How to create an effective video for your product, no matter what product or service you're offering
Video on your site has been shown to improve conversions to around 80 percent.
A truly great product video both informs and inspires viewers to give you their attention (and to spend money). We've seen a fair amount of these videos on our site and also those which have successfully launched crowdfunding campaigns and sold plenty of units in the process.
Here are some suggestions on how to make great video content which convert. We'll also provide an example from small and large businesses who are killing the competition.
Are you unsure of how to create an effective product video? Learn these 9 steps.
1. Context is the king.
Don't simply show off your sleek product. Show how it's part of the larger image of your customer's lives. Aim to answer these questions with your product video:
- What issue is your product solves?
- How can you make it more beneficial to your customers' lives?
- Are you able to inspire a client to do more?
- Can this product enhance the overall satisfaction of customers?
2. Tell AND show
The trailer for a high-concept product might be beautiful and stylish, but if viewers aren't aware of what you're selling when they're done, they probably won't be motivated to buy from you.
Imagine you're in the your first year of school doing "Show and Tell" and show the product you have created, then tell your customers about it. It's that simple.
Below are some examples of the types of product videos small e-commerce companies and big guys alike rely on:
- Demo. In simple terms, a demo shows off how the product works when the user is actually taking advantage of it!
- Explainer. The humble explainer video tells the user how your product operates and tells the background of your company's name using a mix of audio and text. In many cases, explainer videos are what convinces a human to purchase.
- Tutorial. Tutorials are educational, the steps of steps. The tutorials can be tailored for those who have already purchased and require assistance with an intricate product instead of being merely a marketing device.
What should be included in your video for product?
- Plenty of product photography, ideally you can get a 360deg view of your goods
- Dimensions, so viewers know what size, how heavy, or feather-light your product
- An action on your site, follow your biz on social, etc.
- Social proof, like testimonials and reviews to prove why your product or service is superior to your competition
- Your personal style and spin on things
3. Tell your story or have your customers share it for you
When people look at the video of a product people don't want to understand the technical specifications of the product. They'd like to talk with those who created the product and the people who utilize it.
(Pro-tip Include specs in the product description of the listing, whichever it might be. You can also add an instant pop-up with text on your video, with all the details to ensure that your customers pay to their attention).
While specs can be helpful, they're not everything. Nowadays, consumers are smarter than ever choosing companies that are on an agenda rather than ones who just offer a pretty product. An BBMG & Globe Scan deep dive discovered some interesting facts about Gen Z -- they are " 3x more likely to claim that the purpose for business is to serve the society and its communities.'"
The days are gone of consumption for the sake of consumerism So, make use of your demo or product videos to present your company's reasons for being there. Find the answers to the most important questions. For example, does your business:
- Partner with social justice initiatives?
- Donate part of your proceeds to local organizations?
- Use your social media platforms to inform your users about the social problems?
- Do you have a significant sustainability strategy, whether that's eliminating single-use plastics, or going carbon-neutral?
In other words, caring is cool.
When it comes to testimonials, consider a former client as your hype person. These can be raving quotes that fill one frame in your product video, or even a conversation about what your product or service has done to changed the game.
4. Customize, customize, customize.
Your video for product promotion is an advertisement -- and a first impression -of your service or product and therefore, appearance is important. It's true that blurry video or unclear photography can (and will) lead to a nose-dive on sales for your products.
Your video could appear in an Facebook ad or embedded on your website for e-commerce, and you'll want to feel proud of your final product. With Create, you can customize your product video entirely according to your preferences, whether that's uploading your brand's logo and fonts or using our limitless library of not-cheesy stock footage to jazz up your product demo.
Hosting your video in the player can have benefits, as well. Give your viewers no pre-roll...because the last thing any potential customer wants to watch is an ad before your ad. (Talk about causing eye roll.)
How long should a product video be?
Answer: it depends!
- Quick demonstration: anywhere from 15 seconds up to an hour
- Explainer:anywhere from 30 seconds to 90 minutes (depending the complexity of your offerings are)
- Short tutorial:If you're sharing on a short form- friendly social like Instagram shorter forms are better.
- In-depth tutorial. There's a chance that you're an vlogger making an "Get Ready With Me" video or even a realtor who teaches some of the most effective techniques in the real estate game. For channels like YouTube, long form (anywhere from 7-15 minutes) is a fair bet.
5. Reach out to the people you want to reach.
Often when bands go on a tour, they'll call out names of cities that they'll be playing in. It's a good idea to do the same for your promotional video figuratively or even literally.
No matter what demographic or geographic audience that you're trying to reach, it's important to modify your promotional video so that it will be highly relevant to your potential customer.
6. Don't foster FOMO.
Nothing is more screams "cheap infomercial" as trying to scare customers to purchase your item. We're referring to fear as FOMO, what the kids say to refer to the anxiety of not being able to attend.
When businesses try to sell the risk that come with not buying their product by using fear, they're using an inexpensive method to persuade customers to purchase. An excellent company like yours needs to focus on the advantages of the product or service you offer in your video about your product, not using fear tactics.
If you're having trouble identifying your product's unique selling points (USPs), grab an unfinished piece of or paper (or Word Doc) and try these suggestions:
- Who are your competitors, and what do you like about your competitors' product? (It's completely acceptable to acknowledge when your competitors are doing well! It's important to be inspired.)
- From the people who before purchased your product and/or service, what were the common threads in their reviews, comments or other feedback? Record it all down, make an Venn diagram, whatever unlocks your brain.
- What's the most positive quality about your product or service? Get involved in the positives of.
7. Inject some personality
Do not be afraid to utilize a product video to showcase your company's image. Showing your personality in the video is an excellent way to distinguish your product from the millions of similar products out there.
8. Add a call to action to let people know what (and where) to buy
Let potential buyers to buy your product or service when the video is at an close. How? Include a call-to-action or an next step or destination.
If someone makes it all the way to the end of the three minute blender demo, they're probably pretty interested in buying this blender. If your video for product demonstration is more of a demonstration, try including the email address or a link to preorder in your video.
9. Connect, Human to Human
It's not difficult to speak directly at your viewers in your video for a product, instead of talking to them. Because your goal is to initiate a dialogue with a potential customer Try to connect with the human that is behind the screen.
How to shoot product videos
It doesn't require a professional video company to produce an amazing explainer video. We love the shiny beauty of a professionally produced video for a product, in the current lightning-paced marketing world, small business owners need to produce content more quickly and with greater efficiency.
There's a plethora of marketing channels to push content out on, and it's likely that you don't have nearly the amount of videos you would like. That's where scalability and agility are crucial.
Making product videos, explainers or demos may be daunting, but here are some ideas to help you get started:
- If you are unsure, choose a flat or white background. The less complicated the background the more appealing. After all, you're not selling the background.
- Make sure you have steady lighting. Avoid shooting with others if you can avoid to avoid it. Although golden hour can be beautiful, it's finicky and unreliable. What's the most reliable thing? The old-fashioned studio lighting.
- You don't need to purchase a DLSR. Use your iPhone's portrait mode in conjunction with your simple background to create professional-looking product photos in a matter of just a few minutes.
- Utilize User-generated material. Are people using your product on social media and tag your brand in their posts? Find out if you could make use of their UGC to help you with the promotion!
What is the best way to create a product video?
The process of creating a video for a product doesn't require a large investment task, or outsourced. Start by opening Create either on your desktop or mobile device and use an AI-powered guided template to make a product video in a matter of only a couple of minutes.
Simply answer a couple of questions, Upload iPhone images or videos of your product as well as play around by adding text or a call-to-action. Make sure to save, publish and share on any (or any, and we'll not judge) your social media channels. Try a guided template
The primary key takeaways
In order to create a profitable and engaging product or service video, make sure you are direct, creative, and human.
Concentrate your efforts on being useful, and highlighting the distinctive value of your service -- even if it may seem like something that your competition is also doing.
What's the bottom line? A majority of customers aren't paying attention to your every move. They just want to know what the best benefits are of your product as well as how to get it.
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