consistent with your vision, you might require the services of a B2B video production company.

The level of video production quality in B2B marketing is influenced by several technical factors as well as the skills of the production team.

Moreover, the quality of the final output has a significant impact on the effectiveness of B2B video marketing, enhancing the quality of visitors to your website, improving your brand’s image and credibility, and demonstrating industry expertise.

Considering Budget and Resources

When choosing between a full-service agency or a production company, budget and resources are unavoidable considerations.

The expenses associated with their services can profoundly influence your decision. B2B video agencies charge anywhere from $25/hour for less experienced creatives, strategists, or project managers to $250/hour for highly experienced ones, with projects often starting at approximately $15,000.

In contrast, the typical expense of engaging a B2B video production company for a project can start at $5,000.

However, these costs can fluctuate considerably depending on the complexity of the video production project, so it’s important to consider potential costs and confirm that your budget can cover them.

Collaboration Models: Working with Agencies and Production Companies

The type of partnership model you choose with agencies or production companies can also greatly influence your video marketing efforts. Depending on your needs and resources, you might choose to outsource your entire video marketing strategy or collaborate on specific projects.

Outsourcing Entire Video Marketing Efforts

If you aim to enhance brand recognition, build customer trust, and allow your in-house employees to concentrate on other core responsibilities, outsourcing your complete video marketing strategy to an agency or production company could be a feasible option.

B2B video agencies oversee this process by establishing content guidelines, defining clear objectives, and dedicating themselves to producing a substantial volume of quality videos.

However, this approach may not be suitable for all businesses. Full delegation could lead to expedited projects, increased expenses, and low-quality videos that fail to convey your brand’s message effectively. Thus, it’s important to consider your budget before deciding to outsource your entire video marketing efforts, as costs can range from:

  • $3,000 for a basic project like a simple interview or short animated explainer
  • $15,000 for an intermediate project like a longer and more detailed animation or customer success documentary
  • $60,000 for an advanced project like a video ad or multi-day shoot at an event
  • $100,000 for a premium/unicorn video project

Partnering on Specific Projects

Collaborating with agencies or production companies on specific projects can provide greater flexibility and control in your video marketing initiatives. This approach involves:

  • Sharing your goals
  • Communicating with your team
  • Discussing the creative vision
  • Providing feedback and review

Providing detailed information about the video project from the start and maintaining open communication throughout the process is essential for success. The financial considerations associated with this collaboration model can vary based on factors such as:

  • video duration
  • budget
  • style
  • character animation
  • number of actors
  • number of filming days

This makes it a more flexible option for businesses with varying needs and resources.

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Success Stories: Which is best for your tech business?

When deciding between a B2B video agency and a video production company, considering success stories from each may be useful.

There are numerous examples of successful B2B video marketing campaigns conducted by both entities, illustrating the potential impact and effectiveness of each approach.

For instance, businesses such as Service Provider Pro, Dropbox, Snowflake, and SurveyMonkey have outsourced their entire video marketing efforts to business-to-business video agencies like Webdew or Sandwich Video and experienced remarkable success.

On the other hand, there are also case studies showcasing successful B2B video production companies like Lemonlight, Luminous, Arizona Filmworks, and CFF Media, among others.

Key Considerations When Making Your Choice

Choosing between a B2B video agency and a video production company can considerably impact your overall marketing strategy.

While the former offers a comprehensive approach to video marketing, the latter concentrates on the creative elements of video production. Understanding the key differences between these two options is essential for making an informed decision.

However, selecting an unsuitable service provider can lead to rushed projects, escalated costs, and subpar videos that inadequately communicate your brand’s message. With more than 30% of marketers expressing dissatisfaction with their agency arrangements, it’s crucial to make a deliberate choice.

Summary

Navigating the B2B video marketing landscape might seem complex, but with careful consideration and planning, you can choose the right path for your business.

Whether you opt for a full-service B2B video agency, a specialized video production company, or a hybrid approach, the key is to align your choice with your marketing strategy requirements, desired level of production quality, and available budget and resources.

Remember, the ultimate goal is to create video content that resonates with your audience and effectively communicates your brand’s message.

Still, having some doubts? Contact us, and we'll answer all your questions! Let's make awesome videos together.

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