How Video Is Changing Enterprise Software Marketing
For a long time, the standard playbook for enterprise software marketing looked much the same: white papers, case studies, product brochures, and lengthy PDF guides. Buyers were expected to read their way to a purchasing decision.
That playbook is expanding. Video gives buyers another way to understand complex products, see workflows in action, and hear directly from the people who use them. For ERP consultants and enterprise software companies, the opportunity is to make information easier to understand before a sales conversation begins.
The Shift From PDFs to Video
Video is earning a larger role in B2B content strategies. In the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs 2025 B2B research, surveyed marketers rated video as the most effective content type, ahead of case studies and white papers. That reflects marketers’ reported results, rather than proof that every buyer prefers video or that every video outperforms text.
Written content still has an important job to do. Blog posts provide searchable explanations. Case studies document outcomes. Detailed guides let readers find a specific answer without replaying a recording. Video adds something different: the ability to show a process unfolding and explain it as it happens.
For complex products like ERP systems, this can be especially useful. A short explainer can introduce how inventory moves across multiple sites, while a screen recording can show a specific task in the software. Neither needs to cover every configuration detail. A written guide can supply the prerequisites, exceptions, and steps viewers may need later.
How Demos Explainers and Testimonials Support Buyer Decisions
The role of video varies depending on what a buyer needs to learn. Matching the format to the question is more useful than producing the same type of video for every audience.
Awareness: Explainers and educational videos introduce a business problem and explain why it matters. These can help viewers understand an unfamiliar concept without requiring prior knowledge of the software.
Consideration: Product walkthroughs and feature demonstrations show how a workflow actually works. A focused demo helps buyers assess whether the process fits their needs and identify questions for a more detailed evaluation.
Decision: Customer interviews add context about implementation, adoption, and results. The strongest examples explain the original challenge, what changed, and how outcomes were measured, rather than relying on general praise.
Each format makes an abstract claim more concrete. Watching someone generate a report in Epicor Kinetic, for example, reveals the steps involved more clearly than a bullet point promising “fast, intuitive reporting.” A useful demonstration also explains relevant setup or assumptions so viewers can judge what applies to their own environment.
What This Means for ERP Consultants
ERP evaluations can involve several stakeholders with different questions. Finance may want to understand reporting, operations may focus on inventory, and IT may need details about integrations. A single overview video is unlikely to answer all of them.
A collection of focused tutorials gives each audience a practical starting point. Someone searching for help with a report or a recurring process can learn from a consultant’s explanation before making direct contact. That content serves existing users as well as potential buyers, provided it answers a real question instead of turning every lesson into a pitch.
Useful tutorials can help establish credibility, but they do not guarantee trust or replace discovery. A prospect’s requirements, configuration, and constraints still need to be understood. Video can give the conversation a stronger starting point by helping buyers arrive with clearer questions.
Getting Started With a Realistic Budget
High production costs can make video feel out of reach. For software education, though, a clear explanation and readable screen recording often matter more than elaborate production. Start with a question your team answers regularly and build one useful video around it.
Prioritize clear audio. Record in a quiet space, use a suitable microphone, and test the sound before recording the full lesson. Viewers need to hear the explanation without straining.
Make the screen easy to follow. Enlarge relevant fields, move the cursor deliberately, and explain why each step matters. Use a demonstration environment with sample data rather than exposing client information.
Keep the scope manageable. A short video works well for an overview or a single task. A more involved workflow may need a longer tutorial with chapters so viewers can find the section they need.
Support different ways of learning. Add accurate captions and provide a transcript or written steps where useful. Viewers should be able to revisit an instruction without searching through the entire recording.
Plan for maintenance. Identify the software version shown and review tutorials when interfaces or processes change. A recording remains valuable only while its guidance remains accurate.
If a presenter appears on camera, a clean background, consistent framing, and adequate lighting are usually enough to create a professional look. Before investing in more equipment, review whether viewers can understand the lesson and follow the demonstration.
Measure usefulness as well as reach. Watch time and audience drop-off can suggest where an explanation loses people, while comments and recurring questions can reveal missing information. Relevant inquiries and feedback from clients or the sales team can help assess whether the content supports its intended purpose.
A useful video library takes time to build. Begin with the questions that matter most to your audience, pair demonstrations with written resources, and keep the content current. The lasting value comes from helping people understand the software and make better-informed decisions.
Source
Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs. B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks Budgets and Trends Outlook for 2025. Published October 9, 2024.
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