How to write a brief for a product demo video

The five questions

• Who is it for? New customers, existing ones, or staff. One audience per video.
• What should they do afterwards? Book a call, start a free trial, use a feature. One action.
• What should it show? The two or three moments that matter, in order. Not every feature.
• Where will it be posted? Your website, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reels, an email. Each needs a different size and length.
• What must, or must not, be said? Product names, prices, claims you can and can't make, words you never use.

What to send with it

• A demo account or test login, so the walk-through shows the real product without customer data
• Your logo, colours and fonts
• Any wording you already use: your homepage, a sales email, a help article
• One or two videos you like, from anyone, and what you like about them

How long should it be?

For a website or YouTube demo, 60 to 90 seconds covers one task well. Social clips work best at under 30 seconds. If it needs more than two minutes, it's probably two videos.

Mistakes to avoid

• Showing everything. A demo that covers every feature is remembered for none of them.
• Starting with the logo. Open with the problem the viewer has.
• Real customer data on screen. Use a demo account.
• No clear ending. Say what to do next, and show where to do it.

A short example

"For small accountancy firms who haven't tried our software. Afterwards they should book a demo. Show: adding a client, sending the first invoice, the payment arriving. For our homepage and LinkedIn: one widescreen, one square. Don't mention prices; do say it works with Xero."

Next steps

Send us your brief, or ask for help writing one, through our explainer and demo videos page. For budgets, see what an explainer video costs in the UK.