Have you ever been in a situation where users disappeared after a while, despite you building a great product? This is a frustrating, yet common problem in SaaS. And more than anything, this brings revenue problems.
However, the good news is, you can work around it. Onboarding explainer videos are an extremely effective and underused tool for this.
“The industry average for onboarding drop-off is 30–50%, while the average monthly churn rate for B2B is around 3.5%, split between 2.6% voluntary and 0.8% involuntary cancellations. — Saasfactor”
Why Onboarding Videos Solve Drop-Off
Up to 75% of new SaaS users stop using the product within the first week, almost always during the onboarding process. Onboarding videos address this issue by replacing a confusing first login with a guided, positive experience, encouraging users to stick around long enough to recognize your product’s value.
Here’s how they work and how to build one that cuts drop-off for good.
Turning Cognitive Load Into a Guided Experience
Whenever a brand-new user comes across your product, they might be a little overwhelmed. This may be because of the walls of text, long tool lists, or complex setups. However, videos can help break that load down in a few seconds. Instead of users figuring their way around, you can easily show them the steps they need to follow.
Scalable, Consistent, and Available 24/7
Your team cannot take on the responsibilities of introducing every new user to the product features. A great onboarding video will help streamline that process. Once a video is created, it works for every user, and requires zero extra effort.
Align User Expectations With Product Value
Another important yet overlooked fact is user expectations. This drives user churn. Onboarding videos will help close that gap by a significant margin. If your onboarding video clearly demonstrates the features of your product, this reduces a lot of friction.
7 Types of Videos for SaaS Onboarding
Each onboarding video has its own purpose. Have a look at the seven types of onboarding videos you should consider for your product:
1. Product Tour Videos
Product tour videos are very effective. They are a warm welcome to the user, with a high-level platform overview. This may include the main navigations, sections, and USPs. Answer the core questions that may pop up in a new user’s head. These videos should be short, under two minutes, and oriented.
2. Feature-Specific Explainers
Once your users are familiar with the working of the product, they should learn how to operate the product effectively. Feature-specific guides/explainers are a great way to go about that. They zoom-in on one of the features and walk users through it. Think of them as mini “how-to” videos.
3. Activation/Value Milestone Videos
User activation is the moment when a user first experiences real value. It may be the single most important event in the SaaS platform onboarding process. Videos that help in guiding your users to that milestone can help improve retention in the long run. They may explain the tasks or workflows that unlock the said value of the product. An “aha” moment for your users.
4. Account Setup Guides
Configuration steps can be a headache for some users. Many times, users get halfway through the setup and abandon the process altogether. A short, to-the-point setup video can help retain users in real time. Furthermore, these will reduce support tickets as well.
5. Common Task Tutorials
SaaS products have a handful of repeated tasks. It may be something as simple as inviting a teammate, or may be something like generating a quarterly report. Consider making dedicated tutorials for common tasks, so your users can feel trained and confident from day one.
6. Troubleshooting & Help-Done-Right Videos
Your approach to handle friction says a lot about your churn. Which is why, to-the-point troubleshooting videos are a must for your product. These should include the most common issues users may face, and how to remove panic from the situation.
7. Role-Based Onboarding Clips
Imagine being in Admin, having to sit though a video about activation. This is why role-based onboarding videos are extremely important, as they tailor the experience for each person. When each user sees relevant content for their role, onboarding is much more personal compared to other software.
Distribute and Promote Videos Within Your Product
Another important consideration is placing your videos at the right mark to make them work.
In-App Placement Strategy
The most effective videos are placed at the exact moment a user may need them. Here are some very important points of placement:
- Upon First Login: A welcome video may pop up upon first login.
- Setup Flows: Use explainers with configuration steps, so users can watch and perform the steps in real time.
- While Discovering A New Feature: When a user unlocks a new feature in the app.
- Milestone Activation: When a user completes a key step in the software.
Help and Resource Centre Integration
Your help centre should be very sufficient for the users. It should not just be a wall of articles plastered across your website. Make sure to include relevant troubleshooting videos, important documentation, and support content.
Your users should be able to watch the required solution and have a step-by-step answer to their problem. Furthermore, organize your help-desk videos by category for easier navigating.
Email Onboarding Drip Campaigns
Your onboarding sequence should not conclude when your user closes their browser. Make sure you have an email drip in place for your campaign. This will help keep users engaged between sessions and pop-up the right videos strategically.
Here is a simple structure:
- Day 0 – Welcome email
- Day 2 – Getting started
- Day 5 – Feature spotlight
- Day 10 – Role-based content
Product Updates and New Feature Launches
Lastly, but most importantly, do not limit your videos to onboarding. Make sure that every time your product launches a new feature, there is a short explainer videos ready to go with it. This will help keep your users engaged, reduce confusion, and explain the new UI changes in a hands-on way. This can turn new announcements into a fun moment for users.
Conclusion
Your SaaS drop-off numbers are not inevitable. With the right strategy including onboarding videos and features, each user has a fair shot of being familiar with your product to the core.
Once the product value has been highlighted, retention becomes a reality. You should start small if required. But make sure the strategy you implement fits your product, niche, and target market. Place the videos strategically in the right places and watch the magic happen.
Zelios can help you develop a customized video strategy to boost your growth. Are you an ambitious SaaS, AI or tech brand? Let’s build your video-driven success together!
Select the video type that aligns with your marketing objectives, and receive an immediate high-level estimate of the production cost.
