9 tips for creating killer product videos

Whether you’re selling a product or service, the ubiquitous product video can be the make-or-break moment for your potential customers.

A truly great product video both informs and inspires viewers to give you their attention (and to open their wallets). We’ve seen our fair share of product videos here at MIRS.

Here are some tips for making great product videos, along with examples from brands and small businesses who are making some good ones.

1. Context is king

Don’t just show off your slick product, show how it fits in the bigger picture of your customers’ lives. What problem is your product solving? How does it enrich your customers’ lives? Is it inspiring a customer to do more? Is it increasing their overall happiness?

2. Show and tell

A high-concept product trailer may be artistic and fancy, but if viewers don’t know what you’re selling at the end of it, they probably won’t be inspired to become customers. Pretend you’re back in first grade doing Show and Tell — show off your product and tell your customers about it. It’s that simple.

3. Tell your story — or let your customers tell it for you

When people look at a product video, they don’t just want to know the technical specs of the product. They want to meet the people behind the product and the people who use it.

4. Beautify your home

Contrary to what your mother told you, it’s not just what’s on the inside that counts. The outside counts too, particularly in product video. Your product video is essentially an advertisement for your product/service. As you may have heard, the MIRS player makes your videos look great — customize it with your logo and treat your viewers to zero pre-roll. Because the last thing a potential customer wants to watch is an ad before your ad.

5. Cater to your target audience

Often when bands go on tour, they’ll shout out the name of the city they’re playing in. We recommend doing the same in your product video, figuratively or even literally. Whether it’s a certain demographic or geographic audience you’re targeting, you should customize your product video to be highly relevant to your potential customer.

6. Don’t use scare tactics

Nothing screams ‘cheap infomercial’ like attempting to scare people into purchasing your product. By fear, we mean FOMO, what the kids say to refer to the fear of missing out. When businesses try to sell the risks of not buying their product, they’re using fear as a cheap tactic to get people to buy. A great business like yours should be focusing on the benefits of your product/service in your product video, rather than on scare tactics.

7. Inject some personality

Don’t be afraid to use a product video to showcase your brand’s identity. Showcasing your personality is a great way to differentiate your product from the millions of similar products out there.

8. Include a call to action

Make it easy for potential customers to purchase your product/service once the product video comes to an end. How? Include a call to action or a next step/destination. If a person makes it all the way to the end of your three-minute blender demonstration, they’re probably pretty interested in buying that blender. If your product video is more of a proof-of-concept, try including an email capture or link to pre-order in your product video.

9. Connect, human to human

It’s all too easy to talk at your audience in a product video instead of to them. Because your goal is to start a conversation with a potential customer, do your best to connect with the human on the other side of the screen.

The takeaways? To make a successful and interesting-to-watch product video, try to be direct, creative, and human. After all, robots might watch your videos, but they certainly aren’t going to purchase your products.