Is the way you’re demonstrating your software or technology connecting with people? If they don’t feel the full value of what you’re offering, something’s missing. But, what?

Video Transcription

I’ve been watching a lot of software and tech demos lately. There’s a ton of them out there, and a trend I’ve noticed in the way these videos are executed is the integration of user testimonials.

User Testimonials

We’ve all seen these. Somewhere in the demo, you hear someone talk about their experience with the software first-hand. Sometimes an actor clearly posing as a “real user” or someone who’s sharing their actual experience.

I’ve found some of these captivating and warm, where others just didn’t land, which got me curious because the difference in execution between the good and bad were subtle and hard to pick up on, much less articulate.

So I started to pull them apart and study the pieces to figure out exactly where those differences lied, and why they triggered such different reactions.

Effective Tech Videos

There’s a lot of different approaches to these. But I want to focus on the ones I found most effective, and look at why that is.

Tone

I came across a few videos that I couldn’t help but watch a few times over because they were funny in a way that seemed effortless. But it’s too broad of a stroke to say that humor is the key, or even dry, well written lines.

The nuance that I found linking these videos together was their tone. More than being friendly and pragmatic the magic ingredient seemed to be a pinch of self-deprecation – just enough to be endearing and get the sense they’re not taking themselves too seriously.

One of my favorite examples of this is the video for the mobile app Notarize, which was made by the team at Sandwich Video, who have pretty much mastered this art of communicating with a voice that is approachable and resonates with their audience.

Storytelling

Another element of these demos I’ve been taking a closer look at is the use of storytelling, specifically, in regards to how they integrate user testimonials into the video.

Some had them peppered in throughout the demo, while others were entirely centered around a particular user’s story. Now, I’ve seen these both of these approaches done well, but the ones that really pulled me in, were the ones that showed some vulnerability.

Their stories had more depth and were easier to empathize with because they spoke to their struggles and fears, more than just how some app made their work day a little easier.

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