Purchase Frequency of Customers

The frequency with which potential customers—software engineers interested in creating content—purchase products or services similar to yours depends on several factors, including their career goals, the type of content they want to create, and their familiarity with content creation tools.

1. Occasional Purchases for Skill Development

Many software engineers occasionally invest in products or services that help them develop new skills, including content creation. These purchases are often driven by specific needs such as: - Learning how to create video tutorials or ebooks. - Developing confidence in public speaking or presenting ideas. - Acquiring tools for editing videos, writing, or designing course materials.

For example, cohort-based courses like "Write of Passage" (which runs twice a year and costs around $4,000) attract engineers looking to improve their writing and content creation skills[3]. This suggests that software engineers may make occasional, high-value investments in premium educational services when they see a clear benefit to their personal brand or career.

2. Regular Subscriptions for Continuous Learning

Software engineers are known to be lifelong learners, constantly seeking ways to improve their technical and communication skills. Many subscribe to regular educational platforms (e.g., LinkedIn Learning, Udemy) or newsletters that provide ongoing learning opportunities. For instance: - 98% of technical buyers (including software engineers) subscribe to at least one newsletter, with 66% subscribing to three or more[5]. - Engineers frequently consume work-related videos and podcasts, with 78% spending at least an hour per week watching work-related videos[5].

This indicates that many software engineers are accustomed to regularly purchasing subscriptions or accessing educational content on a continuous basis. If your service offers ongoing support (e.g., coaching, content planning), you could tap into this recurring purchase behavior.

3. One-Time Purchases for Specific Tools

Some software engineers may make one-time purchases of tools or platforms that help them create content more efficiently. For example, creators like Adam Wathan have built successful businesses by offering tools like Tailwind UI, which brought in $2M within five months of release[3]. This shows that software engineers are willing to invest in tools that simplify the content creation process.

4. Infrequent but High-Value Purchases for Premium Services

Engineers who are serious about building a personal brand or transitioning into full-time content creation may make infrequent but high-value purchases for premium services like coaching, video production assistance, or advanced content marketing strategies. For example, some creators invest in high-ticket cohort-based courses that run only a few times per year but offer significant value through networking and skill-building[3].

Conclusion

The frequency of purchases among your potential customers varies: - Many will make occasional purchases for specific skill development. - Some will engage in regular subscriptions for continuous learning. - Others may make one-time purchases for tools or services that streamline their content creation efforts. - A smaller subset may make infrequent but high-value investments in premium services when they see a clear return on investment.

Understanding these patterns can help you tailor your offerings—whether through subscription models, one-time purchases, or premium coaching packages—to meet the diverse needs of your target audience.

Citations: [1] https://academy.hubspot.com/courses [2] https://www.bcs.org [3] https://blog.pragmaticengineer.com/how-to-become-a-full-time-creator/ [4] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/navigating-future-influencing-software-buyer-behavior-through-rpysf [5] https://www.trewmarketing.com/state-of-marketing-to-engineers-research-report [6] https://www.clearvoice.com/resources/content-marketing-software-engineering/