What do I get if I sign up? Will it be too time consuming? Do I get the valuable feature I’m looking for?
These are all questions that we help our clients answer when they ask us to create a video demo. Most often we create video demos to introduce a new or complicated product or service offering. The goal is to give the viewer a high-level overview of the features and benefits of the application. The most effective video demos are short, concise and feature the most memorable aspects of the application we are focusing on. If you think a video demo would be a good solution for your business here are some things to consider.
- You can tell your story but you can’t show all the details. We recommend video demos be under 3 minutes. Any more than that and you run the risk of losing your audience. Video demos should focus on the primary features and benefits your product or service has to offer. Your viewer should walk away with a high-level understanding of what you are trying to sell and be excited to contact you with more specific questions about what your product or service offers them.
- You can use a video demo to introduce new functionality or features. Providing a high-level overview of all the new wiz bang things you are offering is a great way to engage existing users of your system. It is also a great tool for your sales team to use to get their B2B customers on board with a redesign.
- Use a professional voice over talent. Yes, it is more expensive than doing it yourself, however, a professional voice talent and studio can give your video the polish it needs to get noticed. A lackluster voice over that your marketing assistant recorded using their iphone will get the job done but can be awkward and may contain background noise or mistakes that take away from the action on screen.
- Make a storyboard and write a script. Having a good plan for how the video will come together is key to making sure the video hits all the points you want in the time you have. As part of our process we create a storyboard aligning all the key moments in the video and with the voiceover script. When we create a script we always read it aloud at a cadence that makes sense. It helps make sure the voice over does not sound mechanical or awkward.
- Have a plan to deliver the video. We recommend our clients use a streaming service like vimeo or youtube to host their videos and then embed them into the target application. Doing this allows you to get some SEO benefit and if you have a lot of viewers won’t bog down your site with people playing the video.
- Provide a transcript. People with disabilities may not be able to fully experience your video. Providing a transcript with the video is a good way to accommodate all of your potential customers without leaving anyone behind.
- Think about other ways you can use your video demo. Many of our clients have us make video demos that can loop so they can run in a tradeshow or at an event. Some use our video demos to help seek funding for their start ups.
If you think a video demo would benefit your business, we would love to chat.