• by Daisy Whitney , Op-Ed Contributor, November 28, 2012

Technology news consumers rely on tech videos when they’re in the market for buying tech products, and marketers would do well to supply product demo videos rather than just pre-rolls to them.

That’s the finding of a just-released online audience survey conducted by IDG TechNetwork this summer. IDG TechNetwork reaches more than 130 million monthly unique visitors across more than 500 tech sites.

Tech-minded consumers often seek out tech videos, with 9 of 10 saying they watch videos about the tech product they’re considering buying. What’s particularly useful for technology marketers to takeaway from this study is that tech enthusiasts rely most on product demos and review videos. About 90% of respondents said those video formats were the most valuable resource, followed by 80% who cited video interviews with experts, and 77% who like testimonials. These findings suggest that brands may do better by pairing pre-rolls with product demos, said Pete Longo, CEO of IDG TechNetwork.

Also, 40% of respondents characterize themselves as frequent watchers of online video. In addition, IDG found that 23% of respondents said they watch tech video on their mobile devices. That’s not surprising given that a tech-centric audience would likely be quite facile with mobile video but it is a confirmation of the growing prevalence of mobile video. IDG said that 78% of respondents rely on specialty tech sites as well as mainstream sites when seeking out information about their next purchase.

Bear in mind that as a tech ad network, IDG has a vested interest in the success of tech video marketing.