Product demos, if done right, have the ability to shorten sales cycles, generate qualified leads, and drive conversions. For some companies, a snazzy product demo could mean getting noticed by prospects, target audiences, and sometimes even bigger giants in the same industry.
For instance, Meta Web Technologies, which has created a semantic data storage infrastructure for the web, used Epipheo Studios to create a short 3 mins 26 seconds video on their solution and the pain points they address, resulting in the company being acquired by search engine giant Google.
In this article, we have outlined some simple points that will help you create a compelling video with the ability to drive leads and conversions from your site:
Focus on Benefits vs Features
A great example is that of Salesforce and the manner in which they have used videos for each of their products and services. Taking their cloud computing video for example which has around 1.3 million hits, talks about the pain-points of CTO’s in managing extensive IT infrastructure and builds a strong case for shifting to the cloud. The video does not cover in detail the various features of their solution and instead focuses on the bigger picture – the benefit or the value that their solution provides to the end-user.
Keep It Short
It is said that viewers judge within the first 15 seconds of watching a video whether they want to continue watching it or not, which means you have 15 seconds to grab their attention and a few minutes extra to communicate your message. Your video HAS TO BE LESS THAN 5 MINS LONG.
Create a Story
The video by commoncraft explaining what Twitter is all about is brilliant in how it communicates the core essence of the platform in a short 2 mins 16 seconds video covering almost all the aspects that a user might want to know about before signing up for it. They created a story about a skeptical user who tries Twitter for the first time and detail her experience with the microblogging platform.
Should Progress at a Snappy Pace
In the case of videos, brevity is the key. The pace of the video should be such that the user does not get bored, and the interest does not shift, which can be achieved by ensuring that you only cover the MOST IMPORTANT POINTS and communicate it in a crisp and articulate manner. This demo by MovieClips is less than 2 mins long and covers one main pain-point of movie lovers and addresses that cleverly in their video. The messaging is clear, it proceeds at a fast pace and makes the user want to go to their site and start using it instantly.
A Little Bit of Humor Goes a Long Way
There are a lot of benefits of using humor in your script, the most important being memorability of your content. Some other benefits have been covered in this article that build a case for humor in marketing. Something that is guaranteed to prompt a few giggles and laughs will immediately build a positive image around a brand and will see users wanting to engage with that entity. For instance, this video by Minbox which compares its file-sharing capabilities with that of Dropbox was an instant hit, with users loving the humor.
