Which types of videos engage software buyers?

If you sell software, Gartner’s 2023 Global Software Buying Trends is worth a look [free download]. We found the report interesting because its findings are pertinent to videos produced to influence software buyers.

Link product features to business goals

Here are the top five goals software buyers reported for 2023: 1) improve productivity, 2) keep up with technology, 3) address security and cyberattacks, 4) expand product offerings, and 5) target new customers. Gartner recommends building content around use cases. Videos that demo use cases for software features are inherently more interesting to more people than product tours designed for functional users.

Ease worries about the learning curve

Nearly half of businesses (45%) say that the software learning curve or downtime is their biggest worry about any new technology. Buyers are going evaluate your implementation guides and training materials. If you’ve already got a good library of video tutorials, it should be easy to make a video that highlights its value.

Support fast purchase decisions

47% of businesses needed only 3-6 months to make software purchase decisions in 2022 — up from 35% in 2021. It follows that providers who explain their solutions more efficiently and effectively gain an advantage. Short videos designed for straightforward explaining (as opposed to marketing or training) work best.

ICYMI

Adding captions to online videos improves accessibility, SEO, user experience, user watch time, and lots of other things. There are lots of easy ways to generate captions. Caption editing is built in to video production software like Adobe Premiere, so your video team can create captions along with any video they create. Video platforms (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo) generate auto-captions you can edit.

Also, here’s a link to Brandwatch’s new 2023 Social Media Image Sizes Guide.

That’s all for now.

Bruce McKenzie & Lorna Pautzke