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 […]

Selecting an explainer video production company

“Agility makes smaller agencies appealing” according to Gartner marketing expert Jay Wilson. Agile businesses want agency partners who are flexible, collaborative, and responsive. Here’s why you might want to demand these qualities when you’re selecting an explainer video production company. 1. You’re introducing a new product New technology products are often in still in development — […]

Tech marketing videos in account-based selling

Tech marketing videos are often seen as  “top-of-the-funnel” infomercials. They’re intended to  increase awareness in the early stages of “the buyer’s journey.” But the technology buyer’s journey is different. LinkedIn research on the tech marketing buying committee discussed in a previous post lists these stages. (Note that it’s a cyclical process.) Needs Analysis/Definition Defining specifications, defining a budget or securing […]

Explainer video production questions for subject matter experts

In explainer video production, subject matter expert interviews are an important resource.

Knowledge transfer is the aim of most of the videos we make. When you begin an explainer video production project, the “knowledge” you want your prospect to take on board resides in the minds of subject matter experts — salespeople, product managers, marketers and engineers. Some subject matter experts (e.g., salespeople) are invested in the […]

Developing standards for marketing videos

Most companies we do business with publish comprehensive graphics standards manuals setting forth guidelines akin to those in the classic New York Transit Authority manual of 1970. These manuals set rules for trademarks and logos, typography, advertising, and web publishing. Many provide guidelines and PowerPoint templates for presentations. Some attempt to provide a visual language […]

5 more ways to make better technology videos

Here are 5 more ways to make better technology videos than your competitors. 1. Skip the intro Interactive video expert Randy Tinfow contributed this to our LinkedIn discussion group: “if we break a 3:30 video into chapters, and call one of them INTRO, 47% of viewers skip it entirely, assuming it’s boring and useless.” Start with […]

Creating an explainer video may be harder than you think

In one of the generally excellent HubSpot blogs, I recently ran across this bit of advice: Compiling an explainer video isn’t much more complicated than putting together a slide deck in a PowerPoint presentation. You decide what to say and find some relevant graphics to jazz things up. Leaving aside the question of whether your […]

How many seconds do I have to get to the point of a video?

A recent discussion in our LinkedIn group Video for Technology Sales and Marketing took up the question of viewer attention-span length from several points of view, and it got me thinking. How long we can realistically expect someone to watch a marketing video that doesn’t speak to their own specific need or interest? Is video […]

Should sales or marketing be responsible for a sales enablement video?

Who should be responsible for producing a sales enablement video for technology solution vendors? Well, marketing usually controls the budget, and has responsibility for inbound content marketing and lead generation. So, marketing is responsible. But how responsibly do they fulfill the sales enablement function? As noted in a previous post, formal agreements between sales and marketing (budget commitments, […]

Using explainer video for buyer engagement

When we started making 2-Minute Explainer® videos in 2004, what seemed to need the most explaining was what businesses do. We prospected for new business by reading news releases about new products. If we couldn’t understand the product or service on first reading, we called up the executives quoted in the release and pitched them […]