Let’s get real. The B2B industrial world is built on long sales cycles, complex buying decisions, and products that don’t exactly scream “go viral.” So, what the heck does short form video have to do with industrial marketing strategy?
Everything.
The Cold, Hard Truth About Your Market
If you're a mid-size industrial player ... $10 million to $1 billion in sales ... you’re likely still leaning on aging brochures, rep-driven sales, and maybe, maybe a few dusty videos buried deep in your website. Meanwhile, your buyers are scrolling, swiping, and Googling their way through complex procurement decisions. And here's the kicker ... they expect the same level of digital experience as they get in their consumer lives.
This is your opening. The industrial market is wildly underserved in terms of digital savviness. Which means the savvy few who do modernize ... who create and distribute fast, value-driven content ... can build a digital moat their competitors won’t cross for years. That moat? It starts with short form video.
Short Form = Long Impact
Let’s define what we’re talking about here. Short form video is snack-sized content ... 15 seconds to 2 minutes ... optimized for attention spans and mobile screens. Think LinkedIn scroll stoppers. Think fast YouTube intros. Think high-value explainers delivered in under 60 seconds.
Why does this matter for a business with a 12-month sales cycle? Because buyers don’t decide in one sitting. They nibble content. They follow breadcrumbs. And short form video gives you dozens, if not hundreds, of touchpoints ... all while reinforcing your value, your brand, and your niche expertise.
Three Real-World Wins of Short Form Video in Industrial Marketing
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Explain Complex Processes in a Flash Got a six-step anodizing process? Show it in 60 seconds. Your buyers are engineers and procurement folks ... they get complexity, but they prefer clarity. A short form video can turn your 10-page spec sheet into a digestible visual asset that answers questions before the RFQ even hits your inbox.
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Fuel the Top of the Funnel Your buyer’s journey starts long before the first email. A punchy LinkedIn video that says, “Three reasons our valves outlast the competition” gets watched. Gets shared. And more importantly ... gets remembered. Even if your buyer isn’t ready today, short form video ensures they don’t forget you tomorrow.
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Multiply ROI Through Repurposing One 90-second shoot can be sliced into a dozen videos. Pull quotes become social posts. Still frames become blog headers. You’re not just creating content ... you’re creating an ecosystem. And in a market where most competitors still rely on PDF catalogs? That ecosystem becomes your edge.
Why Mid-Size Industrials Are Perfectly Positioned
Here’s the irony. The same companies that think short form video “isn’t for us” are often the best equipped to make it killer. You have real people. Real machines. Real customer success stories. All you need is a smartphone, a little strategy, and a mindset shift. Video isn’t just for software startups and lifestyle brands. It’s for the plant floor, the powder coat line, the CNC bay.
And most of your competitors? Still stuck in 2011.
That’s your shot. Get in now and own your niche.
Build the Digital Moat One Clip at a Time
This isn’t just about posting content. It’s about claiming territory. Search algorithms love video. AI tools scan for rich content. Buyers trust brands they see often. Short form video lets you dominate all three. You’re not “going viral” ... you’re becoming visible. And in a niche industrial market, visibility equals dominance.
We call this building a digital moat. It’s not a cute metaphor ... it’s a strategy. A visible, defendable, and expandable online presence that makes it nearly impossible for competitors to steal your thunder. Short form video is one of the fastest, most scalable ways to deepen that moat.
But What If We’re Not Video People?
Then become video people. Or hire a crew who can get it done fast and cheap. Industrial buyers don’t need cinematic perfection. They need clarity, speed, and trust. A $500 smartphone video, properly edited and distributed, can outperform a $10K agency shoot buried on a bad website.
Start simple:
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A 30-second walk-through of your facility.
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A quick “did you know?” about your process or product line.
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A customer talking about why they trust you.
These aren’t ads. They’re micro-conversations. And they work great.
Using AI to Supercharge Video Production
We’re not just talking about shooting video. We’re talking about creating strategic video at scale. And AI makes that easier than ever. Tools like BIGVU can auto-edit. ChatGPT can write scripts. This isn’t science fiction ... it’s off-the-shelf capability that mid-size industrials can use today.
And it’s a killer combo. You get content velocity. You reduce cost. And you build consistency ... which is the number one thing most industrial brands are missing. Start with three videos a month. Then scale. The tech’s here ... the only thing missing is your decision to use it.
How to Make Short Form Video a Core Marketing Channel
Let’s break it down into a system:
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Identify your key product pain points. What do buyers Google at 2 a.m.? Make videos that answer those questions.
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Use AI tools to script, plan, and schedule. Don’t guess. Let data and automation steer the content calendar.
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Shoot in batches. One day, ten videos. Efficiency over perfection.
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Distribute across platforms. LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts, embedded on your site. Meet your buyers where they are.
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Measure performance. HubSpot or Google Analytics will tell you what’s working. Kill what’s not. Double down on what is.
Final Thoughts: A Hidden Opportunity in Plain Sight
The industrial marketing landscape is shifting fast ... but most of your competitors are still parked in the breakdown lane. That’s not a risk ... that’s a gift. Short form video is your fast lane. It’s your unfair advantage. And it’s the sharp edge of an industrial marketing strategy built for the modern buyer.
Don’t wait for your competitors to catch up. Don’t settle for “we’ll get to it next quarter.” Start building your digital moat ... one 60-second clip at a time.
Because if you don’t ... someone else will.
Want to know more, go to What We Do or Contact Me Or give me a call at 269-375-0349
