Product videos provide brands with an excellent platform for describing what they offer. These videos focus on a product’s standout features and can aim at the general public or a specific demographic.
By now, it’s a generally accepted fact that video is the most persuasive medium and the most effective way of getting a point across, whether you are using animation or live-action techniques. So a product video, when done right, can prompt potential customers into closing a sale. The key there is “if done right.” Otherwise, they may turn out to be less than memorable or not grab the audience’s attention at all!
So if you don’t want your videos to be hit-or-miss, then join us as we walk you through the essentials of making awesome product videos!
First Decision: Choosing a Type of Product Video
The first place where things can go wrong is right there from the get-go when you choose the type of product video you are going to make.
Product videos come in many shapes and forms, and it’s a very common mistake to be less than fully informed when making a decision. Different formats serve different aims, and you should know which one suits your business the best.
Looking to showcase the features of your latest product? Then a Demo or Feature video, which focuses on a product’s capabilities and specs, will probably be the best choice.
Do you offer an online, web-based application? Then go with a Screen Capture video! They are a type of Tutorial video in which you record your screen as you browse through, for example, your website, showing what it looks like and how to use it. This is a great way of putting yourself in your audience’s shoes since it emulates their own experience of visiting your site.
Is your product somewhat complicated or technical in nature? Then perhaps a little explaining beforehand might come in handy. Explainers are short online marketing videos that educate audiences on a particular topic, like your value proposition or a key concept in your field. A good explainer video will provide audiences with a fun and engaging way to tackle a difficult subject.
How About Animation?
Since we are on the topic of explainers, how about an animated explainer video?
Animated videos have a certain warmth and friendly tone to them that makes them instantly accessible. Even children grow up on animation! So it’s a universally appealing language that your corporate videos can hugely benefit from. Moreover, it’s a highly stylistic and versatile medium that can adapt to your brand’s image really well.
You could go with a colorful and humorous cartoonish style or take a more serious, academic, or business-like approach with whiteboard animation videos. These recreate the experience of seeing somebody writing and drawing on a whiteboard as they explain a topic.
Knowing Who to Turn to
Some brands choose to leave their video production in capable hands, and so they turn to professionals. But each video company can be a world unto itself, specializing in different types of videos and having its own array of stylistic approaches. So, how to choose?
Well, if you’re going to outsource video production, do thorough research beforehand. For example, if you decide to go with a whiteboard video, find the top animation companies working in that style. Then, check their websites to see how they approach their work and communication with their clients.
Afterward, you can delve deeper and browse through some of their previous work to get a clearer picture of the results they deliver and see in which aspects each company outshines its competitors.
Going DIY? Here Are Some Production Tips for You
A do-it-yourself approach is wildly popular among brands with a tight budget, and it offers a high degree of control over the final product. But with great power comes great responsibility, and it’s very easy for things to spiral out of control!
You may end up with an amateurish result if you are not entirely sure of what you are doing. So how should you tackle the making of a product video?
Know what type of video you’re going to make. That will determine the length, purpose, and style.
Once you know the format, focus on the content: write a script that not only covers the main features of your product or service but also captures your brand’s ethos and the sort of problems your solution is tackling.
While a script may be the most famous part of the pre-production stage, there are further ways of complementing it, such as storyboarding. A storyboard is essentially a way of visualizing the script by representing it graphically as a series of frames that depict the intended final result. It’s great for planning shots or predicting how your animation will look.
Once the production stage starts, keep an eye out for all the technical aspects of production. If you are shooting a live-action video, remember to light the scene properly to ensure the highest image quality. Likewise, don’t rely on a camera’s own microphone. Record sound separately so you can choose your mic placement independently from your camera’s. And if you place the mic within the shot, make sure it fits in the visual composition. Remember: the devil is in the details!
Wrapping Up
In the beginning, we said the first step was choosing the right video type, but there’s actually a previous step that is even more fundamental: know who you are!
Understand what your brand represents, and what ethos drives it. Be aware of what your product’s most notable features are. And, of course, know your target audience!
This will serve as a criterion when determining your video marketing strategy: you will know what to communicate, how, and to whom. What will be your product or service’s features and brand ethos, what will be the type of video and the style you choose, and who will be your public?
Product videos open up many paths. If you choose the right one, you could see your sales and following grow exponentially!
