How SaaS Video Pre-production Checklists Benefit Businesses

Learn how to use the Right Videos for each Stage of your Marketing Funnel and Why?

This time we are going to look at how to create a video pre-production checklist for SaaS.

Video is one of the most exciting and Engaging Ways to Connect with your Audience because it allows your audience to see your products in action and hear what you have to say. A good video marketing strategy can help you create brand awareness and reach new customers.

People like to watch videos. Videos are watched more regularly than other types of content. Research shows that people spend 6 times longer watching a video than reading an article.

Video production, however, can be a daunting task. With a multitude of tasks to complete, it can be difficult to keep track of what needs to be done, especially in the case of SaaS videos.

That is why a video pre-production checklist can be an invaluable tool that can take away the pain and keep you organized, punctual, and productive.

What do Numbers Tell About the Potential of SaaS Video?

The new demand for cloud services continues to grow despite the pandemic, which means it is good news for the software-as-a-service (SaaS) sector and related services like video production.

Let us have a look:

Source	Statistics
Statista	SaaS market was worth $145.5 billion in 2021 and is expected to be worth $172 billion in 2022
Salesforce	The total net worth of top 10 private SaaS companies - About $190 billion
Productiv	Lack of visibility is a significant pain point in managing SaaS for a 59% of tech leaders
AppDirect	84% of Small and Midsize Businesses (SMBs) had difficulties using new SaaS solutions
Varonis	SaaS software user privileges are misconfigured in 44% of cases

The numbers look promising for the SaaS landscape in terms of successes, challenges, and opportunities. Specifically, points #3, #4, and #5 talk about the areas of concern faced by SaaS users. That’s where:

“SaaS videos can play a great role in ensuring there is better utilization, compliance, and security of SaaS products.”

What are SaaS Videos?

Before we look at the video pre-production checklist, let’s see what a SaaS video is. It is a video created with the purpose of increasing awareness about a piece of software, technology, or service, usually hosted on YouTube or a company website.

Before you start creating videos, however, let us talk more about SaaS videos:

What makes a SaaS video important? The benefit of a SaaS video is that it can potentially reach a large audience. It is estimated that one in seven people uses YouTube as their starting point for online searches.
Do SaaS videos increase my conversion ratio? The best way to increase sales through a SaaS video is by showing people what it can do. Showing people what the product can do in real-life situations is the most effective way of creating empathy and convincing them to buy it.
How long should a SaaS video usually be? A duration of around 2-5 minutes is ideal. This means you need to think carefully about the content of the video. The length should be just enough to provide an overview of the benefits of the product.
How to upload a SaaS video? Name the video appropriately and upload it to YouTube, your website, or pretty much anywhere else. The important thing to remember is that you need to upload it where it can be seen.
How to make a SaaS video SEO friendly? Here are a couple of tips:
- The thumbnail: It is the image that is shown before the video starts and is designed to grab the attention of the viewer. It needs to be relevant to the product and the content of the video: If your video is about using a video conferencing software, the thumbnail should feature people video conferencing and talking.
- The video description: The video description is the text below the thumbnail. It is the text that viewers see when they click on the video. The video description is read by the search engines. The more relevant the content the better.

Another checklist, did you say? A checklist is a useful tool that can reduce the number of errors and consequent incidents, regardless of the mixed reactions it generates.

An Example of a Product Demo Video from Compstak

Compstack Prospect helps commercial real estate professionals to identify B2B buying signals and prioritize their sales efforts across the company and territory.

Why is a Video Pre-production Checklist Important?

The term pre-production is a shortened version of the Latin pre-productionis or the English “pre-making.”

Pre-production is the process of preparing for the filming of a video, and a lot of work and planning that goes into it. Despite the quantum of work involved, it can be very fulfilling. Once you have finished your project, you will know that all the hard work was worth it in the end.

The next stage is Post-Production, the actual process of creating and giving shape to the final product ready for consumption, distribution, and sharing.

Next, we are going to share with you the video pre-production checklist we follow at content Beta:

1. Script Checklist

What makes videos a great Marketing Tool is that they are more engaging and have a better chance of going viral and gaining brand awareness. Video content gets shared on social media more than any other content.

But to get the most out of your videos, you need to know how to make them stick with your audience, and storytelling may be the answer.

According to a study by the University of Pennsylvania, storytelling is the most effective tool in human history for transmitting ideas and values to others, teaching and influencing people in an engaging manner that is more memorable than any other kind of instruction.

To be able to do that, make sure your script, the heart of your content, is well thought out. Depending on the type of video, an ideal script should make your video:

Provide more information in less time.
Provide an immersive experience by offering your customers more than just words.
Provide visual examples of what you’re speaking about.
Make your content concise and easy to watch.
Demonstrate how to use your SaaS product or provide step-by-step instructions on how to do something specific. Example: Casper Mattresses. In their videos, they demonstrate how the mattress is made and the benefits that come with it.
Incorporate humor where possible without going overboard.
Create a personal connection with your audience.
Include customer testimonials to let buyers hear what other people have to say about your products.
Convince your audience that you care about them and their needs
Provide your viewers a better understanding of your brand, what it stands for, and how you work.
Help build trust with prospects by showing them how you do what you do and what your business is about.
Get more leads and sales for your business.
Stand out from competitors by being unique and memorable.
Shareworthy and promotable on social media.
This should lead to more loyal customers becoming brand ambassadors.
Accessible to your target audience on any device they’re using at that moment.
Interactive by adding live chats or comments sections on your videos so people feel like they’re part of the conversation.

2. Video Type Checklist

So before you start creating your video, you must be clear in your mind what exactly you are trying to achieve with your videos. The Content Beta video pre-production checklist recommends that you consider the following two factors:

The target stage in the marketing funnel: Our guide provides all the answers to your query.

The purpose behind the video: We already saw an example of a product demo video for SaaS earlier. They help in customer retention, ensuring new customers don’t get confused or lost while using your product or service dashboard, and with video marketing efforts.

Let us have a look at a couple of more examples we created:

1. User Onboarding Videos: They make the process of bringing on a new user or a customer to your platform or a product much more efficient as compared to textual documentation or guide. You can explain things clearly to your customers without overwhelming them with too much information before they can actually use your product or service.

This video we created for Tapcart, the mobile app builder for Shopify, illustrates the point by deftly explaining to the users how to use the various features of their product:

2. Product Marketing Videos: If your intention is to showcase your value proposition to viewers quickly, you might want to look at this example we created for Peoplevine, the premier subscription and membership platform.

Note: You can browse our portfolio here.

3. Assets Checklist

Video content is divided into different sections such as logo, introduction, and outro. Our video pre-production checklist recommends that you should make sure you have these important, but often overlooked list of assets.

Brand assets: Band assets like logos, colors, and fonts form an important part of an organization as they are unique identifiers that set it apart from the competition. It can also serve as a way of letting the public know what products the company produces. For this reason, companies are protective of them.
- Make sure you use the correct brand assets because not doing so could lead to delays later.
Background music: Some like it loud, some like it not so loud, and some don’t like it at all.
- Make sure to use royalty-free music and get it approved by your clients.
Voiceover: A voiceover (VO) artist can be made to be present on the screen or be made to just lend his/her voice.
- Get your client’s preferences before you hire one as making changes later could be a costly proposition.

4. Software, File Format, and Codec Checklist

The next big item on our video pre-production checklist. Adobe Premiere Pro is one of the best video editing softwares and offers 4 types of monthly plans along with a free trial. For Apple users, Apple Final Cut Pro is a great option.

Video files can be large, so we use codecs for easy storing and sharing. They encode data to compress it for storage and transmission. Data is then decoded and decompressed for viewing and editing. Video is most commonly compressed using H.264 or AVC.

The container or wrapper for these codecs is an audio file format or file extension. Most video formats lose data in compression, so pick a format based either on quality or ease of use. The top video file extensions are MP4, MOV, WMV, and AVI.

You can find more details in this article from Adobe.

5. Production checklist

The final item on our video pre-production checklist is about deciding how you are going to produce the video and how much money you must set aside. In case you are yet to make up your mind, refer to Our Resource on the subject:

Conclusion

Hope our video pre-production checklist has been helpful in answering your queries. Before we wrap up, we urge you to think of an excellent Call-to-Action to add to your video.

These days, Call-to-action buttons or links are present in most videos we watch, either at the beginning or before the video ends, because they are an excellent way of telling your viewers what to do next.

Some good examples include:

Activate your 15-day Free Trial today!
Don’t miss out on this 1-time offer!
Grab your Gift Coupon now!

The idea is to gently nudge viewers to take immediate action either by signing up for a free trial, upgrading to a higher plan, or simply sharing it with others.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a video pre-production checklist?

A pre-production checklist is a resource that lists the multitude of tasks you need to handle before video production begins. It is a document that combines both creative and production-related tasks, ensuring that nothing is overlooked and that all the bases are covered.

When should you use a video pre-production checklist?

Always. Without a checklist production schedules can quickly go out of hand especially for SaaS videos. It is a critical part of the planning process. A well-executed pre-production plan sets you and your team up for success leading up to shooting day.

What are the main benefits of using a video pre-production checklist?

A checklist can help make sure you’ve covered everything. It helps you produce quality content resulting in improved trial conversions and sign-ups. Think of it as a to-do list for your video that lists all of the items you need to cover before production begins, so that you don’t leave any important pieces out.

What are the elements of a video pre-production checklist?

A good pre-production checklist should cover the following details regarding: Script, video type, mode of production, budget, brand assets, editing software, audio, file formats, codec, and even distribution.

Should you use a standardized video pre-production checklist?

As the type of video and production methods vary for different types of videos, a standardized checklist with specific items for each type may be the best solution. This will ensure that your list covers the usual suspects. You only have to add specific details for a video type.