How to Create an Effective Product Video?

If you have been keeping up with the developments in the marketing world, chances are that you’ve been intrigued by the numerous articles and opinions on video marketing. While companies ought to ideally invest time and resources in creating and executing a video marketing strategy, sometimes all you need is a couple of great videos that lucidly explain your product in a way that keeps your audience hooked.

For those of you who are skeptical, here are some facts and figures that will change your mind:

• Half the online population is watching a video everyday

• Users will stay longer on your site to watch a video if it educates them well about your product

• Shoppers are twice more likely to purchase a product after watching the video because it makes them more confident with their purchase decision

• Mobile users are likely to spend time on a video than on the product’s website

• Video is the most preferred type of content for digital marketers because it has the best ROI

But how does one go about creating impressive product videos? Here’s a quick guide:

Bulletproof Planning

The crucial first step to create a great product video is flawless planning. Once this stage is a success the rest will flow effortlessly.

[icon type=”forbid-2″/]Research

The first step is thorough research. Identify your target group, define and understand their problem or need, formulate a solution and make a connect while delivering the solution. You generally do this evaluation while creating the product. It is the same underlying check that your product video has to have as well.

[icon type=”light-bulb”/]Keep it Simple

Creating the right briefing document is essential for you as well as the entire team that is working with you on the video. The ideal thing is to keep it simple. However complex the product or solution might be, brief your idea in a couple of sentences.

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough. - Albert Einstein 

[icon type=”gallery”/]Perfect Positioning

Positioning the video aptly among your competitors is of crucial importance. Are you challenging a big brand, or are you giving them a better pricing model or better features?

Focus on the message that will position your product well within space that you are working in.

[icon type=”spinner”/]Budget Wisely

We are often asked how much a video costs at the very first discussion. Here’s a question that we suggest instead:

How much value does the video generate for your product internally, externally, to your investors, and your target audience?

Does it add a wow factor to your product? Is it showcasing your brand to the world? Will it create and impact that you desire?

[note]Create the budget purely based on the value that it will generate with your audience.[/note]

Create

[icon type=”users”/]Freelance artist or a team?

Based on your requirements, determine if a freelancer or company is apt for your video. Factors include budget, receptivity, nature of video to be shot, reputation and so on. The right person should be able to interpret your brief correctly and recommend the best course of action. Choose a team that best fits your team.

[icon type=”compose”/]Scripting

All good videos are backed by great scripts. Convert the features to clear and definite benefits. Scripts that focus on the benefits of the product go a long way in improving brand recall.

Embed them into a creative storyline based on your use cases – use your personas, before & after scenarios, demonstrate life in the day of your target person, or just simply showcase the experience that your product delivers to the audience.

[note]Try to work towards the unique selling proposition of the product. It works as a great finish line to the video.[/note]

[icon type=”clock”/] How Long?

Remember to keep it as short as possible. The audience’s attention span is terribly short and according to research, the first ten seconds of a video make the biggest impression on the viewers. The whole motive behind watching a video is to be able to consume content quickly rather than reading it up your website.

[note]Aim for 00:30 seconds and do not cross a duration of 01:30[/note]

[icon type=”feather”/]Treatments

One can use various treatments to make a video – a dialogue driven script, narrative or just a musical. Similarly, there are numerous visual treatments to choose from – Character Animation, Stop-motion, Illustrative, Infographic, Art and Craft, Live Footage, Stock Footage, VFX, Compositing, 3D and the list is endless. Keep in mind that some treatments will require a bigger production team, equipment or specialists which will eat into your budgets. Choose a treatment wisely.

[note]Yes, unique treatments also help in getting your video viral. But focus on your message and don’t get dangled much with the treatment, leave it to the professionals.[/note]

 

Measure

Once the right channels have been identified, the video uploaded and shared across relevant social media channels, one needs to check how it is faring. The ideal way to do this is through effective analytics tools. Before that, it is important to define what success would mean to you – number of views, likes, shares, comments or clicks on links? Using this as a yardstick, you can measure the effectiveness of the video.

Yay! I have a great video that is doing well, what next? 

The lifetime of a video is closely linked to your product’s lifecycle and releases. If you have new features, a newer audience, a fresh campaign and set of newer goals for your product, your product has evolved. It’s time for a new video.

[note]

Product videos have stopped being an option, they have become a necessity. With target audiences who are constantly distracted with multitudes of messages, an effective product video will break the clutter and make the difference you need.

[/note]