Clay Thompson, owner and founder of On Demand Wholesaling, knows that in the financial services industry, storytelling is often overshadowed by numbers and metrics. But he understands that compelling narratives—not just performance data—are what truly resonate. With over 40 years of financial experience, he has perfected the art of transforming complex investment strategies into engaging, easy-to-understand content.
Before we dive into our interview with Clay, we wanted to remind you of our free 7 day trial of VideoScribe. For 7 days, you get to experience what it's like to work with an animation software that users love! Click the link below to create your account and get started.
From Traditional Whiteboards to Digital Animation
When Clay first started his business, he took the traditional approach—hiring an artist to physically draw on whiteboards while filming the process. While effective, this method posed several challenges. Whiteboard surfaces were limiting, colors were difficult to work with, and making edits required rescheduling artists and setting up filming sessions, making the process cumbersome and time-consuming.
That all changed when he discovered VideoScribe. “I happened upon your system and I found it easy for me (not an artist by any means) to use, and that made the whole process of production much easier. I can be more creative, quicker to market, and more effective with VideoScribe.”
Watch how Clay uses VideoScribe to simplify a complex investment process into an easy-to-understand story using clear visuals and relatable language for his client. By breaking down financial concepts into digestible insights, it's a more compelling way to explain investment strategies—making abstract ideas more tangible and engaging.
The Power of Storytelling in Financial Marketing
Clay’s business focuses on helping financial services firms communicate their unique value propositions to advisors, who then relay those stories to individual investors. While traditional mutual fund and investment marketing often relies on performance metrics, he understands that it’s the story behind those numbers that truly drives engagement.
“My model is that you get me—40+ years of financial experience—helping you tell the stories that matter to your distribution. People don’t buy numbers; they buy the story. And advisors are not typically strong when it comes to creating and telling stories.”
With VideoScribe’s whiteboard animation and voiceover capabilities, Clay is able to craft compelling, digestible narratives that capture attention—the most valuable currency in today’s fast-moving digital landscape.
A Strategic Creative Process
When developing a new video, Clay takes a strategic approach, focusing on how advisors will ultimately communicate with their clients. His goal is to translate financial jargon into everyday language that resonates with retail investors.
“For example, instead of talking about investment risk in abstract terms, we’ve used the analogy that all investments have risk, just like all foods have salt. It’s not that salt is bad or that risk should be avoided—it’s about finding the right balance.”
The process starts with scripting, ensuring clarity and compliance before moving on to visuals and voiceover. According to Clay, a strong script is the foundation of every great video, and the visuals naturally follow from there.
Client Feedback: Engaging, Clear, and Concise
The results speak for themselves. Clay’s clients consistently praise the videos for their ability to simplify complex concepts in an engaging way. Shorter videos—kept around two minutes—are particularly well received.
“The words we hear most often are ‘clear’ and ‘concise.’ We also hear that our videos grab and maintain attention quite well, which isn’t easy in a short attention span world.”
Efficiency and Creativity with VideoScribe
Using VideoScribe exclusively for his animation work has made Clay’s production process far more efficient while allowing room for creativity. For someone who isn’t an artist, the platform’s built-in images and templates provide the perfect tools to enhance storytelling without the need for advanced design skills.
“The structure VideoScribe provides is important for being clear with messaging. It’s a very easy platform to use, and that’s especially important for a non-artist like myself.”
Advice for Financial Firms Considering Video
For those in the financial services industry looking to leverage video, Clay’s advice is simple: focus on the end goal.
“The purpose of the video isn’t to show off your investment chops or impress with technical jargon—it’s to help advisors understand what makes you worthy of their time, and to help those advisors explain your value to clients with little financial experience.”
He emphasizes striking a balance between authority and approachability, a concept he calls “informal authenticity.” Videos should feel conversational and engaging while establishing expertise.
Evolving with VideoScribe
Over time, Clay has refined his video strategy, learning to integrate text and visuals in ways that enhance understanding. VideoScribe’s templates, such as the “mind map” format, have proven particularly useful in structuring and summarizing key. Check it out!
Did you know you can use templates like this and so much more for free when you use VideoScribe? Try it for yourself over the next 7 days!
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