B2B Video Marketing: Starting with the Big Idea

Julia Ruskin
5 minute read

B2B video marketing has become increasingly popular in recent years, with businesses leveraging the power of video to tell their stories and engage with their audiences. But how do you determine the right length for your video? At c|change, we have created numerous B2B videos over the years and have learned the importance of starting with a big idea. In this blog post, we'll explore why the big idea should come first and how it can impact the length of your B2B video.


At c|change, we’ve created hundreds of B2B videos over the past 21 years for our clients, and we’ve learned a thing or two about which video length works best to tell captivating stories.

We’ve even created a video of our own where our President and CEO, Hugh Schulze talks about this very topic called B2B Under 3 (minutes) that I highly recommend checking out. But, if you’re feeling old school and enjoy reading blog posts like I do, then let’s dig into the topic right here!

Creating a B2B video: where to start

Often when we’re starting a video project at c|change, the first thing a client wants to define is the length. Some are looking for a short and punchy video akin to a TV commercial; others want a tutorial that’s five or six minutes long. Both are great, but before we can write any scripts, we need to know: what’s the big idea for this video.

We start every video by asking, “What’s the #1 thing you want your target audience to remember?” That one BIG idea, that’s what we want to capture.

Why big ideas come first

Why start with the big idea before defining the length? Research shows that viewership drops dramatically after just two minutes. Of course, there are videos where the audience will stick around longer than that, as we’ve seen with TED Talks. But TED Talks, and even educational tutorials that run longer than two minutes, always start with those big ideas.

From big ideas to big impacts

Once we’ve nailed down the big idea, then we can talk about length, whether the video will be live action or animated, and all the other fun elements that go into creating videos. Your big idea is the magnet that draws all the elements of your video together.

With your one big idea, you’ve also got a great way to measure the effectiveness of your investment. You can see how well your big idea is understood, how it’s being received, and how it’s creating impact.

So, how long does your B2B video need to be? Long enough to communicate your one big idea.

If you’d like to talk more about videos or just want to talk big ideas with us, please drop us a line!

B2B video marketing is a powerful tool for businesses to connect with their target audiences, but it's essential to start with a big idea to ensure that your message is effectively communicated. While video length is a critical consideration, it's ultimately the big idea that drives the length and impact of your B2B video. At c|change, we're passionate about helping businesses tell their stories through compelling videos, and we're always here to help you brainstorm and develop your big ideas.