How to Showcase Your Software: Why Screen Recordings Fall Flat and What to Do Instead

Making your software “pop” in your marketing materials can be challenging. Humans are visual creatures, but software doesn’t “look” like anything. 

Consider for a moment, the humble “box shot”. This extinct trend was, for a few years, the best way to represent software as a discrete product. But as the demand for physical media dropped off entirely, the relevance of the box shot dropped off and marketers were sent back to the drawing board.

An old fashioned box shot

Unlike the days of yore, the most effective way to showcase software isn’t to present it as a static object, but rather to show it in action. You’re not just selling features; you’re telling a story about how those features fit into a real-world scenario.

Consider, for a moment, what an “amateur” product showcase for Google Earth might look like. Personally, I imagine a developer doing a screen recording, talking about how the contextual search works, how to activate street view, where to find your bookmarks, etc…

I hope it goes without saying, but this is terrible. And if you’ve been taking this approach, I hope this post serves as your wake-up call.

Meanwhile, this is an actual ad for Google Earth. You will notice that there is no talking, no “how-to”ing… and no “CTA” but that’s just because Google can get away with that. Google knows they aren’t going to get your attention with facts, they are going to get it with feelings. A trend popularized in the digital space by Apple that continues to this day because it works.

An example of a modern software ad

Conveying emotion with footage is called filmmaking and of course, is a well-established art form far too broad and complex to cover in a blog post. Or even a formal education. Or even a lifetime. But there’s an often-misunderstood element of these videos that we CAN cover, which is how to portray your interface to convey that “ideal scenario” feeling.

Simply put, too many software companies rely on raw screen recordings to advertise their product. Real interfaces, in real time, can be surprisingly unflattering thanks to things like cursor jitters, animations stutter, menu flickering, and loading screens. Even the best UI designs lose impact when squeezed through a compressed, low-control capture.

The point is this: when you see a high-end software ad using close-ups and cinematic angles of their product, you aren’t looking at a screen recording. You are looking at a recreation of their product built in a motion graphic tool, usually After Effects. This approach lets you control every pixel, letting you smooth out cursor movements, remove lag, highlight key features, and ensure that every visual element is sharp, branded, and perfectly timed to the story you’re telling.

The end result feels like a live product demo, but it’s crafted with the precision of a film set. Remember, your goal is not to just show your software, it is to show the best possible version of your software, in the best possible context. And in a crowded market where attention is scarce, that extra polish can make all the difference between blending in and truly standing out.

I would know, because I’ve been producing videos in digital environments for over 20 years. And as someone who has operated on a small budget, I believe there is a time and a place for the honesty and modest approach of a self-recorded demo, especially in the early days of a product’s life. But if you’re past the “startup” phase and have a distinct brand identity that you are trying to impart, I urge you to consider spending the extra effort to making a video that truly represents the quality and effort that you have put into your product.

And if you don’t know where to start with that, feel free to contact me :)