Why most B2B buying decisions happen on Day 1 – and what video has to do with it

There is a dangerous misconception in B2B marketing that video is just a “brand awareness” game. We usually bucket video into two aspects:

• A top “viral” property that gets views but no leads.
• A dry product demo at the bottom of the funnel that gets leads but no views.

This binary thinking breaks your pipeline.

In my role at LinkedIn, I have access to a unique view of the B2B buying ecosystem. What the data shows is that the most successful companies don’t treat video as a one-stage funnel strategy. They treat it like a multiplier.

When you integrate a video strategy into the entire shopping journey – connecting the desired brand – the effectiveness multiplies, driving up to 1.4x more leads.

Here’s an outline of the strategy for building that plan, backed by new data on how B2B buyers actually make decisions.

Truth: ‘The first vision arose’

The window to influence the deal closes much sooner than most marketers realize.

LinkedIn’s B2B Institute calls this the “first impression awakened.” Like the reality TV show “The Bachelor,” if you don’t get a rose on the first try, you’re unlikely to make it to the finals.

Research from LinkedIn and Bain & Company found 86% of consumers already have their decisions predetermined on “Day 1” of the buying cycle. More importantly, 81% eventually bought from the seller with that Day 1 listing.

If your video strategy waits until the consumer is “in the market” or “ready to buy” to show up, you’re fighting for the remaining 19% of the market. To win, you need to be on the shortlist before the RFP is written.

That requires a triple play strategy.

Play 1: Access and launch a ‘hidden’ shopping mall

Goal: Reach people who can’t say ‘no’

Most video strategies target the “champion,” the person using the tool or service. But in B2B, the champion rarely holds the checkbook.

Consider this scenario. He spent months courting the VP of marketing. They like your solution. They are ready to sign.

But when they bring the contract to the procurement meeting, the CFO looks up and asks: “Who are they?

At that point, the deal ends. All of a sudden you’re competing on price because you don’t have product equity with someone who controls the budget.

Our data shows that you are more than 20 times more likely to make a purchase when the entire buying team – not just the user – knows on day 1.

Strategic change: The art of cutting

To reach that broad group, you can’t just be there. You have to be memorable. You need access and recall, both.

LinkedIn’s data reveals exactly what “the art of cutting” looks like in a feed:

• Be brave: Video ads featuring bold, distinctive colors see a 15% increase in engagement.
• Be process oriented: Messages broken down into clear, visible steps deliver 13% higher dwell times.
• “Goldilocks” height.: Short videos between 7-15 seconds are a sweet spot for driving brand lift – they perform much better than two very short (less than 6 seconds) and long form ads.
• The “Silent Film” Rule: Design for the eye, not the ear. 79% of LinkedIn’s audience scrolls with the sound off. If your video depends on the person talking to explain the value in the first 5 seconds, you have lost 80% of the room. Use visual hooks and hard-coded captions to get immediate attention.

Dig deep: 5 tips to personalize your B2B content

Play 2: Educate and motivate sales ‘buyability’

Goal: Minimize personal and professional risk

This is where most B2B content fails. We focus on selling power (features, specifications, speed, feed) and rarely focus on buying (how safe is it to buy).

When a B2B buyer short-lists vendors, he navigates the risk of the transaction.

Our research with Bain & Company found the top five “emotional tasks” a consumer needs to accomplish. Only two were about product capability.

Job No. 1 of the feelings (at 34%) was simply, “I felt I could defend the decision if it didn’t go well.”

Strategic change: Marketing a safety net

To improve visibility, your video content shouldn’t be a dumping ground. It should be a safety net. What does that actually look like?

Impulse safety (“buzz” effect)

Buyers want to bet on the winner. Our data shows brands generate 10% more leads when they build momentum with “buzz.”

You can create this buzz by using cultural code. When brands refer to pop culture, we see a 41% increase in engagement.

If they use memes (yes, even in B2B), engagement can jump 111%. It shows that you are relevant, human, and part of the current conversation.

Authorities build trust (“expert” effect)

If the momentum catches their attention, the technology gains their trust. But how you present that technology is important.

Video ads featuring top experts see 53% higher engagement.

When those experts are recorded on the conference stage, communication increases by 70%.

Why? The setting implies authority. It shows, “This person is smart enough that other people pay to listen to him.”

Consistency is honesty

You can’t “blast” your way to trust. Brands that maintain an ongoing presence see 10% more conversions than those that stop and restart. Trust is a cumulative metric.

Dig deep: The future of B2B authority building in the age of search AI

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Play 3: Turn and shoot by removing the friction

Goal: Stop convincing, start helping

At this stage, the consumer knows you (Play 1) and trusts you (Play 2).

Don’t use your funnel video to “hard sell”. Use it to remove the conflict for the next step.

Consumers in this category feel three types of risk:

• Risk of death: “Is this really going to work for us?”
• Decision risk: “What if I choose the wrong one?”
• The danger of the attempt: “How much work is being done?”

That’s why recommendations, relationships, and connections help close deals.

Change strategies: Respond to concerns

Your art should directly address those concerns.

Social proof scale – kill risk of being killed

90% of consumers say that social testimonials are influential information. But you can just send the logo.

Use video to show peers. When a buyer sees someone whose job title is successful, the risk of the decision evaporates.

Reinvigorate your workforce – kill decision risk

People trust people more than logos. Startups that engage their employees see huge returns because they humanize the product.

A figure that surprises many leaders. Only 3% of employees who post regularly can drive another 20% of leads, according to LinkedIn data.

Show people who will answer the phone if things break.

A combination of conversion – kill the danger of the attempt

Don’t leave them hanging with the usual “Read More” button.

We see 3x higher open rates when video ads are combined directly with lead generation forms.

Video defines value, form captures intent instantly.

• Short sales cycle (less than 30 days): Use videos and lead type forms at speed.
• Long sales cycle: Retarget video viewers with message ads from a thought leader. Don’t ask for a sale; start a conversation.

Dig deep: LinkedIn’s new playbook taps creatives as the future of B2B marketing

A flywheel, not a funnel

If this strategy works, why isn’t everyone doing it? The problem is usually not budget or talent. The structure.

In many organizations, “product” teams and “demand” teams operate in silos.

• The brand owns the top of the funnel (Play 1).
• The need holds the low (Play 3).

They fight for budgets and rarely coordinate creatively.

This separation kills the effect of multiplication.

When you break down those silos and run these games as one system, the data changes.

Our modeling shows an integrated strategy draws 1.4x more leads than using product and demand separately.

Build the flywheel:

• Your broad reach (Play 1) creates redirect pools.
• Your educational content (Play 2) warms up that audience, raising CTRs.
• Your conversion offer (Play 3) is capturing demand from customers who have already sold, which lowers your CPL.

Brands that balance the funnel – investing in memory and actions – are the ones that make the “Day 1” list.

And those on that list are the ones earning the income.