5 questions you should ask about explainer video animation
“Animation” means breathing life into something. Explainer video animation is popular because just about any subject can be explained — without the need for actors, crews, and cameras. But what style of animation is best? Here are five must-ask questions to help guide your choice. What is the hook? If your video is chiefly about your brand, or […]
Men vs. women? Which is the best explainer video narrator
We’re often asked whether there’s any reason to prefer a male or female explainer video narrator for tech-oriented videos. Our answer has always been “not really.” However, Ben Lebay, a researcher at ConversionXL.com, has published a nice study of the perceived “trustworthiness” of male and female narrators, professional and non-professional. It’s called Which Type of Voice Actor Should You Use […]
More “delightfully nerdy” explainer storytelling styles
Technology buyers who are looking into a solution value insight on the buyer’s journey. That’s something video can deliver faster than any other medium. That’s why I’ve been advocating getting down in the weeds with a “delightfully nerdy” style of explainer storytelling — most recently here and here. Typical messaging about superior product features and benefits seldom […]
“Delightfully nerdy” storytelling styles for high-tech marketing videos
In the twelve years we’ve been making high-tech marketing videos, we’ve occasionally mediated disputes between marketers and product managers over the question of what makes a video “too technical.” We like featuring as many technology differentiators as possible — probably not more than three or four in a short video — because we believe that buyers are […]
The future of tech marketing video is closer than you think
Perhaps the most powerful driver of “digital transformation” has been the smart phone. And perhaps the most notable “transformation” as been the rise of video as a tool for discussion and social interaction. In a wide-ranging report, The Future of Video, Feng Li of London’s Cass Business School, writes that “video is not simply an […]
Why hire a pro to produce your tech solution marketing video?
With so many DIY video tools and cheap production options for “explainer” or other type of tech solution marketing video, it’s reasonable to question the $5,000–$15,000 cost of a professional production studio. Here’s how professional specialists earn their fees. Viewer-friendly tech solution marketing video You’re involved in sales and marketing. That makes you an advocate […]
Does Virtual Reality have a place in IT marketing videos?
I’ve always thought of making IT marketing videos as a semi-journalistic exercise — there’s no pretense as to objectivity, but the video certainly ought to communicate something true and worth knowing about. I recently attended a panel discussion at the New York Times on the future of virtual reality in traditional journalism. The Times preemptively grabbed the leadership […]
Share the enthusiasm in subject matter expert videos
What made Candace Payne’s Chewbacca Mom video so irresistible was sharing her enthusiasm. Shared enthusiasm obviously plays a big role in day-to-day buying decisions, too. Consumer marketing gets a big boost from customer video reviews, “influencer” tweets, tutorials on enthusiast websites, etc. B2B subject matter expert videos can share enthusiasm, too. Why don’t we see a lot of […]
“Socializing” technology solution videos (Part 2)
In a previous post, I suggested some ways to generate technology solution videos that feel like the kind of everyday video we’re accustomed to seeing in social media. And as unlike TV commercials as we can make it, because buyers who are researching a solution want to be informed, not sold to. Here are a few […]
“Socialize” your video content for tech buyers
Most video content for tech buyers seems to ignore the fact that regular people spend more than 100,000,000 hours every day watching video on Facebook. Mark Zuckerberg has said he expects that Facebook will soon be 100% video. In other words, video is a medium used for everyday social communication. That makes sense — it’s just another thing […]