8 Tips to Make Engaging SaaS Explainer Videos

Explainer videos effectively help you show your software-as-a-service (SaaS) functionalities and user benefits through dynamic visual storytelling. However, many SaaS companies struggle creating videos that genuinely captivate intended audiences. 

In this blog post, we’ll list some techniques for developing compelling explainer content proven to boost viewer retention and conversion rates. Whether launching new products or refreshing messaging, these practical tips help SaaS marketers maximize video impact and return on investment.

Know Your Audience

The explainer videos work well when they are made specifically to solve viewer pain points. Define detailed audience profiles encompassing demographics, psychographics and use cases. Address specific jobs-to-be-done.

Move beyond basic firmographic data using surveys, interviews and analytics. Construct fictional representations outlining how groups uniquely interact with your SaaS compared to alternatives. Emphasize distinguishing attitudes and behaviors.

Pinpoint where frustrations emerge and aspirations go unsupported that strong video content could mitigate through education and inspiration, improving overall user experiences.

Keep Explainer Videos Concise

With limited attention spans, compact videos better maintain engagement. Demonstrate only the most crucial functionalities instead of overwhelming with exhaustive feature rundowns less relevant to immediate user needs.

60 Seconds Max for Core Concepts

Tone and style matter more than length for perceived quality. Well-crafted scripts concisely conveying only vital differentiators maximize rewatchability and sharing. Remove extraneous points only peripherally related to core jobs-to-be-done.

Expand on Secondary Topics via Chapters

Divide auxiliary capabilities into sequenced chapters or companion materials rather than attempting to demonstrate fully within initial videos. This sustains momentum while permitting elaboration on related use cases.

Craft Compelling Scripts

Stories stir emotion. Clearly articulate tangible user gains from product adoption rather than relying solely on dry feature explanations that fail connecting meaningfully with audiences.

Spotlight Target Customer In Hero Role

Place viewers into narratives as protagonists to highlight relatable frustrations. Build tension then showcase your SaaS heroically elevating them into more empowered states leaving obstacles behind through concrete examples.

Focus Messaging On Transformative Outcomes

While highlighting advantages over competitors has merit, emphasize improved futures transformed by your solution. This grounds messaging in aspirational identity advancement viewers crave rather than transient feature checklists easily replicated.

Use High-Impact Visuals

Cinematic animation and kinetic typography amplify explainer video dynamism, dramatizing scripted narratives in visually compelling terms.

Animated Characters Personalize Complex Topics

Relatable personas like actors facilitate immersion in scripted user journeys. Their physical responses and emotions mirror viewer reactions, building connections with demonstrated concepts through vicarious participation.

Kinetic Typography Engages Visually

High-energy animated text elements presented in sync with voiceovers enliven scenes. Shape words to metaphorically reflect their meanings for increased retention. Choose colors and fonts evoking intended tones.

Close With Strong Calls To Action

Without explicit guidance, even compelled viewers may remain uncertain of next steps post-video. Clear calls to action provide obvious direction focused on core intended conversions.

Lead Viewers Through Conversion Funnels

Final frames should visually result in desired post-viewing actions aligned to business objectives whether visiting pricing pages, registering for trials or sharing socially. Arrange display order matching typical downstream decision journeys for intuitive flow into critical funnels.

Personalize Messaging

Dynamic elements customizing display based on known data like viewer company names build familiarity, credibility and urgency. This extra relevance propels responsive behaviors when elegantly incorporated.

Optimize Explainer Videos For Maximum Discoverability

Powerful interactivity, animation and calls to action matter little if videos remain undiscovered. Employ SEO best practices from descriptive tagging to transcript creation enhancing organic visibility and related suggested placements.

Include Industry Keywords Prominently

Naturally use relevant terminology within narrative scripts and content infrastructures like titles, captions and alt text tags to help properly categorize and showcase videos to interested audiences through semantic associations.

Post Transcripts To Increase Accessibility

Full text transcripts not only expand disability access compliance but serve vital functions benefiting SEO like broader keyword targeting, increased indexed content and added contextual signals for search engine crawling. Enable captions by default as well.

Consider AI Voice over 

Synthetic voices minimize costs with unlimited edits while retaining naturalness. An ai voice generator can help you ensure brand consistency across videos through perpetual reuse and refinement of unique company voice profiles.

Preserve Resources Without Sacrificing Realism

Cloud-based voice generation platforms such as MiniMax rapidly create professional voice overs from text at a fraction of studio talent costs. Demand consistency by continually reusing and perfecting the same AI profile, making updates through easy text edits instead of re-recording.

Maintain Seamless Experiential Flow

With affordable access to vocal flexibility, ensure narrations precisely fit intended pacing and dramatic delivery of stories without tedious reworking. Flawlessly stitch longer narrations avoiding disjointed Frankensteining multiple takes.

Continuously Test And Optimize Content

Monitor analytics to confirm videos achieve goals. Small tweaks to targeting, positioning or design significantly impact performance. Listen to direct user feedback for improvement ideas.

Review Performance Metrics

Reference view duration, completion rates, click-through occurrences and downstream impacts on registrations to quantify appeal and effectiveness. Signal drops prompt reviews pinpointing turn-off points.

Survey Users Directly

Search for target audiences through interviews and focus groups to solicit open reactions uncovering subconscious impressions. Query what resonated or felt confusing. This candid qualitative input refines content and personalization strategies for quick wins.

Conclusion

Applying even a portion of these tips help you boost SaaS explainer video effectiveness through improved alignment with audience viewpoints, streamlined messaging and increased overall discoverability. 

As video assumes greater urgency across every digital experience, companies failing to develop cinematic content risk allowing bolder competitors to more compellingly demonstrate true differentiation and user advancement possibilities winning precious minutes of limited attention. 

It’s also crucial for you to understand the performance analytics and user feedback reveals crucial opportunities for continual content optimization and innovation certain to escalate viewer engagement over time.