Explainer videos have long been a part of the SaaS marketing plan. After all, customers only buy your software if they understand why they need it. A SaaS explainer video is an accessible way to share that message with the masses. But some software as a service companies may be missing out on the true power of SaaS video.
SaaS explainer videos can help at multiple stages in the sales cycle. From awareness through customer retention and at every step in between, video sells your software and provides a positive customer experience.
How Video Fits Into the SaaS Sales Process
The SaaS sales process is in a period of transformation. The SaaS market has grown, but so has the competition. There are around 17,000 SaaS providers in the United States alone.
As companies have become more reliant on SaaS software, they’ve also taken a more active role in the sales process. Many buyers research software extensively before reaching out to a SaaS company or returning a sales call. Most companies also have multiple decision makers who need to sign off before a purchase can be made.
A strong SaaS explainer video helps to catch the attention of a decision maker. It gives them a more immediate sense of what your software does, and more importantly, how it can help them. It’s also an unparalleled chance to introduce them to your brand through music, color, pacing and other creative decisions.
You can post SaaS explainer videos to your website or social media or share them with potential customers to answer questions during the sales process. The right video at the right time can convince a decision maker that yours is the right software. Think of videos as a helper for the sales team or a funnel feeder for your marketing team.
How SaaS Explainer Videos Support Customer Success
After you’ve made the sale, the next challenge is to onboard and retain the client. With so many software options, there’s always a risk that clients will fail to unlock your product’s value before they are lured away by competitors. To keep them, you need to do three things:
- Provide useful software that solves their problems
- Quickly respond to issues or concerns
- Build a trusting business relationship
SaaS explainer videos can help do all of these things. They help customers understand how to use the software. You can send videos to help walk them through common issues or share videos as part of your customer support guide. Finally, videos about your company and software help build a trusting business relationship by keeping your brand top of mind for customers.
Some of the Best SaaS Explainer Videos
Before you start planning your video, you might want to take a look at some examples of the Best SaaS explainer videos. Although there are thousands out there worth watching, these stood out to us for reasons we’ll explain below.
Dropbox
It’s hardly an exaggeration to say that the video linked below is the prototype of the SaaS explainer video. These two-minutes of stop-motion animation helped Dropbox become one of the best known SaaS companies back in 2007.
The style may look a little dated to our modern eyes, but the clear, accessible delivery is something any SaaS company can learn from.
Arcade
Modern SaaS explainer videos tend to be slicker and more colorful. They pull from cinematic, television, and even video game style to create engaging videos that give customers a feel for the product. As an example, check out the video linked below that we created for Arcade. Their goal was to show brands how Arcade can help motivate their sales people and drive the best results possible.
The video achieves that goal in a fun and engaging way. The saturated colors and video-game like design show viewers what they can expect from the brand.
Slack
Lest you think that all SaaS explainer videos must be animated, here’s a live-action option that really makes an impact. The explainer video linked below is called “So yeah, we tried Slack…” It introduces potential customers to the many uses of the software and entertains along the way.
Ultimately, this video is one big testimonial. It works because the review acknowledges the doubts potential customers may have, then puts them to rest with humor.
Elpha Secure
Some of the best SaaS explainer videos combine animation and live-action. They might even include screenshots from the software. The example linked below is an explainer our partner company Press to Play made for Elpha Secure.
This video explains a novel concept — software plus insurance — in a way that anyone can understand. The bright colors and crisp style match the company’s branding perfectly. All of this makes topics that are known for being confusing and dull into a video that’s actually pretty fun to watch.
JustCall
Explainers can do more than introduce a new software product. They can also highlight a specific feature or walk customers through a process. The explainer video linked below from JustCall explains how their software integrates with Hubspot. It recreates some of the user interfaces so customers can experience the integration nearly first-hand.
Each of these examples highlights a different aspect of what makes a great SaaS explainer video. Yet they all share some common traits. Each one addresses customer pain points and makes the software sound approachable. They convey a clear brand voice but keep the focus on the customer.
Tips For Creating SaaS Explainer Videos That Work
These tips can help you make better SaaS explainer videos that support every stage of the sales process. They’ll make life easier for your salespeople and help inform your customers.
1. Create Videos for Each Stage of the Sales Process
Get really specific about the audience for each video you make. Consider where they are in the sales process and work to answer the specific questions they may have at that stage. A customer who has already purchased your product and is trying to customize it to their needs wants different information than someone who’s just learning about your product.
2. Keep Videos Short and Focused
You may be tempted to create a video that talks about absolutely everything your software can do, but that’s likely to overwhelm the viewer. Explainer videos are much more effective when they focus on one or two key challenges and present specific solutions. In most cases, your videos should be around two minutes long. You can always make more videos to address different needs and audiences.
3. Make SaaS Explainer Videos That Match Your Brand
Each of the videos we shared presented clear branding. Each SaaS company chose colors, animation styles, music, and other elements to fit their brand. Work with your video creation company to infuse your brand into each video you create.
Speaking of animation companies, IdeaRocket has a long history of helping Software as a Service companies create compelling explainer videos. We’ve created videos to help explain software from brands like Venmo, Dell, and more. Contact us to start creating your next explainer video.
