Blog / Guide
Welcome video for new clients: what to include and how to film it
How I design a short welcome video for new clients: who should be on camera, how long it should be and what to include so the first impression is a good one.
When a company signs a new client, the first contact after the contract is usually a generic email or a welcome call improvised by whoever has a free slot that week. A welcome video changes that first impression: it runs under two minutes, the client watches it as soon as they log into their dashboard or receive the onboarding kit, and in a few seconds it conveys what an email never manages to.
I've been filming this kind of piece for service and SaaS companies in Madrid for a few years, and it's one of the shortest formats I make but one of the most impactful per minute invested. You don't need a big shoot or an elaborate script: the key is who appears on camera and not dragging it out.
What it is and why it matters
A welcome video is the piece a client receives right after signing the contract or completing sign-up. It doesn't sell anything; that has already happened. Its job is to confirm they made the right decision and make clear what happens next: who their contact is, what the timeline looks like and where to ask for help if something isn't clear.
It matters because the first days of a business relationship are the ones that create the most uncertainty for the client. They've paid, but haven't seen results yet. A short video with a real face behind the contract reduces that uncertainty far more than a welcome PDF with the company logo and generic copy.
It also sets the tone of the relationship from the very first minute. If the video is warm and direct, the client understands they can reach out with confidence whenever they have a question. If it sounds corporate and cold, they adopt that same register in every later exchange, and that usually means more friction and more support tickets about things a one-minute video could have cleared up.
How to do it well
Choose who appears on camera
The video should be recorded by the person who will actually manage the account, not a managing director the client will never see again. I've filmed versions with the CEO up front and watched them create expectations that the customer success team couldn't live up to. It's better to have the account manager or project lead: that's the face the client will recognize over the following weeks.
A 90-second script, not a five-minute one
The script fits in under 200 words: welcome, what happens over the next few days, who the contact is and how to get help. I've tried longer versions with company background and they always lower the completion rate. The client already knows the company; what they need now is to get their bearings on what comes next.
Record several short versions in the same session
In a single one-hour session I record the generic greeting plus two or three variations for different client segments, for example basic plan versus premium plan, or by industry. The extra cost of recording five more minutes of footage is minimal compared with having a video that better fits each type of client at the exact moment they receive it.
Common mistakes
- Filming the video with the managing director when they won't have any real contact with the client afterwards.
- Slipping sales messaging or upsells into a video that should focus solely on orienting the new client.
- Scripts over three minutes long that the client never watches to the end.
- Not updating the video when the onboarding process or the contact person changes.
- Filming it with heavy studio lighting and an ad-like look when the goal is to sound approachable.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a welcome video for new clients be?
Between 60 and 120 seconds. Beyond that the completion rate drops sharply, and the client already has the information they need before the minute-and-a-half mark.
Who should appear in the video, the CEO or the customer success team?
Ideally the person who will actually manage the account. If the CEO records the video but then has no contact with the client, it creates an expectation the rest of the team can't live up to.
Do you need a big shoot for this type of video?
No. With a camera, soft light and a script locked in advance, it's filmed in under an hour, including several takes and an alternative version or two for different client segments.
Can the same video be reused for every client?
For most companies, yes: one well-made generic version is enough. Segmenting only makes sense if the onboarding process changes a lot depending on the plan purchased or the client's industry.
If you want to create a welcome video for your new clients and don't know where to start with the script, tell me what your current onboarding process looks like and I'll suggest how to approach it. Get in touch via /en/contacto.