How do I create an engaging product demo video?

This is a great question, especially for technical products where it’s not always visually exciting.
From what I’ve seen, screen recordings usually work better for developer or technical audiences because they show the product as it actually is. That builds trust and makes it easier to understand real workflows.
But the format itself is not the main factor.
The biggest difference comes from how the demo is structured. The videos that perform best usually focus on one core use case and communicate the value in the first few seconds. If users don’t immediately understand why the product matters, they won’t keep watching.
A simple walkthrough can outperform a more polished video if it clearly shows:
what problem is being solved
how the product works in a real scenario
what the outcome looks like
A lot of teams start with screen recordings to validate messaging, and later evolve into more structured demos or explainers once they understand what resonates.
That’s also why more SaaS-focused teams treat demo videos as part of the conversion funnel, not just documentation. Studios like Moodive seem to lean into that approach, focusing more on clarity, onboarding and measurable impact rather than just visuals.
Curious what direction you’re leaning towards and what your audience responds to.

Have you tried Vibrantsnap ?

I think that both could work. A while back I created this video ( https://youtu.be/EKrITaqtHFY ) with @rikschennink and what we did for that video was using screen recordings, and then implemented other things like text and such, since that would have made it easier to visualize how the product worked in real life rather than an UI mock.

But it really depends on the style that you are going for. For more technical viewers, having screenrecordings could be a plus imo.

Hi Nick,

I do think a screen recording is a good start, but then you can add text animations explaining parts of the app.

If you're on Windows, you can use my app to edit it - https://www.cinematicstudio.app

Here's a gist of what you can do: https://twitter.com/John_Torjo/status/1436304038455353346

If you'd like to know more, let me know!
Best,

John

Hey Nick, I run Tella, a new way to record videos in your browser. We're trying to help people make better videos with minimal editing. Product demos are one of the main things people use Tella for. You should check it out and drop me a livechat message if you want a demo or tips for making a product demo like this one.