This summer, the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio gave us a reprieve from the nonstop election coverage. Anyone at Tendo can tell you I am a huge fan of the Olympic Games. I love that citizens of the world unite behind their flags and their athletes. I love that the best of the best battle with skill—as opposed to weapons—for global recognition. I love t­­he stories of personal triumph, the opening ceremonies, the closing ceremonies, and everything in between.

The video vignettes produced by the Games share athletes’ stories—but the videos of the events themselves show more. It’s the difference between learning someone’s history and watching them make it. It’s inspiration personified.

It’s also a content marketing trend.

Video as a period

Video has earned its place as a standalone content delivery mechanism. Even videos presented with little to no context can tell a complete and impactful story. The games of the 31^st Olympiad gave us proof: 30 seconds of video following a 200-meter stretch of track were enough to show an athlete’s determination, the joy of victory, and the heartbreak of coming up short. The video delivered without an announcer or ancillary assets.

Content marketing videos rarely have the opportunity to share truly Olympic moments, yet the same approach can apply. Video can do more than lure people to your convention booth, drive traffic to your website, or kickoff your conference. Video is actually primed to do some heavy lifting—you just need the right plan of action for telling your story.

The challenge is not the video; it’s the planning behind it.

Making the point

Video’s abilities to turn heads and hold attention have never been in doubt. It’s precisely why they are used on convention floors, on landing pages, and for event openers. A video in any of those circumstances serves as a “comma” – a way to tee up the “real” content typically delivered by a demo, webpage, or keynote speaker. They’re visually stunning, but lack substance.

But video can be “the period,” full stop. A well-planned and properly executed video can replace a demo or any number of sections on a website. We’re seeing it now on social media channels where news organizations are using autoplay videos to deliver content and from companies creating high-impact save-the-dates. These videos are presented without accompanying links and can be played without sound. And that, my friends, is video delivering content—full stop.

As with other marketing strategies, using video for standalone content delivery presents challenges for B2B marketers. How can users be driven to a call-to-action? How can micro-videos like those featured on Snapchat boost revenue? Where are the best opportunities to replace a piece of content with video? Video production can be expensive, and using video for every campaign may not be feasible. Still, none of those impediments are insurmountable. In fact, answering those critical questions will help you produce stronger videos.

Get on trend with video

In addition to being pretty and popular, video is powerful. Let it do some of the heavy lifting in your content marketing. It won’t always be easy, and it won’t always be cheap—but you’ll be tapping into a relatively new, growing trend and gaining views along the way.

Fully Olympic moments in B2B marketing videos may be few and far between, but some of the feelings behind them can always be conveyed. What inspires you can also motivate your customers, and push you to stand out amongst your competitors.

Video can show customers the passion your company has for its mission. And it can do it all by itself.

Check out our video work on YouTube.