B2B Marketing Strategy
How Do B2B Companies Use Video Marketing to Generate Leads and Prove ROI?
B2B video marketing generates 38% more leads and shortens sales cycles by 23% when integrated with HubSpot's attribution tools. With 91% of businesses now using video and 72% of B2B marketers calling it essential, the question isn't whether to use video—it's connecting video engagement data to pipeline attribution, proving exactly which videos influence revenue.
For marketing directors at growing B2B companies, video has moved from experimental to essential. The challenge isn't creating videos—it's proving their impact on pipeline. This guide shows you how to build a video strategy that integrates with your HubSpot onboarding and implementation, connecting every view to revenue attribution.
Why Video Has Become Non-Negotiable for B2B Marketing in 2026
The numbers tell a compelling story. According to Wyzowl's 2026 State of Video report, 91% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool—back to joint all-time highs after a slight dip in 2025. More telling: 93% of video marketers see video as an important part of their overall strategy.
For B2B specifically, the shift is even more pronounced. Research from DemandSage shows 72% of B2B marketers now consider video marketing essential—not optional, not nice-to-have, but essential. This isn't surprising when you consider that 51% of B2B buyers use YouTube to research purchases before making decisions.
Key insight: Visitors who discover brands through video convert at significantly higher rates because they arrive with context. They've seen your approach, heard your expertise, and formed an impression before ever speaking to sales.
What's changed is accountability. Today's marketing directors can't justify video spend on "brand awareness" alone—they need attribution. That's where integrating video with an integrated B2B marketing strategy becomes critical. When video engagement data flows into your CRM, you can finally answer the question every CFO asks: "What pipeline did that video generate?"
What Types of Video Work Best for B2B Lead Generation?
Not all B2B videos are created equal. Wyzowl's research shows that 82% of buyers say they'd be more likely to purchase after watching an explainer video. But the highest-performing B2B video strategies use a mix of formats across the buyer journey.
Product demonstrations and walkthroughs consistently drive the strongest consideration-stage engagement. Research from Zebracat indicates that 73% of B2B decision-makers prefer watching product demo videos rather than reading whitepapers or brochures. For complex B2B products, showing beats telling.
Thought leadership content builds authority at the awareness stage. At Whitehat, we've seen this firsthand through our London HubSpot User Group sessions—recorded webinars and expert discussions that position your team as the go-to resource in your category.
Customer testimonials and case studies accelerate decision-stage conversions. Videos featuring real clients discussing specific results carry more weight than any marketing claim. B2B videos with clear calls-to-action generate 42% higher conversion rates than those without.
Video Format Performance by Buyer Stage:
| Stage | Best Format | Optimal Length |
|---|---|---|
| Awareness | Thought leadership, educational | 3-6 minutes |
| Consideration | Product demos, explainers | 2-4 minutes |
| Decision | Testimonials, case studies | 1-3 minutes |
| Social distribution | Short-form clips | 15-30 seconds |
The key is connecting these formats to your broader B2B lead generation strategy. Each video should have a clear purpose and a measurable next step.
Which Platforms Should B2B Companies Prioritise?
Platform selection has shifted dramatically. According to SellersCommerce's 2026 analysis, 70% of video marketers now use LinkedIn—making it the most widely used platform for video marketing, surpassing even YouTube for B2B specifically.
This shouldn't be surprising. Zebracat's B2B research shows 62% of B2B marketers rate LinkedIn as their most effective platform for video distribution. LinkedIn video ads hold attention three times longer than static ads and can increase conversion rates by up to 30%.
LinkedIn's B2B dominance stems from targeting precision. You can reach decision-makers by job title, company size, industry, and seniority—the exact criteria that matter for B2B sales. Native video uploads outperform shared links, yielding 38% more engagement.
YouTube remains essential for search visibility. With 51% of B2B buyers using YouTube for purchase research, it functions as a discovery engine. Long-form educational content—tutorials, webinars, detailed product walkthroughs—performs well here.
Your website delivers the highest engagement. Zebracat's data shows videos posted on company websites generate 48% more engagement than videos shared on social platforms. This is where you control the experience and can integrate video with forms, CTAs, and CRM tracking.
Platform strategy tip: Don't spread yourself thin. Start with LinkedIn for distribution and your website for conversion-focused content. Add YouTube once you have a consistent content calendar and can commit to regular publishing.
How Do You Measure Video Marketing ROI in HubSpot?
This is where most B2B video strategies fall short. According to Wyzowl, 63% of video marketers measure ROI simply by tracking view counts—a vanity metric that tells you nothing about pipeline impact. The real opportunity lies in connecting video engagement to revenue attribution.
HubSpot's attribution capabilities have matured significantly. As a HubSpot CRM for attribution platform, it now offers multi-touch attribution models in Marketing Hub Enterprise that can track video's contribution to closed-won deals.
The metrics that matter for B2B video:
- Video engagement by contact: Which prospects watched which videos, and for how long? This becomes a lead scoring signal.
- Influenced pipeline: How much pipeline value was influenced by video touchpoints in the buyer journey?
- Conversion rate by video type: Which videos correlate with deal progression?
- Time-to-close impact: Do deals that include video engagement close faster?
Wistia's 2024 State of Video report found that 40% of marketers use video engagement data to gauge their videos' role in hitting marketing goals—but this still leaves the majority disconnected from true ROI measurement.
With proper HubSpot onboarding and implementation, you can track video views on contact timelines, use engagement in lead scoring rules, and build custom reports correlating video interactions with revenue outcomes. HubSpot's 2025 revenue reached £2.4 billion, with its CRM market share climbing to 35%—driven largely by the growth of attribution and campaign reporting tools.
What Does B2B Video Marketing Cost in the UK?
Budget concerns often stall video initiatives. The reality is more nuanced than most marketing directors expect. According to Wyzowl, 59% of video marketers create content in-house, while only 14% exclusively outsource—a dramatic decrease from 24% in 2024. The remaining 32% use a hybrid approach.
For UK businesses, production costs typically fall into three tiers:
- In-house smartphone production: £0-500 per video (equipment, basic editing software)
- Hybrid with freelance support: £500-2,000 per video (professional editing, graphics, sound)
- Full agency production: £2,000-10,000+ per video (scripting, filming, professional post-production)
Wyzowl's research shows 53% of marketers allocate no more than one-third of their entire marketing budget to video content. For a company with a £150,000 annual marketing budget (typical for a 100-person B2B), that's roughly £50,000—enough for a mix of in-house content and strategic agency partnerships.
At Whitehat, we believe in transparent pricing and honest conversations about what delivers ROI. Not every video needs agency production values. Authentic thought leadership filmed on a smartphone often outperforms polished corporate content.
How to Create Effective B2B Videos In-House Without a Big Budget
The democratisation of video production has transformed what's possible. Goldcast's research shows that companies using text-to-video tools report 28% faster turnaround in creating marketing assets. AI-powered editing tools have made professional-quality output achievable for small teams.
Start with repurposing. Your existing webinars, podcast interviews, and conference presentations contain hours of footage that can be cut into short-form clips. This is the fastest path to video volume without additional production.
Embrace founder and expert video. Research consistently shows that authentic, imperfect content from real people outperforms polished corporate productions. A quick insight from your CEO filmed on an iPhone can generate more engagement than a £5,000 animated explainer.
Tools that accelerate in-house production:
- HubSpot Clip Creator: AI-powered video generation built into HubSpot
- Descript: Edit video by editing text transcripts
- Canva Video: Template-based video creation for non-designers
- Riverside or Descript: Remote interview recording with separate audio tracks
The integration of AI-powered marketing tools into video workflows is accelerating. Companies using AI for video creation report 19% higher lead conversions from short-form formats compared to static ads.
How Do You Integrate Video Data with HubSpot for Lead Scoring?
The technical integration is where video marketing transforms from content activity to revenue driver. Video platforms like Vidyard and Wistia offer native HubSpot integrations that sync engagement data directly to contact records.
Implementation steps for video-CRM integration:
- Connect your video platform to HubSpot: Both Vidyard and Wistia offer marketplace integrations that take minutes to configure.
- Enable video tracking on gated content: When viewers provide their email to access a video, their engagement syncs to their contact record.
- Create video engagement properties: Track metrics like total videos watched, percentage viewed, and specific video completions.
- Build lead scoring rules: Award points for high-intent behaviours—watching a pricing video or demo to completion signals readiness.
- Set up workflow triggers: Automatically notify sales when a prospect watches decision-stage content like case studies or product demos.
The result is a video strategy that doesn't just generate views—it generates qualified pipeline. Sales receives warm handoffs with context: "This prospect watched your product demo to 90% completion and then viewed two customer testimonials."
For comprehensive setup, consider working with a HubSpot Diamond Partner who can configure attribution reporting, custom dashboards, and automated workflows that connect video to revenue. You can explore our approach to developing your video marketing strategy with CRM integration.
Frequently Asked Questions About B2B Video Marketing
What's the ideal video length for B2B marketing?
The optimal length depends on platform and purpose. For social distribution, 15-30 seconds performs best. LinkedIn video ads should aim for around 15 seconds. For website-hosted content like product demos or thought leadership, 3-6 minutes is the sweet spot. According to HubSpot's 2025 research, more than one in three video marketers say the optimal video is one to three minutes, and 96% agree videos should be under 10 minutes.
Should B2B videos have captions?
Yes—captions are essential, not optional. Zebracat's research shows videos with subtitles achieve 28% higher completion rates among B2B audiences compared to videos without. This matters because 75% of consumers watch video on mobile devices, often without sound. LinkedIn auto-plays videos muted, making captions critical for capturing attention in the first few seconds.
How often should B2B companies post videos?
Consistency matters more than volume. According to HubSpot's video marketing report, most companies publishing 8-10 videos per month see the strongest results. However, starting with weekly posting is sustainable for most teams. The key is maintaining a regular cadence rather than sporadic bursts of activity.
Can video really shorten B2B sales cycles?
Yes—the data is clear. Zebracat's B2B research shows video content shortens sales cycles by an average of 23%. This makes sense: prospects who watch product demos and case studies enter sales conversations with context. They've already seen your solution in action and heard from customers like them. That accelerates evaluation and reduces time spent on basic education.
What's the ROI timeline for B2B video marketing?
Expect first measurable results in 30-60 days—primarily engagement metrics and early lead indicators. Meaningful pipeline impact typically emerges at 90-180 days, once you've accumulated enough content to support the full buyer journey and sufficient data to identify patterns. Companies reporting strong video ROI (93% according to Wyzowl) have typically been executing consistently for at least six months.
Taking Action: Your B2B Video Marketing Roadmap
Theory without action is wasted time. Here's a practical timeline for implementing video marketing with measurable ROI:
This Week
- Audit existing video assets and identify repurposing opportunities
- Review current HubSpot video tracking capabilities
- Identify one team member who could film founder/expert videos
Next 30 Days
- Create measurement framework in HubSpot with video engagement properties
- Produce your first three videos: one thought leadership, one product-focused, one customer story
- Set up video platform integration with HubSpot
Next 90 Days
- Analyse attribution data: which videos influence pipeline?
- Build lead scoring rules based on video engagement patterns
- Create sales enablement workflows triggered by video behaviour
- Optimise based on engagement data—double down on what works
If you're serious about connecting video to pipeline, the first step is ensuring your HubSpot instance is configured for proper attribution. Many companies we work with discover their CRM isn't capturing the data needed for meaningful video ROI measurement.
Ready to Connect Video to Pipeline?
Book a HubSpot video integration assessment to see how your current setup measures up—and where the quick wins are.
Book Your AssessmentReferences & Sources
- Wyzowl (2026). Video Marketing Statistics 2026. wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics
- DemandSage (2025). B2B Marketing Statistics 2026. demandsage.com/b2b-marketing-statistics
- Zebracat (2025). 60+ B2B Video Marketing Statistics. zebracat.ai/post/b2b-video-marketing-statistics
- HubSpot (2025). Video Marketing Statistics for 2025. blog.hubspot.com/marketing/video-marketing-statistics
- Goldcast (2025). 55+ Video Marketing Statistics to Drive Your Strategy. goldcast.io/blog-post/55-video-marketing-statistics
- HubSpot Knowledge Base (2025). Analyse Your Campaign ROI. knowledge.hubspot.com/campaigns/analyze-your-campaign-roi
- LinkedIn Business (2025). 13 Top Tips for Compelling B2B Video Content. linkedin.com/business/marketing/blog
Clwyd Probert
CEO, Whitehat SEO Ltd
Clwyd leads Whitehat, a HubSpot Diamond Partner agency. He runs the world's largest HubSpot User Group in London and lectures on digital marketing at UCL. With 20+ years in B2B marketing, he specialises in connecting marketing activity to measurable pipeline impact.