Explaining your SaaS product to potential customers can feel like a challenge, right?
With your product being fully digital—nothing to touch or feel—it’s tricky to convey its real value.
That’s where SaaS videos step in!
They’re a game-changer for simplifying your complex software and presenting it to potential clients in a way that’s clear, visual, and engaging. They make it so much easier for people to see what you offer.
But with so many types of SaaS videos out there, how do you know which is best for your business?
That’s exactly what our blog covers. We’ll walk you through the different types of SaaS videos, explain what each one excels at, and show how they can fit seamlessly into your marketing strategy.
So, ready to create videos that drive real results for your SaaS business?
Dive in and get started!
Here are some of the most popular types of SaaS videos your B2B brand can leverage:
The main aim of SaaS explainer videos is to engage and persuade prospective clients.
They show them exactly what your product does in a way that’s simple and easy-to-understand.
They address your customers’ main pain points, highlight your product’s benefits, and demonstrate how it’s just what they need to solve their problems.
When customers first start using a new product, it’s natural for them to have lots of questions.
These SaaS product demo videos come in handy here too.
They act as a helpful guide, making it easier for customers to understand all the functions and features of your product.
Now, talking about their length—these videos are usually short, ranging from 15 seconds to 120 seconds.
However, based on the type of content and complexity of your software, they can even exceed 5 minutes.
To better understand such videos, watch the above-linked animated explainer video from Slack. The video explains all the essentials about its new feature, Slack Canvas.
Promo/Promotional videos build anticipation around upcoming releases and get your audience hyped up.
You should primarily use them when you want to announce new features or product launches.
Apart from these scenarios, they are also great for creating buzz around a particular marketing campaign, sale, or occasion.
Typically, these videos are short, ranging from 30 seconds to 3 minutes, so make sure every second counts.
The best way to go about them is to keep them brief yet informative. You need to give viewers just enough detail to understand the new feature or product you're launching.
I’ve linked an impressive mixed-media promo video from Google above to help you understand the right balance.
See how it introduces Google Vids—a new AI-powered video creation app for work—shares snippets of what the app will offer and ends by leaving viewers intrigued with a “coming soon on Google Workspace” message.
It smartly creates a buzz around a product that’s yet to be launched!
For more amazing promo videos, do check out our other blog about best app promos.
How-to or tutorial videos basically show people how to use your product and/or answer their common questions about it.
As for length, these videos usually start at 30 seconds but can go beyond 10 minutes depending on the complexity of the topic.
A great example of such videos is the Asana video example I linked above.
It uses screencast animation and voiceover to show how to automate steps in your workflow with Asana’s rules feature.
SaaS video ads are a great way to grab attention, promote your product, and drive sales—all at once.
They're usually designed to be short and don’t go into much detail about the product like explanatory videos.
You can create custom video ads for platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.
Their length will depend on where you're publishing them, who your audience is, and what your product is.
For instance, YouTube ads are typically 15-20 seconds long, but other platforms have different norms.
To get a better idea, check out their 3D animation YouTube ad I have linked above.
These are short-form videos designed specifically to help SaaS brands captivate, inform, and influence their audience across platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.
Social media videos can range from product demos, video ads, how-to guides, behind-the-scenes clips, customer testimonials, etc.
You need to decide the style and length of your video based on your marketing objective and the norms of the platform you are going to publish it.
For instance, look at the amazing black-and-white 2D animation video from Notion I linked above. It's published on Instagram, and its short length works great for this platform.
These short, engaging videos are designed to grab the audience's attention quickly.
They usually run between 5 to 30 seconds, though some marketers consider any video less than 5 minutes to be a ‘micro video’.
The best thing about this video format is that it's a hit on platforms like YouTube and Instagram because it caters to the short attention span of users who are scrolling their social feeds looking for a bit of entertainment.
A prime example of a micro video is the Zapier example I linked above. In just 30 seconds, it demonstrates how Zapier streamlines your workflow.
The video uses 2D character animations to vividly illustrate people transitioning from being distressed to feeling relaxed after using this brand.
A SaaS customer onboarding video helps new users get started with your product or service.
It walks them through the basics, shows off key features, and explains how to use it effectively.
Their goal is to make sure that your customers understand how to get the most out of their purchases.
This way the videos help build a positive experience for the clients and encourage long-term loyalty.
A well-made onboarding video can act as an initial support resource, answering common questions and clarifying complex details.
This not only eases the load on your support team but also gives customers the confidence to use your product from the start.
Now talking about their length–they are usually under three minutes long, but they can be longer depending on how complex your product is and who your audience is.
For instance, look at the above-linked animated customer onboarding video from Trello, it’s more than 4 minutes long.
These videos give a behind-the-scenes look at your company, featuring everyone from the CEO to other team members.
They highlight your brand’s unique values, goals, and beginnings.
They show that your business is more than just software—it’s about the people and the culture that make it all happen.
Use these videos when you want to attract top talent, increase brand awareness, build customer trust, and provide investors with valuable insights.
For a great example, check out Shireburn’s video linked above. It beautifully tells the story of the company’s origin, highlights its mission, and illustrates how it evolved over the years.
Testimonial videos are a great way to build trust with your potential customers.
These videos feature happy customers sharing their experiences with your product or service, explaining how they use it and how it solves their problems.
In just 30 seconds to 2 minutes, these case study videos provide the social proof your potential clients need to feel confident in choosing you.
For example, check out the AWS customer testimonial video linked above.
It features Dropbox's VP of Platform talking about how they hit a capacity crunch with their on-premises metadata store and turned to AWS for a solution.
It’s a great example of how to use real customers and their satisfied stories to market your credibility.
Hosting webinars is a fantastic way to keep your customers informed and engaged, especially when face-to-face meetings are rare nowadays.
There are two ways you can go about these videos–you can either go live for real-time interaction or set up pre-recorded webinars for a later date.
Whatever you choose, just make sure to have a plan that addresses what your audience really wants to know.
For inspiration, check out Zapier’s series of webinars. I've linked one of their videos above to give you an idea of what works well.
SaaS videos are short, informative videos designed to introduce and explain Software as a Service (SaaS) products.
Their primary goal is to simplify complex concepts related to SaaS offerings, making it easier for B2B clients to understand how the product works and what all benefits it provides.
These videos can take a variety of forms, such as demos, testimonials, or explainer videos, each serving a unique purpose.
Essentially, SaaS videos help potential clients understand and engage with the product, facilitating a clearer understanding and smoother customer onboarding process.
To craft a good SaaS explainer video, follow these steps–
You need to choose a video style that will resonate with your buyer persona. Some of the top options to choose from are–
There are many other animation styles you can choose from as well.
Before diving into scripting and production, it's important to first create a clear and engaging narrative with your storyboard.
Storyboarding helps map out the flow of scenes and ensures your key message is delivered effectively.
A helpful tip is to keep your storyboard simple, avoiding too much complexity. Just make sure that its flow and scenes align with your video’s goals.
After storyboarding, you have a guide about the structure and flow of content.
Now, using it, create a compelling script that meets your desired video length and goals.
After you have locked in a script and storyboard, you use them to start animating the actual explainer video.
If you're using 3D animation or motion graphics, start creating scenes and animations based on your storyboard.
For screen-recording demo videos, carefully capture software walkthroughs that match your script.
Whatever animation style you are using, just stick closely to your script and storyboard throughout the process.
Straying from them can lead to redoing scenes or narration, wasting too much time and effort.
Here’s a detailed blog on how to make animated marketing videos, do check it out to learn in detail about this process.
At this stage, you need to edit the audio and visuals of your raw animated video.
You check if the motion effects, text, and transitions are working smoothly. Plus, you ensure that the narration is perfectly synced with your animations.
Basically, you review the entire video and make final adjustments to ensure everything—from visuals to voiceover, timing, and transitions—flows seamlessly and looks polished.
After you have the final edit, export it in a widely used, accessible format. Then, publish it on your chosen platform—but don't just stop there.
Make sure to promote it to the right audience by sharing it across your social media channels, website, and email list.
SaaS animation refers to animated videos that explain and promote Software as a Service (SaaS) products.
They use different animation styles—like 3D, mixed media, kinetic typography, and 2D—to make complex ideas easy to understand.
These videos highlight product features and engage potential customers in an engaging and clear way.
And that wraps up our guide on the different types of SaaS videos!
From product demos to testimonials and video ads, there's no shortage of options for you. Some video types build trust, others grab attention in seconds, and a few dive deep into detailed explanations. The key is picking a style that best fits your marketing message and budget.
Once you've decided on the style, you can either go the DIY route or partner with a professional team like ours to bring your vision to life!
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