B2B software buyers have usually looked at the website before they agree to a sales call. A clear demo video tells them in two minutes what problem the product solves, what it looks like and whether it feels easy to use. The interface is the star, so no shoot is needed: your team records the screen, and we turn it into a video people can follow and finish.
Three common kinds of demo
- Homepage overview: 60 to 90 seconds. Problem, answer, three key features, call to action.
- Single-feature demos: 30 to 60 seconds each, for feature pages, help docs, newsletters and social media.
- Full walkthrough: three to five minutes, for interested prospects and sales presentations.
Making the overview first and cutting feature clips from it is the efficient order.
Structure: the problem first, then the screen
- The problem (5 to 10 seconds): the daily nuisance your customer knows, in one line or one image.
- The product: its name and a one-line position.
- The demonstration: in the order a user really works, one thing at a time, each answering "what does this do for me?"
- The result: what the user ends up with, such as a report or an automated workflow.
- Next step: book a demo, start a trial, contact sales.
For script format, see the script format for script-only video.
Recording the screen so post-production can use it
- Resolution: record at 1920×1080 or higher. On high-density displays, check the actual recorded size so zooming in stays sharp.
- A clean environment: notifications off, bookmarks bar and unrelated tabs hidden, browser window at a fixed size.
- Test data: use a demo account with believable data. No real customer names, emails or amounts. Anything already recorded can be masked in post; see blurring and masking in video.
- Slow, steady mouse movement, with a half-second pause before each click. A wandering cursor is hard to fix.
- One feature per take, so a mistake means re-recording only that part.
- Voice-over separately: record picture first, then narration; see voice-over options for video.
More detail is in making a screen-recording video.
What post-production adds
- Zoom and follow: pushing in on the area in use, so it reads on a phone.
- Callouts: outlines, arrows, click effects, emphasis on key numbers.
- Pace: loading and typing time removed or sped up.
- Motion graphics: the opening problem, transitions between features, the closing call to action.
- Device frames: the screen set inside a laptop or phone.
- Subtitles and languages: most demo videos are watched without sound, so subtitles are essential. See multilingual versions of a corporate video.
When the product changes
Interfaces change quickly, which is the practical problem with demo videos. Ways to lower the cost of redoing them:
- Build the video in sections, one feature each, so a redesign means replacing one section.
- Keep out details that date quickly: version numbers, dates, plan names.
- Keep the project files and assets. For later updates, see re-editing an old video.
Before you hand it over
Prepare the script or feature list, the original screen recordings, brand guidelines (logo, colours, typeface), reference videos, and where the video will go and in which versions. Tell us about unreleased features first. For other tech video types, see tech company ad video post-production.
FAQ
The product isn't finished and we only have design files. Can a demo be made?
Yes, by animating the designs into an interface preview. If the features shown aren't live yet, consider whether a note is needed.
Does someone need to appear on camera?
Not necessarily. Most demos are screen, voice-over and subtitles. A short statement from a product manager or founder, recorded on a phone or webcam, can open or close it.
Can Chipscat operate the product and record the screen for us?
We suggest your team records, since only the product team knows the correct workflow.
