How to Make Good Product Videos
Great product videos are one of the best ways to introduce, promote, or market your products and your message. Product videos are sharable, affordable, and according to Hubspot 2020, will increase the chance of a purchase by 144%. A high-quality video will let you compete across all platforms – Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and more, and can be used in paid, organic, affiliate, or social channels. Our tips will show you how to make a great product video that will help you inform, convert, and sell.
Why create product videos?
Video, in a nutshell, is an extremely compelling way to reach and engage your target audience. Video engagement on mobile is very high, and YouTube’s reach is enormous. According to SEO expert Neil Patel, Google loves videos, and they currently appear in 70% of the top 100 search listings. It may be time you got in the game with a killer product video.
What are your product video goals?
Your first step in creating a killer product video is to be clear on your project’s goals. Product videos are used in various ways at different points in the client journey. Some ways a product video can be used are building brand awareness, introducing a new product, generating leads, education to promote usage and retention with past clients. This decision will often dictate the tone and type of video you make and the all-important call to action.
The second part of understanding your goals is to be clear about who you are talking to. Remember, when you are talking to everyone, you are often talking to no one. Identify that one perfect customer, and use the tone and language that will most resonate for him to increase the relevance and effectiveness of your product video.
What story is your product video going to tell?
Storytelling is fundamental to any good product video. Use words, images, and sounds to harness emotion and take the viewer on a quick and precise journey. Make it personal and put your product into a context where a viewer sees a familiar problem, and your product is the star that solves that problem. Talk to them, not at them, and be clear on how your product will make their life better.
Avoid the common pitfall of talking features! Your viewer wants to know what it means to them, and your job is to show them in an engaging and sometimes entertaining way.
What style of product video are you making?
Three basic types of product video formats are commonly used. An on-camera demonstration might feature you or an actor and is a great way to show your product in action, such as an exercise machine or cooking product. Remember, context is everything. “How does it help me?”
Voiceover videos are also a very common way to showcase a product, as are videos that use titles and captions. Your decision will be driven by the nature of your product or service and your budget.
Tips for creating a great product video
- Planning your video
The planning stage includes clarifying the project goals, deciding on the budget, production timeline, and video format. This is the time to brainstorm ideas and think about how the video will be used moving forward. You’ll want to have your overall marketing of the video in mind before you move forward.
Now is the time to work with your video production company to decide the best way to increase trust, engagement, and conversion with your target audience.
- Scripting your Video
Your script and your storyboard will happen hand-in-hand. A good creative team will need to understand your product, the unique value your product can bring, and how it will transform a user. They will know the goals of this project and how the video will fit into your marketing plan. A talented team will weave these elements together into an engaging, concise, informative, and persuasive way to tell your story.
Be sure you have clearly explained the product and what it will do for them. Use captions, messaging, and other cues to help tell your story. Don’t assume they know anything about the product and break it down, so it is super clear. Tell the story, tie it up, and then tell them what to do next. What do you want them to do? Contact you, buy a product, visit your site? That is your call to action.
Your script is the backbone of the video. Think about it like a movie. Create conflict (the problem your product solves). Set the conflict up in a way that is relevant to your target audience. Present our project as the solution to that challenge. Be sure your unique value proposition is front and center.
Depending on your video’s purpose, you may want to add a unique value or discount for the viewers of the video. Consider adding that at the end where you can later easily remove it. It can be something of value to the viewer or a special rate specific to those who have seen this offer.
This is not a place to be longwinded! Pare it down and stick to the essential points to tell your story. Pare it down!! Be sure the language, the tone, the imagery, and the feel of your video are consistent with your brand. Make space for logos, standard imagery you may use, and any other pointers to your brand.
Once you have agreed in concept with the script and the storyboard, the shoot will take place. A good video production company will carefully pick the best location and video for your format. They will shoot extra video footage to allow for choices in the editing room to help you get your story told perfectly. Remember, engagement is everything, so be human and have a conversation with your potential customer.
- Sound
Music or other sound elements can transform a video project. An upbeat song with happy music certainly creates a different vibe than what you may want for more serious products. If you are using voiceovers, don’t add music that is going to compete with the content. Beware any ambient noise or soundtrack instructions. If you are using Facebook, remember that Facebook required the viewer to click for sound. Will your video get attention without sound?
PRO TIP – Your production company will ensure they acquire rights to any music used in the video.
- Bring your brand forward.
Bring the personality of your brand forward. Your brand must be consistent in all of your marketing platforms and showcase your brands look and feel. Use proper logos, consistent language and, and maintain a tone and style that your fans will recognize.
- Call to Action
Once you’ve told your story, it’s time to wrap up. We need to tell your viewer what we want them to do now! This is called providing a call-to-action.
What do we want them to do? You need to tell your viewers if you want them to download, buy, subscribe, call, or visit your website. There are several ways to show your call to action. You may want to choose one method or combine several.
- Title cards can be added to the end of your video.
- A voiceover on camera can be added and can bring continuity to what they have heard during the spot.
- You can add a call-to-action button on the video so the viewer can click on it. (This option is not going to be available with all platforms.
How to create a video marketing strategy
Your video is only as good as your promotion of it. Be sure your video is produced with SEO in mind. It should have a well-written description that is tagged with relevant keywords and help boost it.
Create a great title and promote it everywhere.
Once your video has been perfected, get the most out of your investment by using your video to tell your story across all platforms.
- Include your video on your website homepage.
- Create a landing page that sets up the video and point any ads from there.
- Syndicate this out to Facebook and other social media using ads and organic promotion and taking them back to your landing page.
- Many people host their videos on YouTube. Remember, this will take them off your page, though.
A well-produced video can be the key to taking your digital marketing to a new level. Video is an amazingly effective way to tell your story, but it needs to be well done. That means the casting, the scripting, the production, the music, and the location all need to work together to tell your product’s story.
Your marketing video needs to be responsive to mobile devices and of high quality. Invest in an experienced video production company like C&I Studios to bring your product to life!