There’s this widely held belief in the world of SaaS marketing that goes something like this… 

If you build an amazing product, it will basically sell itself. The users won’t be able to get enough of it, recommend it to everyone they know, and the growth will snowball from there. 

There’s only one problem with this philosophy, however. 

The more game-changing and revolutionary your SaaS offer is, the more challenging it can be to explain to potential users and get them on board. So to get that snowball rolling, you need to become amazingly skilled at persuading potential customers to give your product a chance. 

That’s why explainer videos have become such a staple of SaaS marketing. They have this uncanny ability to break down even the most complex and sophisticated offers in a clear, easy-to-understand way — in a fraction of the time.

But in order to produce ROI, SaaS explainer videos need to meet several key requirements. And in today’s article, I’m going to show you what they are, and how to bake them into your marketing video from the get-go, so you can create the most high-converting explainer video for your SaaS brand.

Read on, and you will learn:

  • How to structure your SaaS explainer video in a way that mirrors your leads’ thought process and effectively persuades them to take action.
  • The 3-point template for communicating the features of your offer, so your viewers immediately “get” just how amazing your product is.
  • 2 persuasive techniques you need to be using in order to convince your customers that your offer is right for them.
  • The most effective techniques to end your SaaS explainer video and drive more conversions.

Let’s get to it!

Pictured: Leprechaun jumping out of a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, holding up a video thumbnail (complete with a Play button)

 

1. Pick a persuasive structure and stick to it

Pop quiz: what’s the #1 reason customers would watch your SaaS explainer video? What do they want to know?

Well, they’re probably trying to learn how your solution works, aren’t they? So you’d better get down to brass tacks immediately, break everything down, and let your viewers decide… right?

Nope!

The only thing your customers care about is, “How does this help me?” They have a problem, or they need to achieve an outcome, or both. If you want your explainer video to resonate, you have to meet them where they are.

And then you’ll need to follow your viewers’ thought process with your message, step by step. Only then will you be able to turn mildly interested leads into eager prospects, and ultimately paying customers.

To accomplish this, it helps to follow a proven formula. Here at The Draw Shop, we like to structure our SaaS explainer videos like so…

  • Start with the #1 painful Problem the audience is facing.
  • Set up our client’s offer as the Solution and explain how it works.
  • Zero in on the desired Result made possible by the offer.
  • Address the biggest Objection or objections
  • Nudge the viewer towards Action

This simple and dangerously effective template has allowed us to create hundreds of high-converting explainers in dozens of different industries, SaaS included. Feel free to use it for your video as well!

 

2. Know the difference between features, benefits, and outcomes

Now, you’ve probably heard about features vs. benefits.” You don’t want to talk about what your SaaS product can do without also explaining why your potential users should care — a.k.a. showing how it benefits them.

Well, there’s another component that often gets overlooked… outcomes! As in, results that your customers can achieve using your offer.

Outcomes are closely related to benefits, but they are even more persuasive. By connecting the dots between a feature and a tangible, specific result, they clearly demonstrate the value of your SaaS offer in a way that’s impossible to ignore.

For your next SaaS explainer video, try to deploy all three components when showcasing your product. E.g. instead of saying something like…

“[Product Name] synchronizes data across all your devices.” (So what? That’s a feature without context!)

…instead, try:

“[Product Name] syncs your data across all devices. Pick up exactly where you left off, at your desk or on the go — and complete that big project on time!”

In short — start with the feature, expand it into a relevant benefit, and then connect both to a specific and desirable outcome. That way, your customers will instantly understand what a game-changer it is!

 

3. Use conversion boosters: social proof and objection counters

Chances are, viewers will not accept everything your explainer video tells them on faith. 

They will want to see concrete proof that your SaaS product is as great as you say it is. They will also have questions and concerns, and be hesitant to say yes until those are answered. And that’s perfectly OK!

Believe it or not, wanting to see proof and having objections are both great signs. They show that your customers are interested, and are actively considering your offer.

So right before you make the final ask and invite them to commit, you want to dedicate part of your SaaS explainer video to social proof and objection handling. These are two of the most effective conversion boosters that will help reinforce your message and turn “maybe” customers into “heck yes” customers!

Try this:

  • Showcase a few testimonials from past customers. They don’t even have to be video soundbites — screenshots of user reviews or a couple of short quotes are enough.
  • Brag about any relevant awards or high-profile reviews your SaaS product has received, or name-drop some big-name people / businesses who have used it. Name-dropping works! Use it.
  • Address the #1 question or objection your viewers might have about your offer. Don’t avoid the proverbial elephant in the room — charge it head on instead, and show your customers that you have their needs and goals top of mind.
  • Quote some big-picture metrics: your number of users, success rate, impact, uptime, effectiveness… anything that would be relevant to your viewers and may raise the perceived value of your brand

Bottom line: don’t just give your viewers reasons to say yes — take away their reasons to say no!

 

4. End with a crystal clear, specific call to action

Putting a CTA at the end of your SaaS explainer video is the obvious and essential thing to do… but you’d be surprised how many businesses implement it poorly.

A lot of explainers end with something generic like “Start your free trial now!” or “Sign up for [Product Name] today.” And while it’s technically a call to action, it’s neither clear nor specific, and ultimately — not persuasive at all.

If you want viewers to take action on your video and start using your SaaS product, there are a few things your CTA needs to accomplish. Here they are:

  1. Give them the immediate next step. “Start your free trial” is too vague — tell your customers what exactly they need to do right now. Is there a button they need to click, a link to follow, a form to fill out, etc? Then focus on that micro conversion first and foremost.
  2. Connect the action to its purpose and the desired result. For example, why do your viewers need to click a button? Well, it’s to start the free trial, duh. And why would they want that? To make a positive impact on their business, life, or both. So don’t forget to mention the #1 benefit and result they’re about to get!
  3. (optional but recommended) Use just a little bit of objection handling, to reassure your customers that they’re making the right decision. “No credit card required,” “Cancel anytime,” “Full-feature demo” — address whichever concern is top of mind for them.

With these techniques, a generic CTA like “Schedule a personalized demo today” becomes:

“Want to see how [Product Name] can help grow your business? Click the button below and fill out a simple 2-minute form to schedule a free hands-on demo with one of our expert consultants. They will show you exactly how to start growing your revenue with [Product Name] based on your unique business model!”

 

Let us help you create a high-converting SaaS explainer video

Explainer videos are memorable, persuasive, and versatile – and they’re the single best way to communicate expertise and credibility for your SaaS brand.

Over the years, we’ve created hundreds of high-converting animated explainer videos for companies in dozens of industries. Education, biotech, manufacturing, finance, coaching, real estate, petroleum, pest control – you name it, we’ve done it!

And our results speak for themselves.

We invite you to take advantage of our genius marketers, silver-tongued copywriters, and absurdly talented artists and videographers to create an explainer video you’d be proud of.

We used to do only whiteboard animation – not anymore! Now you can work with us to create awesome marketing videos in a variety of styles:

  • Live action
  • Motion graphics and cartoon animations
  • Virtual Reality Animation
  • Digital stop motion animation
  • 2D character animation

And more.

Interested? Then click here to get a risk-free quote and tell us about your dream explainer video — and one of our marketing experts will get back to you post-haste!

Looking for something smaller… but still more than powerful enough to grow your business? We can craft an irresistible Elevator Pitch that will help you grab your prospects’ attention in less than 30 seconds. Learn more about it here