Best Practices for Creating Compelling Ecommerce Product Videos

As much as people might prefer shopping online to the time- and energy-consuming process of going to the store, it’s hard to deny that when it comes to being able to see and interact with a physical product, traditional shopping has its advantages. That doesn’t mean ecommerce store owners don’t have options, though. Adding videos to your product marketing strategy can help your customers experience and understand your products in a way that rivals the in-store experience. Follow the tips below to ensure your own product videos convert more customers and keep them coming back.

1. Keep It Short

While it’s important to give people a complete picture of how your product is used and why it’s great, remember the golden rule of video marketing: keep it short. Make sure each product video clocks in at two minutes or less, aiming for even shorter videos if your products aren’t complicated. Doing this will also force you to focus on the key talking points you want to share with your audience, helping them have great impact.

2. Demo the Product

Whether you’re selling apparel, electronics, makeup, or furniture, one of the best things you can do in a product video is show the product in use. This is an essential way to help customers conceptualize the way they might experience your product, even though they can’t go to a physical store to interact with it themselves. Choose a person to demo the product who fits your key demographic and can speak to the product with a high degree of knowledge. Show multiple use cases for the product, including how different types of customers might use the same product. For example, if you sell apparel, consider featuring the same outfit on two different body types.

3. Show Off the Product’s Benefits

Sometimes when people make product demo videos, they forget that it’s also okay to hard sell the product—not just inform. Don’t just share how your product works; at every step, talk about the product’s benefits and key differentiators too. Every time you bring up a feature, tie it to the customer’s lifestyle so you can help them build context and target their emotional side. Don’t wait for your audience to make the connection between what they’re seeing and why it’s the best option for them—make it for them.

4. Include Product Close-Ups

If you’ve ever watched a restaurant commercial, you know the power of the product zoom: restaurants love zooming in on the food and showing it off in granular detail. Take inspiration from those commercials, making sure to show your product close up and from multiple angles. Keep in mind, too, that some customers will be viewing your video prior to looking at product photos—if they discover the video on YouTube or through social media, for example. So make sure the video provides enough visual information to serve as a stand-in for product photos.

5. Optimize Your Video

If you’re posting your video to YouTube, optimize it. This will vastly improve the video’s chances of attracting a wider audience and appearing in front of prospective customers who have never been exposed to your brand before. Follow YouTube SEO best practices to help your videos get as much mileage on the platform as possible.

In Conclusion

Product videos are the perfect way to show off your products concisely and in a way that can be clearly understood by your customers. Not only do they directly impact your sales, but they can also save you a lot of potential money and energy post-sale by preventing misunderstandings on the customer’s end. Better still, there’s no need to make your videos more complicated or difficult than they need to be; stick to a few simple guidelines, and you’ll be able to put your products in the best light, convert more customers, and win more fans.