Best Practices for Adding Demo Videos to your Marketing Strategy

Feb 21, 2018

Demo videos look simple, but are deceptively tricky to produce. These instructional videos, which introduce products and show how things work and pack a huge amount of information into just a few minutes of footage.

Here are some best practices that will help you make demo videos an effective part of your company’s marketing strategy.

The Video Strategy Blueprint v2.0 - Free Guide Graphic

Make it Fast-Paced

Face it: A demo of your product is probably more fascinating to you than it is to your audience. Research shows most people stop watching videos within 15 seconds, which is the driving force behind Snapchat’s 10-second video limit.

So it’s important to keep demo videos fast-paced and visually striking. Every second of your video should compel viewers to keep watching.

One proven strategy is to mix up the format constantly within the video. You might start with a person talking, cut to an animated clip, switch to footage of your assembly line, and show a graphic of a statistic – all within the vital first 10 seconds.

As an example, take a look at the demo video Nickel City Graphics did for Seal-Once Wood Sealer. Within the opening moments of the video, there are three powerful words, “Protect, Preserve, Enhance,” an intriguing shot of a huge wood structure, a treehouse, falling hail, and a machine grinding the bark off logs. It’s interesting, and the viewer wants to see more.

 

Spark Curiosity

The goal of a demo video is to satisfy curiosity and hint that buying your product will fill an emotional need. Psychologists call this the curiosity gap – the feeling of awareness that you’re missing something interesting.

So, make sure you highlight a few of the fascinating details that spark curiosity about what you do. Even the most boring product or service has interesting aspects.

Here are some demo video idea generators:

  • Is your product easy to use? Prove it.
  • Have an interesting production facility? Show it.
  • Does your product have internal mechanics or materials? Crack it open.
  • Can using your product prevent mishaps? Show what happens with and without it.

 

Embrace the Silence

People watch videos at work, at school, in waiting rooms, on public transit, around their families … all with the sound off. In fact, 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound and YouTube reports similar statistics.

That’s why it’s a good idea to make your demo video work without sound. Here are a few great ways to make it happen:

  • Make it a time-lapse or hyperlapse video that shows things happening fast
  • Add captions that make it clear what’s going on (captions are great for SEO too)
  • Visually highlight stats and superlatives like “200% increase” or “Top-ranked”
  • Use a simple backdrop or clean white background, for visual clarity
  • Hire an animator to create something that works silently

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5XNECXW258

The Video Strategy Blueprint v2.0 - Free Guide Graphic

Connect With Experts

If you’re feeling a bit stuck, don’t worry. Experts can help you move forward. A video marketing company can assist with brainstorming ideas, speaking to your audience, and producing an effective demo video.

Check out a variety of video examples from Nickel City Graphics or download the Video Marketing Strategy Blueprint for a step-by-step guide to using video for your business.

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