As more and more customers turn to online shopping, it’s becoming increasingly challenging for businesses to persuade people to pay attention to what they offer.
One strategy, however, that remains strong in generating attention and interest across most audiences is the use of product videos.
When done right, a well-crafted product video can be incredibly powerful for generating sales, as it gives a dynamic and engaging way to showcase a product’s effectiveness.
But as exciting as it might sound, creating a product video that genuinely resonates with the audience and fills carts can be challenging. So, after examining high-converting product video examples across several niches and industries, I’ve compiled six practical tips to help you create a truly effective product video optimized to nurture your overall marketing strategy and ultimately generate sales.
Let’s dive in.
#1 Build a sales-driven script
Crafting a script for your product video is about more than just listing features and benefits. To impact your audience and drive sales, you need to write a sales-driven copy that gets people up to speed while also getting them invested in what you are saying.
Here are some practical tips to help you work on scripts like that:
- Focus on benefits: While it’s important to highlight your product’s features, it’s the benefits that matter to your customers. Focus on communicating how your product solves problems and makes their lives easier rather than simply listing features.
- Use persuasive language: The words you use in your script can make all the difference in persuading viewers to take action. Resonate with their problems, agitate their pain points, show empathy, and demonstrate your understanding of their situation so that they listen and trust what you say.
- Highlight unique selling points: What sets your product apart from the competition? What is it that your product has that your competitors’ lack? Highlight that stand-out feature in your video script to demonstrate why your product is the perfect choice for your target audience.
- Include calls to action: Don’t forget to include clear calls to action in your script, encouraging viewers to take the next step toward purchasing your product. Use them sparingly—wherever makes sense—so you can keep reminding them what you want them to do.
#2 Tell relatable stories
Humans have been telling stories for thousands of years, and for good reason. Stories have the power to captivate, engage, and inspire us. When creating a product video that drives sales, telling a relatable story can be an incredibly effective tool.
Here are a couple of good ways to introduce storytelling into your product videos:
- Connect on an emotional level: By telling a relatable or even personal story in your video, you can connect with your audience on an emotional level. As the good old marketing principle goes, “people buy based on emotions,” so you need to lean on those emotional responses to make product videos that people won’t immediately dismiss after watching.
- Show, don’t tell: Instead of simply listing features and benefits, use your story to demonstrate how your product can solve a problem or make someone’s life easier. You can do that by incorporating an imaginative, creative story tailored to your viewers’ interests.
- Make it relevant: Your story should be relevant to your target audience and the problem your product solves. By demonstrating how your product can help people in a specific situation, you’re subconsciously showing them why they need your product.
- Keep it concise: While a story can be a powerful tool in your product video, it’s essential to keep it concise and to the point. Your video should focus on selling your product rather than telling a long-winded tale, so you need to find a story that adds to your marketing message meaningfully.
#3 Make different variations for A/B testing
A/B testing is a way to experiment with different versions of your product video to see which one performs best. You can use a flow chart to catalog different versions and variations of your videos and test out audience response to each. Determine what works, what doesn’t, and double down on what works.
Here are some key elements you can vary for A/B testing:
- Change the call-to-action: One of the easiest ways to create different variations of your product video is to change the call-to-action (CTA) you are working with. See which drives the most engagement, and focus on that style moving forward.
- Test different messaging: Experiment with different messaging in your product video, such as focusing on different benefits or highlighting different features. That’s especially true if you have a product with so many cool features that can stand alone on its own.
- Adjust the length: Generally speaking, the shorter you can make your marketing videos, the better. That said, try testing different lengths for your product video to see what fits best for your audience. Shorter videos can be more effective for capturing attention and doing a quick “sales pitch” on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. And longer videos can be great for your company’s website or YouTube channel, where you need to show extensive details of your product.
- Try different styles: Experiment with different visual elements in your product video, such as different shots, backgrounds, inserts, or types of animation. Small changes might make a big difference in the overall appeal of your video, and as long as you keep your brand identity consistent across all versions, you might find new ways to get your audience’s attention.
#4 Highlight customer sentiment
Including elements tied to customer reviews and opinions in your product videos can be a powerful way to increase credibility and build trust with potential customers.
Here are some tips for featuring customer reviews in your product videos:
- Choose the right reviews: When selecting which customer reviews to feature, choose the ones that highlight your product’s most important benefits or features. Select reviews that sound exciting, and create ‘hype’ around your product to convince viewers.
- Highlight specific details: Highlight specific details of the customer’s experience with your product. This can help provide more context for potential customers in terms of real-world benefits and make your video much more meaningful.
- Showcase diverse voices: Consider featuring customer opinions from a diverse range of backgrounds and experiences. This can help potential customers see themselves using the product, increasing the likelihood of them taking action.
#5 Use the right promotional channels
Making your product video accessible and available to as many people as possible can be just as important as creating it. The best video in the world won’t do you any good if your target audience does not see it.
Here are some tips for promoting your product video in the right places:
- Go where your viewers are: Before you start promoting your product video, you need to understand your target audience. This includes understanding their demographics, interests, and, more importantly, in this case, the channels they use to consume content.
- Utilize influencer marketing: Collaborating with influencers who have a following that overlaps with your target audience can be a great way to launch your product video. You can start by partnering with influencers who have relatively fewer follower counts and slowly make your way up depending on the success rates and responses you get.
- Leverage social media: Social media is a great channel to make your product video accessible to a lot of people. Identify your target audience’s social media platforms and create engaging posts highlighting your video.
- Use email marketing: If you use an email marketing tool to keep in contact with your audience and have an email list, use it to deliver your product video. Include a link to the video in your email and highlight the benefits of watching it in your copy.
- Utilize paid advertising: Use paid advertising channels like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to reach a wider audience that is likely to be interested in your product. If you know your audience well, you can create a custom audience for targeting on these platforms for maximum conversions.
#6 Answer a burning question
Answering a burning question related to your product can be an amazing way to instantly engage potential customers. Not only are you addressing a need they have with the idea of your product, but you are also anticipating potential reservations they might have and providing information they’ll find relevant.
Here are some tips for answering a burning question in your product video:
- Discover your audience’s burning questions: Do this through customer feedback, surveys, forums, social media listening, and keyword research. Knowing the questions that your audience is asking (specifically, product-purchase related) can help you create a video that is tailored to their needs, which might lead them to buy from you.
- Address the question clearly: Once you have identified the question, ensure you address it in your script in a way that is easy to understand and provides immense value to your ideal customers. Don’t just answer questions to grab their attention. They might come back to you—to buy from you—if they feel you’re sincere about helping them.
- Offer a solution to the problem: Explainer videos have become as popular as they are because they follow an effective premise: once you have introduced a burning question or need, you present your product as a solution that addresses the viewer’s problem. It is a universally effective premise in terms of marketing a product, and you should always look for opportunities to present that info to your audience.
The takeaway
Product videos are proven to convert viewers into customers. But only if you make them with the sole focus of converting using persuasive copy, telling stories, answering burning questions, featuring real reviews, and choosing the right promotional channels.
If you’re on the verge of making such promotional product videos, consider using the tips we’ve discussed above, so you can boost your chances of selling. Good luck!
