Why Your SaaS Company Needs Educational Video Content

The best SaaS brands are often the best teachers. They invest in educational content to help consumers get a better understanding of a brand’s product, business, and industry as a whole. Respected B2B brands like HubSpot, Salesforce, Drift, Uberflip, and Zendesk even have dedicated content libraries to enlighten and empower their users.

But how you enlighten users with educational content also matters in today’s marketing landscape. And in 2021, the best medium for the job is often video.

With business video consumption up 120% during the pandemic, it’s safe to say that video is no longer a nice-to-have — it’s a must-have. Simply put, educational videos should be on every SaaS marketer’s radar. Let’s explore why video is such a good medium for educating prospects and customers across different video categories.

Educational product videos simplify complexities

Think about the last time you read an instruction manual for a piece of Ikea furniture. Even with pictures or sketches guiding you, it was probably difficult navigating what pieces go where.

Now, take that same reading experience, and imagine eliminating every single visual component from that manual. Not a whole lot of fun to figure out on your own, right?

This is the same scenario as trying to explain a specific SaaS product with zero images in a blog post. People want less “tell” and more “show.” Visually guiding readers using images makes it easier for them to retain information and know exactly what they should be looking for.

Now imagine your new Ikea shelf came with a step-by-step video explaining exactly how to assembly the final piece. How amazing would that be?! Ok, now apply that same scenario to your SaaS product. Instead of walking folks through a complicated product demo or new feature release, why not show them with a quick video?

There’s also some pretty compelling evidence to back up the effectiveness of educational product videos, too. About two-thirds of people (or 66%) say they prefer watching a short video to learn about a product or service.

“66% of people prefer watching a short video to learn about a product or service.”

Keep your videos short, and explain key product features and processes in simple terms. Take Slack’s product explainer video as an example.

Slack starts the video by announcing that “modern communication is chaos.” They quickly identify the problem with modern online communication methods and how their tool can help solve it. Using engaging and easy-to-follow animations, Slack shows how their platform improves communication in a video lasting just under two minutes.

As a part of your educational video, consider interviewing a key member of your product development team. Hearing someone explain your product while seeing visuals of it in action will make it easier for consumers to understand how it works — something that isn’t possible to recreate with audio or written content alone.

Webinars educate and engage audiences in real-time

46% percent of video marketers used webinars in 2019. That number jumped to 62% in 2020. Clearly, the pandemic has opened up more opportunities for people to learn and network from the comfort of their own homes.

“46% percent of video marketers used webinars in 2019. That number jumped to 62% in 2020.”

Webinars play a unique role in the educational video content ecosystem. Unlike short and sweet product videos, webinars take a more in-depth approach to a particular topic they’re covering. It’s kind of like the difference between reading a quick newspaper blurb and reading a lengthy magazine feature. Being so in-depth, webinars help to build consumers’ trust in your brand and accelerate the customer journey.

A well-executed webinar takes time to plan, and it can be a heavy lift for marketing teams — but there are distinct advantages to building a webinar program.

Signing up to attend a webinar is completely voluntary. The people that do so have actively expressed interest in the topic or speakers that will be part of the event. If you follow through on delivering an insightful and engaging webinar, there is already a built-in list of potential leads your marketing and sales teams can nurture.

Another unique feature of webinars is that they can include audience participation. Start by asking attendees ahead of time what questions they want your host to answer, and pick a few particularly compelling ones to address during the webinar. Other engagement features might include a live chat during the presentation and polls that you can run in real-time to get feedback.

And the benefits don’t just stop at the webinar itself. Webinars can also fuel other types of content for your business to drive engagement. You can repurpose webinar content into individual blog posts, podcast episodes, social media content, and more. Webinars are truly goldmines for creating a SaaS content flywheel.

Educational videos feed hungry social audiences

Believe it or not, social media is a prime spot for SaaS companies to showcase educational video content. Hear us out.

According to Wyzowl, 73% of marketers are already creating videos for social media. And, people are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content, including on social media posts. So, give the people what they want! Delightful, entertaining, and yes, educational video content on social.

“People are twice as likely to share video content with their friends than any other type of content.”

Check out this example from Buffer, a SaaS solution that helps companies build and grow audiences on social media. They created this short clip to educate users on a new product feature.

The video functions as part testimonial and part tutorial for a new comment engagement feature. It depicts real social media managers talking about their experiences using the new tool and how it’s helped them streamline their work.

Buffer pairs the audio from testimonials with actual product footage so viewers can follow along with features as they are explained by social media managers. To direct viewers to the product, Buffer adds a short bit of CTA copy and a link to their site in the social media post to go along with the video.

Outside of more obvious social media channels like Facebook and Twitter, LinkedIn has also become a golden opportunity for video marketers. In fact, 87% of video marketers using the platform call it an “effective channel.”

LinkedIn is a platform specifically designed for working professionals. As a SaaS brand, those working professionals are likely your target customers. Offering videos to those target customers on the platform can catch their attention and lead to a potential sale.

The educational video content you choose to post on social media channels can come in different forms, whether that’s a standard product explainer or a testimonial.

The key is that these videos stay relatively short (around one to two minutes) and include a clear CTA that directs viewers to your website. The fast-scrolling nature of social media feeds lends itself better to videos that quickly capture a user’s attention. Once you have that attention, direct users to your site to move their customer journey along.

Build a video-centric content strategy

Educational videos should be a core part of your overall content strategy. They are an essential element of helping your prospects and customers get to know and fall in love with your brand. Focus on being helpful above all else, and watch the video views and engagement follow.