Why Every Software Company Needs an Explainer Video
In a sentence or two, I need to convince you that this post is worth reading. In the same way, you have very little time to convince potential customers that your product is worth learning more about.
Your product makes perfect sense to you.
But strangers have no idea what your product does, how it fits into their life, or why they should use it, until you explain it to them.
And if you don’t make it easy to understand, they’re not sticking around. Why would they continue fumbling through your website in search of those answers?
“The company that helps us figure it out the quickest, that creates the least amount of friction in that process, wins.”
Throughout this post, you’ll find examples of software explainer videos that got it right. They make the product easy to understand, and they’re actually enjoyable to watch.
Soapbox Explainer Video created by Sandwich Video: Watch on YouTube
Every software company? Really?
Yes, every software company needs an explainer video.
Why?
Because they help people understand your product.
- 94% of video marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service. [1]
They’re persuasive.
- 79% of people say a brand’s video has convinced them to buy a piece of software or app. [1]
And your customers like watching them.
- 68% of people say they’d most prefer to learn about a new product or service by watching a short video. This makes video more popular as a learning tool than text-based articles (15%), infographics (4%) presentations and pitches (4%) ebooks and manuals (3%). [1]
Chatbooks Explainer Video created by the Harmon Brothers: Watch on YouTube
The path of least resistance
When a stranger visits your website, they’re looking for answers. But your website isn’t the only one they’re looking at. They’re comparing solutions, making quick decisions, weeding out bad fits, and taking the path of least resistance.
Because, the reality is, we’re tired. We don’t have the time or energy to read through every brick of text on every website we visit.
We want to find what we’re looking for, fast. But most websites make it absurdly difficult to understand what the product or company does. If there’s too much work involved in figuring it out, we move on.
The company that helps us figure it out the quickest, that creates the least amount of friction in that process, wins.
Notarize Explainer Video created by Sandwich Video: Watch on YouTube
Video helps with digestion
In a way, video is like Pepto Bismol; It helps people digest things. You know, things like information. Not food.
Software products are complex, and trying to understand them is laborious. Especially, when you’re sifting through a wall of text and stock images.
That’s why video is utilized more often by software companies than any other industry.
- Almost 90% of digital marketers are already using video as part of their online marketing strategy. [2]
- Businesses in High Tech and Professional Services industries are publishing the most new videos on a monthly basis. [2]
- Product videos, demos, and explainers are the most common videos produced; websites and social media are the most common distribution channels. [2]
Descript Explainer Video created by Sandwich Video: Watch on Their Website Homepage
Your website is where people come to learn about your product. So if the information on your homepage goes down like a bucket of greasy chicken wings, you need an explainer video, my friend.
The companies who are winning
We’ve all seen generic explainer videos. They utilize either stock video footage or corny, animated characters.
Yikes.
Your product doesn’t automatically become easier to understand when you explain it in video format. Video simply allows you share that information differently than you can through other mediums.
So, share it better.
The companies who set themselves apart are the ones who use their explainer video for more than one purpose. Yes, they’re educating potential customers about their product, but they’re also connecting people to their brand.
How? With compelling, creative storytelling.
They utilize relatable, real-life people in relatable, real-life situations. Because that’s what we all connect with.
Final Explainer Video created by Sandwich Video: Watch on YouTube
Stories carry your message. And videos carry your story. Explainer videos (that tell good stories) make your message more engaging, succinct, and memorable.
Which stories do you tell?
There’s a story behind every product, every company. What sparked it all? How did you build such a powerful solution?
There’s also a story behind every person who buys that product from your company. What are they up against? Where does your product fit into their life? How is it changing things for them?
These stories matter. Are you telling them? Which ones, and how?
Schedule a free, no-pressure consultation to discuss your objectives and how we might partner with your business to accomplish them with effective video content.
Sources
[1] The State of Video Marketing 2019, Wyzowl.
https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics-2019/
Wyzowl gathered these stats by surveying 613 unique respondents in December 2018. Their sample included both marketing professionals and online consumers. They separated these groups with a preliminary question, ensuring that respondents were only asked to answer the questions relevant to them.
[2] 2018 Video in Business Benchmark Report, Vidyard.
https://www.vidyard.com/business-video-benchmarks/
These findings are based on first-party data collected from the Vidyard video platform from more than 600 businesses and over 250,000 videos in a 12 month period.
