B2B Outbound

Video is fast becoming the leading tool used by creatives, sales reps, campaign managers, and marketers. Why? Because moving imagery is proven to be more memorable over text alone. Video can be used for anything; an introduction to your LinkedIn profile, an advertising campaign, sales enablement, online interviews, or just posting a cute video of your dog. Cisco predicts by 2022 that 82% of all content created will be video; which means it is not enough to just be creating video content, it needs to be attention-grabbing.

B2B VIDEO MARKETING: DO OR DIE

B2B sales and marketing teams have been using 1:1 video as a tactic to stand out – a personalised, unpolished approach to video marketing – where you address your audiece directly by speaking into a camera.

Vidyard’s Senior Manager of Commercial Marketing, Jesse Walsh, knows integrating video into your marketing plan can be challenging.

https://youtu.be/LAEmcKPsUsI

“When I speak with people about getting started with video, they think about highly produced, professional grade videos”.  Jesse agrees this has a place, however, she also believes there’s another use-case.

“I like to think about video -especially when you’re getting started- as a great tool to increase the value and engagement you have with some of your other existing assets that are more traditional, or potentially boring”.

Video doesn’t need to be made by the professionals to be effective, watch the video to learn how Jesse uses video in her marketing strategy at Vidyard. 

LinkedIn is adapting towards the growth of video content, with new features such as stories, and video intros to your profile, there is more opportunity than ever to utilise video. Now is the time to get on board with 1:1 video. Unsure where to start? Here are the three key areas to focus on…

VISUALS

#1 DON'T BE AWKWARD

Sitting and talking in front of a camera can feel a little alien. 

Unfortunately, if you look awkward the audience will feel awkward, which is why it is important to act natural. People want to see your personality. It makes you more relatable. This may seem easier said than done, so here’s our tips for coming across confident on camera: 

• Keep your body language open and avoid being hunched or slumped
• Using eye contact will give the appearance of chatting to the audience directly 
• Small gestures for emphasis will make you appear more natural
• Remember to smile!

#2 DRESS FOR YOUR NAN'S BIRTHDAY

A great video should be relatable, but not overstepping the line into unprofessional. Unless you are wearing a costume for a reason, your outfit should be similar to what you would wear to your nan’s birthday lunch, i.e smart but not too formal. Key things to remember:

• Your clothes should be ironed, clean, and neat
• You don’t need to dress formal if that isn’t part of your company brand image
• Avoid wearing anything that casts a shadow onto your face, such as hoodies or hats
• Avoid wearing clothing with big logos, especially if your video is going to be posted via your company

https://youtu.be/D7dQaFcyGf0

#3 STEP AWAY FROM THE BEACH

Backgrounds are great for incorporating another element to your video, but make sure it is relevant. You want the audience to pay attention to you, not the beach you’re standing on! Additionally, consider your lighting, and how visible you will be. The best-suggested backgrounds are:

• Plain and simple – such as a white wall
• Alternatively, a nice homely setting
• Avoid unmade beds, messy floors, or piles of washing
• Film in a bright room, using natural light where possible

AUDIO

#4 AVOID DISTRACTIONS

Videos should have clear audio, people need to hear you! Lots of background noise can be distracting to both you and your audience, which is why you should:

• Film in a quiet environment with no echo
• Double-check your microphone before you start to film, there is nothing more frustrating than filming the perfect clip and finding your sound wasn’t on!
• Make sure you are pronouncing your words clearly and correctly to avoid mumbling

#5 DON'T BE A ROBOT

Presenting in an uncomfortable situation can affect how we talk. This is why you should be aware of how you speak on camera. You don’t want to sound like a robot reeling off information, or speaking at 1000 miles an hour! A great tip is to pretend you’re having a chat with an old friend. This is how you can stay measured and in control of your voice:

• Practice adding an emphasis on certain words, this will help your key points stand out, and stop you from sounding monotone
• Keep your pace measured by slowing down your speech, you want to be easy to follow, but be careful you aren’t too slow and sounding it out 
• If in doubt, practice by talking your message through with a friend, this will help you add depth to your speech

https://youtu.be/wDVb8DpRe40

#6 DON'T WING IT

Scripts are a great way to check you’re covering all the key points. However, it shouldn’t spill out your facts and figures. Equally, you want to be engaging, not reading off a piece of paper. The better you know your script, the more natural you will appear. So here are some tips to help you remember:

• Write out your script on a separate piece of paper
• Record yourself reading and listen to it back
• Read a paragraph, cover it, then say it out loud,
• Act it out before you hit the record button

ENTERTAINMENT

#7 DON'T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY

Other  people are competing for the attention of your audience. Therefore, any video, big or small, should follow an engaging narrative. Have fun with it!

The key is to tie your information in with a relevant message that is fun and easy to understand. You want your audience to feel you are talking to them specifically, not talking to a camera. The great thing is, there is no limit to how you can do this! But, for those looking for inspiration, here are some starting points when creating shorter, informative videos: 

• Using a funny metaphor or analogy to explain your data
• Focusing the video around a prop
• Make yourself relatable by including a story that ties in with the objective of your video
• Adding graphics such as arrows or diagrams to give another element of visualisation
• Incorporate your background into your videos such as using a whiteboard to draw important stats and figures

https://youtu.be/dlPVLTqyBds

READY SET ACTION

So, now you have the tips you need to create a great video, it’s time to put it into action. Vidyard has a host of resources to help you create video content, and they can also guide you through video hosting, personalisation, and video analytics too. To get a better understanding of how you can use video within your ABM strategy, send us a message at hello@punchabm.com

According to Terminus, account-based marketing ‘takes much more time, effort, and collaboration to be successful in comparison to generic marketing plans. However, in 2020 ‘over 63% of teams indicated that their account-based programme either became more important or absolutely critical to their business goals.’

ABM is, therefore, harder to implement but when done correctly will lead to better results. This is why it is worth investing time into understanding the common ABM pitfalls, and how you can best avoid them.

PITFALL NO.1 - STRATEGY

ABM isn’t another quick fix marketing tactic. Failure to plan properly and create a clearly defined end-to-end strategy from the start will lead to unsuccessful results. ABM is a strategic business-led initiative, which requires time spent creating a long term plan involving multiple internal stakeholders. Ensure that you’ve got all your ducks in a row first, and confirm everyone is on board with the plan that will be put in place to create a successful programme.

PITFALL NO.2 - TRUST

Introducing ABM into your business requires involvement from all the relevant stakeholders; Sales, Marketing, Senior Leadership, and Customer Success teams. Lack of communication and unrealistic expectations will result in poor alignment. To combat this, it is important to get everyone’s input from the start and make it clear that ABM is not a quick win, but a business-led initiative. Define what is expected of each team from the get-go, to help align the common objectives and unify everyone’s long-term goals.

PITFALL NO.3 - PROCESS

Selecting the wrong accounts and/or selecting too many or too few accounts will hinder your chances of a successful ABM programme. Spoiler alert: your target accounts shouldn’t be a dream list of logos. And, while we’re on the topic, account selection shouldn’t be Sales giving Marketing a list of cold contacts because they don’t want them touching any other accounts (refer back to Pitfall No. 2 – Trust). ABM needs to be a joint effort using tried and tested tools and processes to select the right fit accounts for your programme. It requires looking at your ideal customer profile, and your total addressable market, to understand which accounts are the best to enrol into the programme. Marketing and Sales should then work together to target these accounts in a joint effort.

PITFALL NO.4 - RESEARCH

Personalisation is one of the key tools for a successful ABM programme, it is what creates the most engagement with your target accounts. Lack of quality customer insight results in messaging that is built from generic insight, and isn’t personalised, and therefore doesn’t resonate with your target audience. After selecting your target accounts, you need to uncover enough insight to deliver personalised content. This might seem like a lot of work, but you can segment the accounts into different verticals, territories, or by certain trigger events. Once you have your segments, focus on getting the insights you need to help create content that is relevant to each group of accounts.

PITFALL NO.5 - CONTENT

Once you have the research in place, don’t fall back onto generic propositions and content. A common mistake can be stating facts that you believe sound important, but have no correlation to your message. Keep your content on track by leveraging the account insights that speak directly to the needs of the target audience. Focus your messaging around this insight, and how your business can help solve the issue.

PITFALL NO.6 - INERTIA

Inertia is the result of failing to mitigate the other five pitfalls, and not putting in place the correct KPIs to measure your ABM programme. For example, if you measure ABM by lead generation, it may leave your team demotivated and lose trust in the programme. Terminus State of ABM 2020 defines the top three KPI metrics used to measure ABM success as; revenue generation, pipeline generation, and meetings/demos scheduled. For companies running fully integrated ABM programmes in their business, lead generation is the second to last KPI metric used to measure success and only 9% still use it as a KPI. Therefore, your ABM efforts may actually be successful, but you are measuring them in the wrong way.

FIND OUT MORE...

In summary, ABM is an end-to-end process that cannot be rushed. It requires planning and team alignment, but when performed correctly, can result in new business opportunities, pipeline acceleration, and customer retention, as well as many other benefits. If you would like more information on how to start ABM the right way, drop us a message at hello@punchabm.com.

Art Directors. The most subjective of roles. The marmite of the creative industry. How shall we compare thee?

Luckily we don’t need to because Creativepool already did, and named Diego Arroyo one of the top 10 Art directors of 2020.

Punch! recently recruited Diego Arroyo as its Creative Lead, so we feel we are in a position to share some expertise in this area.

Before Punch! welcomed Diego aboard in November 2020, he worked for major advertising agencies across Europe and the US, including Young & Rubicam, BBDO, Ogilvy, Euro RSCG, Santo London, AIA Worldwide and JWT among others. Now he is at Punch! he leads a team of creatives working on projects for clients such as New Relic, Sage and Masternaut to name a few.

We enjoyed a chat with Diego to find out what makes a Top 10 Art Director tick:

DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE AN ART DIRECTOR?

Not at all. That went after artist, archeologist and archeologist-artist. What’s true is that I always wanted to do something creative with my life, no matter what shape or form. I remember that around 12 or so I heard about one of my friend’s parents being in advertising and I got curious. That’s all it took, really. Inspiration comes in very random ways sometimes.

WHAT LED YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY?

I guess I was lucky in that once I made a decision to go into advertising, my path was quite clear: I focused on getting the right education and experience, and I made sure I got to work in some big ad agencies with very smart people from whom I learnt a lot. It was then a matter of applying that knowledge to my own professional development.

WHAT WAS THE 'BIG BREAK' IN YOUR CAREER?

In 2012 I was hired to join Y&R New York to help them with the Bank of America account. It was a very interesting experience where I learnt a lot, but it also helped me become more aware of my priorities and take control of my career. After that, I mostly veered towards slightly smaller projects where I have more ownership over the work, which I find rewarding – and which ultimately makes me happier.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR YOU TO BE NAMED ONE OF CREATIVEPOOL'S TOP 10 ART DIRECTORS?

It’s really humbling to be honest. I’m grateful for it but I think there’s so much amazing talent out there, I’d be completely fooling myself if I really thought it was true. If anything, it inspires me to keep growing and learning.

WHAT PIECE OF YOUR WORK ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

I bet this happens to a lot of creatives, but I usually get bored of looking at  my own work. I think some of the work around Bank of America, M&S Food or the Carlsberg global campaigns were big achievements and really interesting projects to be involved with. Lately, though, I’ve been having quite a lot of fun with spec work like the one I did for Transport for London.

WHO INSPIRES YOU?

Lots of people. From photographers, to illustrators, cinematographers, film and music video directors, musicians…and of course, my amazing team at Punch!

WHY DID YOU JOIN PUNCH!?

Punch is an expanding business with lots of potential. The attitude and the vibe is just great, very open for creativity and constantly looking for ways to grow and innovate. Joining Punch! and it’s fantastic team now, in a moment of growth, and helping shape its creative department is a particularly exciting challenge.

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR 2021?

To keep pushing the creative boundaries and collaborating with our clients to come up with the best possible work we can do. Also, I’m trying to quit pineapple pizza, but that’s another story.

IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ONE ARTIST LIVING OR DEAD WHO WOULD IT BE?

Tough one. I think I’d go for someone like Sebastiao Salgado. I love his photography and his life experience inspired me in many ways. If anyone hasn’t seen “The Salt of the Earth”, it’s an amazing documentary about his life and career, directed by his own son and Wim Wenders. Really inspiring. No doubt I’d bombard him with a thousand questions and both our food would get cold if that ever happened.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT ART DIRECTOR?

Not sure, but I’ve always thought that it’s important to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry. It is also helpful to try to develop a broad range of practical skills. For example, the more you know about, say, photography or animation, the more productively you’ll be able to brief, work and collaborate with photographers or animators – and that will ultimately make the project that much better. An AD needs to do many things, ranging from being conceptual and creative, to coming up with visual styles, all the way to rolling up their sleeves and doing actual design work.

3 TIPS FOR BECOMING AN ART DIRECTOR:

Ok here it goes: Try to do stuff that inspires you. Try to learn from the talented professionals you’ll find on the way. And keep yourself humble and ready to learn from your mistakes.

Over to you…

So, do you think you are (or could be) one of the greatest Art Directors?

Take this test to see how you measure up:

Want to work with Diego? Get in touch here.

There’s no denying that the digital landscape is crowded. To make an impact, you need to deliver your message directly to the accounts most likely to convert.

Punch! joined forces with Vidyard at the 2021 B2BMX event to discuss why, what, when and how to integrate 1:1 video into your account-based strategy.

WHY 1:1 VIDEO?

Standing out is becoming increasingly difficult for B2B marketers. The digital landscape is crowded, meaning your content and strategy needs to work a lot harder.

The facts:

• We’re spending on average 17% less time viewing content in a single session compared to 2020
• We’re viewing up to 40% more content per session compared to 2020
• By 2022, Cisco predicts 82% of all content created will be video

The trends tell us that we are viewing content in shorter, sharper bursts. Which is why 1:1 video can help you to get your content to stand out.

https://youtu.be/vU-CsXoXTIs

WHAT DOES VIDEO DO IN ABM?

ABM is all about taking a personalised, integrated approach into your best-fit accounts. 

Using ABM for the acquisition of new accounts is split into three phases:

1. Target – create awareness within your target audience
2. Engage – generate demand within your most engaged accounts
3. Close – accelerate pipeline and deal cycle of your active opportunities

As your programme progresses from targeting through to closing, you get more and more personalised with your content strategy.

In the Target phase (also known as one-to-many ABM), you’re typically talking to a large pool of accounts that fit your ideal customer profile. You would include light personalisation, focusing on vertical insights or buyer persona research.  

In the Engage phase (or one-to-few ABM), you are focusing your outreach on the accounts that are engaging with your content. This is where you would introduce intent-led personalisation; tailoring your messaging to focus on the topics where the individuals are demonstrating intent.

In the Close phase, you are looking to help sales to close their active opportunities. At this stage, your sales team should be learning about the accounts’ individual challenges and using this information to create insight-led personalisation.

WHY IS PERSONALISATION KEY?

85% of B2B buyers are more likely to buy from companies that understand their goals. Personalisation is paramount because customers reward their business to companies who make the effort to understand their unique needs and provide them with some value. 

86% of buyers expect sales to personalise their experience. Personalised video is so successful because potential customers feel you are reaching out to them specifically. 

64% of sellers think that personalised materials help them close deals. Accounts don’t expect you to know everything about them, but you must have a reason as to why you have considered reaching out to them in particular, to show why you are targeting this account.

WHEN SHOULD YOU USE VIDEO?

For ABM? At every given chance! 

• Target with 1:1 videos that have a strong call to action
• Engage with 1:1 videos to supplement other personalised content
• Close with 1:1 videos to articulate a sales proposal

And it works…

Punch! has seen an average 31% email CTR with personalised video. Better still, half of all video-booked qualification calls convert into pipeline. In fact, Punch! has found that video outreach is twice as effective as traditional sales tactics.

Speaking of sales tactics… An integrated approach will help you to pinpoint the right time in the customer journey to execute your outreach strategy.

By monitoring first and third party intent data, and using 1:1 personalised video to elevate your SDR activity, you will be able to optimise your qualification process and move accounts into the pipeline sooner. It’s a win-win all round.

HOW DO YOU EQUIP YOUR SDR TEAM FOR VIDEO?

The first videos will not be perfect, but it is important to remember that the point of using personalised video is to humanise the sales process, which means perfection is not the aim here- being too polished isn’t human! 

When introducing video to your team, start with the 3 T’s:

1. Training – set your team up for success with regular training sessions on how to record 1:1 videos
2. Talk track – maintain consistency by having a talk track in place to ensure the right messaging is used
3. Toolkit – keep everything in one central place so your team has everything they need to hand when working on your accounts

SIX TIPS FOR SALES SUCCESS

1. TRIAL & ERROR - A/B TEST YOUR MESSAGING & CADENCES

2. BE HUMAN - MAKE MISTAKES (AUTHENTICITY TRUMPS PERFECTION)

3. CHOOSE THE RIGHT AUDIENCE - IS VIDEO THE RIGHT TACTIC?

4. DON'T OVER PERSONALISE - KEEP IT SCALABLE, STICK TO 20%

5. KEEP IT SNAPPY - ONE MINUTE OR LESS IS PLENTY

6. END ON A STRONG CTA - BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT'S NEXT

Terminus, leaders of the account-based transformation, yesterday announced enterprise tech veteran Gavin Dimmock as its Vice President and GM of EMEA. Dimmock will lead the company’s international expansion efforts as demand for Terminus’ leading go-to-market platform continues to accelerate. Dimmock will be responsible for the opening and operations of Terminus’ first international office in London, hiring, scaling the company’s enterprise customer base, and supporting its growing partnership network.

Punch! is delighted to announce it is Terminus’ inaugural EMEA agency partner. 

“Progressive marketing and revenue leaders are increasingly moving to full-funnel ABM to help support and drive their overall customer acquisition, account expansion, and retention strategies. ABM is so much more than marketing; it’s how go-to-market teams work together to drive long-term revenue growth, and Terminus is building the most complete platform available,” said Gavin Dimmock, GM of EMEA at Terminus. “With our international expansion, Terminus is now positioned to help even more companies rapidly improve how they go to market to drive exceptional customer experiences. This is a world-class team I’m honoured to be part of as we scale internationally.”

Pioneers of sales powered marketing, Punch!, is already established in the EMEA ABM market and works with technology clients such as Pitney Bowes, New Relic and OKI across the region. Punch! co-founder & CEO, James Snider, comments: “We want to give our clients the best experience possible, and that means being able to leverage the very best ABM technology to optimise the strategy and creative we provide. Our partnership with Terminus comes at an exciting time as it looks to grow its presence in the European market and we as an agency are thrilled to be its first EMEA partner.”