The SaaS company with more than A BILLION views - from TWO VIDEOS! Video Marketing Examples #9

^{Obligatory disclaimer: This isn't an ad or sponsored content. We simply wanted to share this analysis with you as a great, recent example of video marketing.}

“If you write anything on your computer - you NEED to get Grammarly.” 

Ever found yourself wishing you had a dollar for every time you heard that line? 

There are some prolific advertisers on YouTube - but few can compete with Grammarly. 

It sometimes feels like every YouTube video is preceded by a Grammarly ad!

And indeed, if we take a look at their channel, and use the ‘Sort by: Most popular’ function on YouTube…

...we see hundreds of millions of views for many of their top uploads, suggesting massive investment in paid ad campaigns...

...and what particularly caught our eye was that their two most viewed videos have racked up over a billion views. ONE BILLION!

What does this tell us? Frankly, it tells us...

• They have plenty of ad dollars to spend.

• They REALLY believe in YouTube as a channel to spend those dollars.

And most of all...

• It tells us which videos they most want their audience to see.

So what is it that’s so special about these two videos? Let’s take a look at them.

First we have “Enhance Your Writing,” viewed 563 million times…

• This is clearly their pillar, catch-all, introductory content - explaining why it’s the most viewed/promoted content on the channel.

• Just check out those first 5 seconds. Like we said at the start - “If you write anything on your computer…you NEED to get Grammarly.” it’s the line that grabs your attention, tells you who the ad is for, and most likely comes to mind whenever you subsequently think of Grammarly. Job done!

• Throughout the rest of the video they showcase more specifically some of the audience sectors - students, jobseekers, marketers, entrepreneurs - always showing rather than telling with actual screen captures overlaid showing real, embarrassing, contextual errors being caught and corrected. And keeping things vague enough that, if you don’t fall into one of those categories - you don’t feel that Grammarly definitely isn’t for you.

• This helps you visualise and understand the full value of the software, building understanding without going into technicalities.

• Similarly - check out how they describe what Grammarly is. If we’re being technical here, Grammarly is a digital writing assistance tool, based on artificial intelligence and natural language processing. But it’s also ‘your own personal proofreader.’ Which one do you think is more compelling? Which one resonates with the audience and helps them understand exactly what they’re getting? You got it - and that’s the one that’s included in the video.

• Don’t get caught up in what you offer and how it works - sell how it helps your audience. Not once does the ad get tied up in the tech-stuff of how it works. Truth is, the audience doesn’t care. They just want it to improve their writing. Who cares how it’s done?

• How about that call-to-action? “Sign up for free.” Clear, direct, enticing. When people get to the end of your video - signpost them to the next step, and do it EXPLICITLY.

And then we have “How Compelling Is Your Writing?” viewed 511m times…

• Unlike the first video, this one is laser-focused towards a particular audience: students.

• The first 5 seconds again set the tone: “Good grammar and spelling are important - but if you want to write essays that inspire…”

• From this cold intro, we can put together the fact that Grammarly goes beyond grammar and spelling - and helps people write amazing essays. The video then shows how else Grammarly can help - with compelling emails/messages and cover letters.

• Again, rather than getting stuck into the technicalities, we’re shown specifics: the video shows an actual sentence which is grammatically correct, but wordy and hard to read. We see the actual process by which Grammarly tidies this up, making it better and more impactful.

• And because it depicts the scenario of a job application cover letter, we can clearly see how this would benefit a later-stage student getting ready to start their careers. It’s designed to make the viewer think: Wow, that would be helpful!

Digging deeper into other videos on the channel, we can see dozens of other videos focused on different verticals - Grammarly for business, for students, hobbyists, writers and more.

Perhaps the reason the first video is the most-viewed on the channel is that this is a ‘gateway’ to Grammarly: a catch-all introduction that gives you a really good entry-level understanding of what Grammarly is.

They then follow that with more targeted campaigns that capitalise on that brand recall and show you more specific ways in which it can help you in your particular circumstances.

So what are the key takeaways?

• Don’t try and say it all in one video. Some people will buy after watching that introductory elevator pitch, but often, it’s more of a journey. Think of your first video ad as a gateway - an introduction. Then consider using follow up videos to segment your audience and talk to them at a more targeted level.

• Show, don’t tell. Grammarly consistently use contextual examples of the real changes their software can make, while never straying from why that’s important to the viewer.

• Talk about what you help the audience achieve more than how great your product is.

• Ditch the tech specs. It’s not a golden rule, but generally, people at this stage don’t care how something works - they just care that it works. (Incidentally, Grammarly created a whole separate video about how the tool works.)

Feeling inspired?

Get in touch and let’s talk about your next video campaign!