Whether you’re just starting out with video marketing or you’ve been doing it for a while, it can be tough to keep up with the latest trends and best practices.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about video marketing for SaaS businesses – from picking out the kind of SaaS videos that will best suit your brand to using them effectively in your marketing campaigns.
Let’s get started!
What is Video Marketing?
Video marketing involves producing videos to increase a brand’s visibility.
It’s a way to showcase and most importantly, explain your product through engaging content.
Take a look at this sample video.
Video marketing is also used to bridge the gap between your SaaS and your customers. It takes the user on another level of connection with your brand and can dramatically increase sales conversions.
By creating engaging, informative video content, you’re able to reach a much larger audience than ever before.
Why you should use video marketing for SaaS
Undoubtedly, videos is one of the fastest growing forms of digital media today. With video content accounting for two thirds (66%) of all internet traffic, it’s no wonder that marketers are taking notice, and putting their money where it belongs.
As more people turn to video content for news, entertainment, and business needs, it makes sense that businesses will do the same.
In fact, there’s been a huge rise in popularity with SaaS brands investing in video. They’ve placed funds, time, and resources into how they can best use this platform as well.
Below are some more reasons why you should invest in video marketing for your brand:
- 85% of consumers want to see more video content on a landing page, which means that video can boost conversions by up to 80%. According to 97% of marketers, watching videos helps users better understand their brands. (Explainify)
- 70% of B2B buyers view videos before they make a purchase. (Explainify)
- A video’s content prompted 82% of consumers to take action. (Wyzowl, 2021)
- Among the consumers surveyed, 54% said they would like to see more video content from the brands they follow. (HubSpot, 2020)
- Video traffic will account for 82% of all consumer traffic by 2022.(Renderforest, 2020)
- 83% of marketers say video generates leads, and 87% report that video usage has boosted traffic to their websites. (Wyzowl, 2021)
If you’re on the fence and need a bit of nudge, we got more video marketing numbers for you. Give it a quick skim if you want to solidify your decision.
If you’re ready to go all in with videos, read on.
Getting started with SaaS video marketing
Before diving in, it’s important for SaaS businesses of all sizes to have a strong understanding about what makes good content for the audience.
Understanding the why behind your videos will not only help you better market your app. It guides you how to execute your video so that viewers are engaged, not just during playback time, but long after viewing has ended as well.
The first thing that you should do is to identify your goal. That way, you’d know which type of SaaS videos to do.
6 Types of SaaS videos
There are many different types of videos that you can create with just about any device these days–but not all will work for every company or product.
Some videos are just more suitable than others since this kind of marketing tool is not a one-size-fit-all. Regardless of the type of SaaS video you use, make sure that it meets your specific goals before you begin investing time and money into it.
Here’s what each type of software video looks like and how it fits into your marketing funnel.
- Explainer videos
- Demo videos
- Testimonial videos
- Onboarding videos
- Tutorial videos
- Brand videos
Explainer videos
An explainer video communicates the benefits of your product or service in an engaging, informative format. They’re perfect for explaining anything from an overview, right down to the nitty-gritty details of how your SaaS can help solve their problems.
Demo videos
Demos are short videos that display the functionality of your product or service. Your demo video is an essential tool for showcasing your product and should be customized to suit the needs of each prospective customer.
Testimonial videos
Testimonial videos can be used to show how other people just like your prospects have solved their problems using your tool. Testimonial videos entice ready-to-buy customers to your app based on others’ experience.
Onboarding videos
Onboarding videos help make your users feel welcomed and ensure them on what to expect from your product. It’s important that these videos are engaging and easy-to follow, so you can make sure that your customers will know how to use your app. They decrease churn.
Tutorial videos
Tutorial videos are a great way to show new users how they can use the app or service and learn at their own pace. They’re usually straightforward and easy to follow, which makes them perfect for those who don’t have much experience but want some answers right here, right now.
Brand videos
Brand videos are a great way to show off your company’s personality, values and culture.It allows you to tell your story and build trust with customers. They can be entertaining, informative or even empowering.They’re also an excellent marketing strategy for startups who want their branding message across quickly.
6 Video marketing strategies for your SaaS funnel
Now that you know the different kinds of videos, it’s time to see how they play into your SaaS funnels.
But before that, here’s a quick rundown on what a SaaS funnel looks like:
Sales funnels are a way to guide your potential clients from their first impression on your SaaS, all the way through purchasing paid plans (and future upsells). Funnel stages include:
- Awareness (top of the funnel) – the phase where you introduce or remind prospects of what you offer
- Interest (middle of the funnel) – the point where prospects’ interests are piqued and they are encouraged to seek out more information about your SaaS
- Commitment/buying decision (bottom of the funnel) – the stage where an order is placed leading to a purchase of your paid plans.
Get the most out of videos by using these marketing strategies:
1. Use explainer videos for prospects in the top of your funnel
Prospects in research mode are usually looking at all the different tools available to them. They may be looking for solutions on Google, finding ways on how to address their problems.
They want to find something that ends their pain — which it’s best to have an explainer video on your landing page. It will capture your website visitors.
More than 85% of consumers prefer video content on landing pages, so video can boost conversions by up to 80%. Plus, users are more likely to understand brands when they watch videos, according to 97% of marketers.
If people are aware that what you offer is a solution to their pain points, it’s more likely that they’ll take the bait.
Vervoe
Trip Case travel app’s ace is its live video actor.
Casting is an important part of any live-action explainer video. The right cast can make or break your project, so it’s worth investing time in finding good actors who are able to bring life into the story of your app.
Explainer video trend
If you’ve noticed, both Docusign and TripCase have been using professional actors in the homepage explainer videos.
Yes, big and upcoming SaaS brands has moved to modern explainer videos. If you’d like to create explainer videos customers won’t forget like this one, reach out to eggcrate (that’s us!)
We can help you produce catchy explainer videos for your SaaS.
2. Demo videos for leads in the middle of the funnel
The middle of your sales funnel is a great place for you to start speaking directly with leads. These leads could be people who have downloaded your lead magnet or people who have subscribed in your blog newsletter.
This way, instead of just giving them general information, you can lean more heavily into detailing specific solutions, therefore, introducing them to your SaaS.
Here’s a fact, you get 1.81 times more subscribers after a user watches a demo video.
Demo videos show the best bits of your tool — think of a series of features that show how to fix users’ specific problems or use cases. It’s important to get people on board with your idea quickly, so make sure that it’s relevant and appealing for them.
Take these demo videos for example.
Social Pilot
In this Social Pilot walkthrough, you’ll see how efficient it is to create and schedule posts for your business using their service.
AirTable
In this demo you’ll learn how to get started with five quick steps.This how-to shows viewers that using Airtable is so simple that anyone can do it.
Demo videos usually gives the final push for people to give your tool a try.
3. Onboarding videos for new users
Now that you’ve led prospects down into the funnel and turned them into free trial users, it’s time to welcome them with an onboarding video.
Onboarding videos make it easy to get started with your product. They introduce new users and give them a taste of what’s in store for their experience on board.
They’re like demo videos, but onboarding videos focuses more on how to use the tool and on specific features.
Piktochart
Piktochart’s tuts for beginners helped their users (especially the beginners) get started in no time.
UserPilot
Getting Started With Userpilot video
Userpilot helped their onboarders in getting up and running by conducting a step by step process video.
These onboarding videos include how-to’s or tutorials to activate users or teach them how to use the app.In fact, about 74% of people have watched videos for help understanding a new app or website.
4. Use tutorial videos to reduce churn
Tutorial videos are a great way to stop users from leaving. Not only do they keep your customers around for longer, but also provide you with valuable content that can help teach new features or functions of the product in more detail than text alone would be able to.
Pro tip: When creating tutorial videos, focus more on advanced features to ensure that paying users see the value in your tool, and possibly upgrade too.
How to Send Cold Emails that Land in Prospects’ Inboxes
Tutorial videos are a great way to show off the best application of your product. Many people are really asking where to find videos like this so they can really make the most out of the tool.
Take note of this hack by lemlist. lemlist used their tutorial as a chance to introduce their advanced feature, their custom tracking domain. Furthermore, they stress how this feature will simplify their users’ lives.
Canva
How to Create a Facebook Post – Mobile Edition
And here’s Canva.
Canva’s video about creating social media posts is a great example of a tutorial/promotion in one. It shows users how they can make use of the service when posting in Facebook and Instagram, highlighting the fact that “…in Canva, you don’t have to worry about thinking about the dimensions to use. Everything is pre-made for you…”
Segueing between your tutorial and your tool’s benefits shows users how beneficial the software is.
5. Testimonial videos for ready-to-buy leads
If you want to convert leads to paying users, testimonial videos are the way to go. They work well at closing deals in this bottom stage of your funnel because customers can see how happy other clients were after using your service. That shapes their decision about whether or not they’ll invest with you too.
Moreover,a testimonial video is a great way to convince your clients that the product works. Testimonials or case studies are created for customers who want evidence before they sign on a paid plan or upgrade their subscription.
Slack
“So Yeah, We Tried Slack …” Slack Review Video
Here’s an example of a testimonial by Slack. Check out the sense of trustworthiness of a testimony that comes from a pool of professionals.
Knak
See this customer review compilation where they describe Knak in just three words.
This testimonial video spells credibility for the SaaS, enticing more people to engage with their business platform.
6. Brand videos to make an impression
Brand videos are a great way to promote your brand and make sure that you’re always top-of mind.
Using brand videos to define and explain your brand can help you achieve greater success in the long run. Brand videos make you stand apart from all the competition. It differentiates you from similar tools in the market.
Seeing brand videos also makes your users feel good about using your product or service.
Here are some examples of brand videos that’ll surely appeal to the audience.
This brand video by Mint is short but sweet. It’ll surely make Mint users feel that their investment with this app is totally worth it.
Creating brand videos with professional actors in it makes your brand more personalized and relatable. SaaS explainers increasingly incorporate this trend.
Wix
Hackers? Again?! | You Deserve Better – Wix Brand Video
Wix’s brand video used a lighthearted tone to capture their target market.
In brand videos, one goal is to make users feel good about using a product and to assure them that they made a good purchase decision.
Humor is one of the best ways to achieve this goal, and Wix succeeded at it.
Nail your SaaS video marketing strategy
When it comes to SaaS videos, there are different types of videos for users in your funnels. It’s important to use the right one to move them down to your funnel.
Regardless of the kind of SaaS videos you choose, make sure that you have a marketing strategy in place before going into production with any video content.
Our team at eggcrate has extensive experience with all sorts of video marketing strategies and are ready to partner with you to create a stellar video marketing plan that will give you solid ROI.
If you want us to come up with an effective video marketing strategy for your SaaS, give us a call. Let’s hatch a plan together.
