How can you tell a compelling story with your product demos and explainer videos?

1 Know your audience

Before you start designing your product demo or explainer video, you need to understand who you are talking to. What are their pain points, goals, needs, and expectations? How familiar are they with your product or service? What are their objections or questions? How do they prefer to consume information? By answering these questions, you can tailor your story to fit your audience's profile, preferences, and language. You can also create a persona or a fictional character that represents your ideal customer and use it as a guide.

2 Define your message

Next, you need to decide what you want to say and why. What is the main problem that your product or service solves? What are the benefits and features that differentiate it from the competition? What is the value proposition or the unique selling point that you want to convey? What is the call to action or the next step that you want your audience to take? By defining your message, you can focus your story on the most relevant and compelling aspects of your product or service. You can also use a simple formula to structure your message, such as the problem-solution-benefit model or the hook-story-offer model.

3 Choose your format

Then, you need to choose the best format for your product demo or explainer video. Depending on your audience, message, and goals, you can opt for different types of formats, such as live-action, animation, screencast, or hybrid. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to weigh them carefully. For example, live-action can be more realistic and authentic, but also more expensive and time-consuming. Animation can be more creative and flexible, but also more abstract and less personal. Screencast can be more practical and educational, but also more boring and technical. Hybrid can be more versatile and dynamic, but also more complex and inconsistent.

4 Craft your story

Now, you need to craft your story using the elements of storytelling, such as characters, setting, plot, conflict, and resolution. You can use a classic narrative arc, such as the hero's journey or the three-act structure, to organize your story and create tension, emotion, and interest. You can also use storytelling techniques, such as metaphors, analogies, anecdotes, humor, or testimonials, to make your story more relatable, memorable, and persuasive. You can also use visual storytelling techniques, such as color, contrast, movement, or sound, to enhance your story and create a mood, tone, or style.

5 Test and refine your story

Finally, you need to test and refine your story before you launch it. You can use feedback tools, such as surveys, polls, interviews, or analytics, to measure the effectiveness of your story and identify areas for improvement. You can also use A/B testing, which is a method of comparing two versions of your story to see which one performs better. You can test different elements of your story, such as the headline, the format, the length, the message, or the call to action, and optimize them based on the results. You can also use best practices, such as keeping your story short, simple, and clear, to increase your chances of success.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?