How to use video to reduce your churn rates

High-quality onboarding has been proven to improve renewal rates for businesses. This is particularly true for the SaaS industry, as well as companies that sell complicated (or hard to use) products. 

Customers who have been educated on how best to use their product are far more likely to enjoy success with it. To your customer, success equals value - and value inspires repeat business. This is why a better onboarding process is likely to lead to lower churn rates.

Efficient onboarding also drives conversion rates up by reassuring potential customers that you really care about their experience. So it makes good sense to perfect the process.

97 percent of marketers say video has helped increase user understanding of their product or service. Sharing a classic onboarding video is one simple and effective way to introduce new users to key product features, benefits, tips and tricks.

An enjoyable and stress-free introduction to your business's offering will make your buyer personas more inclined to remain brand loyal.

So, start new customers off on the right track by creating a helpful video that shares everything they need to get started.

Here is some advice for producing an effective onboarding video:

Get to the point

Your average new user is unlikely to know every small detail about your product - and they have a pressing issue at hand. An issue so pressing they've committed to a purchase.

Now is your chance to communicate what can be achieved using your product. You'll want to make sure you've got the fundamentals covered.

Writing a script before you embark on the video production process will help you to condense and prioritise your product information.

Bear in mind, a typical customer onboarding video can range from 5 – 10 minutes. That is considerably longer than most corporate video and it can be a challenge to keep viewers engaged throughout.

To sustain interest, your video should be customer-centric, not product-centric. Focus on practical guidance that includes accurate and relevant data.

Solve pain points early on

Your company understands your buyer personas. You understand the many reasons your customers have sought you out. So consider how these new customers feel when they first begin doing business with you: they've found the solution and are ready to put it into action.

It’s unlikely that your customers have purchased your product or service for the sake it: they have specific problems that need resolving. New costumers expect you to deliver value fast, and with minimal effort from them.

Make it easy for your new customer to navigate your video by splitting it into sections and including these in your description. This way they will be able to skip ahead of (or return to) sections as they wish.

Eradicating your buyer persona’s pain points at an early stage minimises the delay between purchase and relief.

The sooner a customer believes they’ve found the best course of action, the more delighted they will be - and the more they will look forward to coming back.

That ‘wow’ moment can be triggered by outlining simple steps to solving their most pertinent problems, showing them the path of least resistance.

Demonstrate product features

Some customers will invest in your product without a fully developed idea of what it can really do.

It’s possible they never got the chance to watch your product demo video or delve into details about special features and common usage.

So show your product in action.

For many, it's easier to follow a video tutorial than written instructions. And your onboarding video can easily walk users through the product’s main functions. It's only the tip of the iceberg, but a brief product demo is incredibly helpful for people who just want to get stuck in.

You can also introduce short case studies and link the video to supporting evidence. Providing links to further instructional material will help spark curiosity and answer queries, whilst ensuring your video content remains compact.

Introduce your team

When a lead converts, what is the first impression they will receive as a customer?

Customer onboarding videos reflect the way your business operates: they demonstrate a sincere commitment to customer satisfaction.

A genuine, warm welcome from the people behind your product or service makes for a memorable introduction. It has been proven that people respond more positively to videos that include faces. We love relatable stories and enjoy watching people.

Today, it’s common to purchase goods and services online without speaking to a single soul. It's a convenient process for small-ticket items, but it isn’t suitable for every transaction. When you’re making a noteworthy investment it can be highly disconcerting if you don't know who your first port of call should be if you encounter problems.

Under many circumstances, customers will feel more comfortable seeing the team they have elected to work with.

A simple introduction builds rapport, and helping customers to put names to faces will make your whole team seem more approachable. Clear and open lines of communication improve any business relationship.

Developing a strong business relationship with your existing customers helps boost retention and encourages positive customer testimonial. This praise could become very useful in future video marketing campaigns, as potential buyers place a lot of trust in the reviews of their peers.

The best onboarding videos aim to answer all of a new user’s most urgent questions, ensuring they can hit the ground running. Harness the power of video to delight and retain your hard-earned customers.