Video Marketing How-To: Creating Effective Demo Videos

• Updated on: 2019-10-23
• Read original article here

Welcome to another episode of Video Marketing How-To! This week we’re going to talk about product demo videos – how to create one that’s engaging, informative, and drives conversions!

First off, I want to take a minute and discuss the difference between an explainer video, and a demo video. Explainer videos are great for showcasing how your solution solves a problem at a high level. They don’t have to have any real imagery of your product or service to be valuable.

Demo videos on the other hand should teach prospects or customers how to accomplish something with your product. Keep in mind, this is content that your prospects consume on their own before getting a demo from sales – it’s not a 1 hour demo caught on camera, but a quick overview of one or more of your features.

Now let’s look at length – demo videos aren’t generally considered top-of-funnel content so you can go a bit longer on length, but don’t bite off more than your viewers can chew. Keep your demo videos to the point, walk viewers through one action, and do it succinctly.

Next up is formatting – if you’re going to be producing multiple demo videos, try to structure them the same way. Chances are if you have built a complex product, your viewers will be watching multiple videos to fully understand how your system works, so having a cohesive structure means viewers know what to expect.

Finally, distribution. Demo videos tend to be more mid-funnel content as they’re designed to educate trial users or existing customers on how to use your product. Having them on your website is a must, but it’s not a bad idea to have them on YouTube as well. Many users search YouTube for information on products, and having short demo videos that show prospects how to use your product is always a good idea.

I hope you learned a thing or two about building a successful demo video. Check out these full-length examples from Salesforce, Taulia, inContact and Vidyard, Remember – if there’s a topic you would like us to cover on Video Marketing How-To, please let us know in the comments! See you in a few weeks for another episode!