MarTech Interview with Stacy Adams, Head of Marketing at Vyond

There’s a special science and art to using videos effectively to gain more marketing traction; Stacy Adams, Head of Marketing at Vyond shares some pointers:

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Welcome to this MarTech Series chat Stacy, take us through your marketing journey and more about your role at Vyond?

Thanks for having me, Paroma! My marketing journey has taken me across a variety of industries including global telecom, internet, and technology, and I’ve supported both B2B and B2C communications. I joined Vyond – a video animation software company that supports businesses in easily creating corporate videos – in 2016 as Head of Marketing, where I currently focus on raising visibility for how video can be used as part of an engaging communications and learning strategy. I love technology because of its ability to connect people, and my role at Vyond is a great fit for me as I’m passionate about the power of video storytelling and a real believer in its unique ability to bolster corporate learning and address today’s workplace communication issues.

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We’d love to know your thoughts and observations on the increasing use of video in marketing and sales today, what has triggered this trend and how do you feel this will shape up in the future?

When it comes to communicating, execution is everything. It can be really difficult to make sure a message is getting through in a distraction-heavy environment, and video is more engaging and interesting than text when used in the right context. It allows viewers to visualize and retain the information being communicated in a way that other communication methods cannot. Videos offer the ability to bring any concept to life, no matter how complex.

We’re also seeing that people prefer video. Last year, our team surveyed 1,000 employees at large companies and found that 52% of employees prefer to watch or listen to a company announcement or communication instead of reading an email or blog post. It’s a testament to the power of video to break through when people are already so over inundated with email and IM. 

I think as companies continue to battle for the attention of consumers, video will continue to grow as the go-to medium for communications in marketing and sales, as well as internal communications.

Can you talk about some of the most innovative video marketing and video content experiences you’ve seen today’s B2B marketplaces build?

Wistia is a great example of a company that combats boredom with engaging, interesting content. With the use of creative storytelling and humor, Wistia created a series called Gear Squad that transforms educational B2B marketing content into captivating, humorous videos about cartoon video production equipment on a quest to defeat Dr. Boredom.

Another great example is Safer Edge, a UK-based risk management company. Safer Edge focused on utilizing video to make training more inclusive. Through our platform, the team was able to make videos with representative voiceovers and focus on gender and ethnic diversity in order to make content that better reflected and resonated with their viewership.

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As marketers and sales teams become more sophisticated in how they use video to drive business output, what kind of best practices and support technologies do you feel they should focus on implementing?

First, organizations need to recognize that video should be a tool that every employee can access and utilize, as it has so many benefits across teams and roles. Broadening our perspectives about who can create and use video is important – this is no longer just a tool to be used by creative and design teams, but rather an important part of the technology stack.

Speaking of the technology stack, as companies embark on digital transformation (DX) efforts, communications tools must be a part of the overall conversation. When we think of a DX journey, the first things that come to mind are likely data and analytics to inform customer engagement. The adoption of tools that help us communicate better isn’t always seen on that level – but it should be. Communication tools must be a part of the DX “tech stack” that organizations spend countless time, effort and dollars building out, and the people using these tools – which in many organizations is everyone – need the proper training and resources to know how to use them properly.

In what ways can brands use videos effectively across multiple online channels to drive better engagement and conversions?

It’s important to be selective with the channel. Just because a video can be uploaded to every platform doesn’t mean it should be. Consider what your audience prefers and what will be the most effective. Here’s an example: In the Vyond survey I mentioned earlier, we found that 65% of remote workers find video messages from their company CEO significantly more engaging than text-based messages, compared to just 49% of in-office workers. When trying to engage remote workers, video may be your best bet. But for in-office workers, in-person announcements and events may be more effective, so customizing the strategy for both audiences is important.

For videos that will be uploaded to multiple or all of a brand’s channels, I typically recommend keeping them short. Creating long videos can be tempting when you have a lot of information to communicate, but long videos can be less engaging and harder to absorb.

Some last thoughts, takeaways, digital marketing / martech tips and best practices before we wrap up!

I think as we continue to see organizations embracing hybrid and remote work environments in 2022, video will play an increasingly vital role in engaging employees, so it’s crucial that companies know how to effectively use video as a communications medium. It’s also a great way to be creative and have more fun with communicating, so I’m excited to see the new ways leaders and employees use video over the coming year. Thanks for having me today, Paroma!

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