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Show Them How It Works
A goal to “make more video” falls short of an effective video strategy. Manufacturers are drawn to specific types of video. So choosing the right kind of video that earns the most attention will deliver the strongest return. Fortunately for you, we’ve already asked manufacturers what they want to watch.
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Manufacturing buyers are consistent, enthusiastic video consumers, and they know exactly what they want to see: equipment in operation. When advertisers lead with that content, the data shows they are speaking the buyer's language.
Video has become a standard recommendation in nearly every B2B marketing playbook. But “make more video” is only the seed to an effective strategy. What matters for industrial suppliers is choosing the kind of video that earns the most attention and delivers the strongest return.
The IBI survey has measured video behavior among manufacturing buyers since 2023. Through the years, the response has been strikingly consistent. Equipment demonstrations are the #1 type of video manufacturing buyers watch for work.
The types of video manufacturers watch for work.
Source: Industrial Buying Influence Survey
The gap between equipment demonstrations (83–90%) and executive interviews (15–18%) is a clear signal.
Manufacturing buyers are five to six times more likely to watch a machine making a part than to watch a CEO talk about company vision.
The Case for Interviews and Tours
As with any marketing strategy, it’s important to define the goal of your video. While demonstrations may be ideal for moving prospects through the buying process, an executive interview may be ideal for retaining loyal customers or positioning corporate culture to new hires.
What This Means for Your Video Investment
The opportunity is direct. First, if you operate equipment that moves, forms, cuts, cures, coats, or measures, get it on camera in action. A close-up, clearly narrated equipment demonstration video is your single highest-ROI video asset. It answers the questions buyers are asking before they call you, in the format they've told you they prefer.
Second, prioritize applications demonstrations and how-to content, both cited by 60%+ of buyers. These videos show your equipment solving a specific problem: running a specific material, holding a specific tolerance, operating in a specific production environment. They deliver more value than a generic product overview because they answer the question every buyer is asking: “Does this work for my application?”
Where These Videos Should Live
The 2025 IBI framing on video is direct: “What and how supersede who and why.”
Buyers find the most value in videos that show what a product does and how to use it. This is the “Solve First, Sell Second” principle applied to video format, lead with the application result. YouTube is used for work by 78% of manufacturing buyers, making it a genuine professional platform for this audience.
Host videos on YouTube with specific, application-searchable titles, embed them on your product pages, and promote them via LinkedIn and trade media channels to reach the people who need to see them.
Don’t Ignore the Thumbnail
The video thumbnail is the static image that appears before your video plays. From our experience posting and sharing video, thumbnails that show a part or a machine tool outperform images of people, facilities, or flashy graphics.
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