A few weeks ago I went to hear Dag Kittlaus speak at 1871, the local co-working center for Chicago startups. Dag is a serial innovator, and founded Siri as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Stanford Research Institute (SRI). When asked “What is the most important thing you can do as a founder?” he responded “Learn to tell your story”. Why? Because telling your story quickly, and in a way the inspires, can be the difference between the success and failure of your business. An inspiring story brings your business to life for potential customers, investors, and employees. You could have the greatest product or service in the world, but if you can’t inspire people to see the value in it, you’re doomed.
That’s why we think explainer videos are so great. It’s the best way to tell an inspiring story about your business in a short, succinct, and shareable way. Take Crazy Egg for example. They have an awesome product, but it’s technical, and not immediately obvious what it does or why you should use it. By producing a short explainer video, they were able to deliver their value proposition in a fun and engaging way.
And who knows, telling your story could be the difference between landing that new customer, investor, or employee, or having them walk away. How else do you inspire people about your business?