If you have an exciting product you know your customers will love, it’s time to start making promo videos.
Over 83% of marketers say promo videos bring positive ROI and 68% of consumers say they prefer to learn about a product by watching a promo video.
Unsure where to begin? Look no further! This guide will break down how to make a standout promo video, complete with real-world examples to inspire you.
A promo video is a short video that introduces viewers to a company’s products or services. The best promo videos weave in a captivating story that educates, inspires, and delights prospective (or existing) customers.
When done right, promo videos are a surefire way to create buzz, increase engagement, drive conversions, and influence viewers to take the next right step with your brand.
Promo videos are great both for attracting new customers and engaging an audience that is already familiar with your brand.
If your viewers are new to your brand, a promo video piques their interest with your current promotion, building awareness for any upcoming events, products, and sales.
For viewers who already know your brand, promo videos engage them by giving them another reason to continue doing business with you.
Let’s take a quick look at the three most popular types of promo videos you can make.
When asked which type of video best assists them in making a purchase decision, a whopping 67% of customers chose product demos.
A product demo video shows your product in action by taking a dive into its features and benefits. It gives viewers an opportunity to see your product used in everyday life, which ultimately leads to conversion.
Google’s Duo demo does an incredible job of showcasing how their service works in under 45 seconds.
77% of people say a brand’s testimonial video has convinced them to buy their product or service. If you’re looking to increase site traffic, generate leads, and convert visitors to recurring customers, you can’t go wrong with a well-crafted testimonial video.
Research has highlighted customer testimonials as one of the top three effective types of video content.
Since they feature a person not directly connected to your brand talking highly of your product, customer testimonials are the most believable and relatable type of promo video you can make.
A company culture video introduces the people behind your brand, highlighting your brand’s main values, work culture, mission, and vision. It helps humanise your brand and gives viewers an opportunity to see you as a team of real people beyond just a fancy logo and a name.
Research by Sprout Social shows that brands that inspire emotional intensity receive 3x more word-of-mouth marketing than brands that fail to do so. Company culture videos are a great way to spark up this emotional connectivity with your audience.
Ready to start making your next promo video? Here are the steps!
The first step is to identify your objectives. You can do this by answering three main questions:
Once you’ve identified your objectives, begin writing the script. Remember, a good promotional video script achieves four main goals:
You want to keep your script conversational, simple, and easy to follow. A little sprinkling of well-written humour is also a good idea.
Failing to budget properly results in disaster — no one wants to get halfway through a project only to realise they’re out of money to spend.
So remember to first create a budget and set a clear timeline to follow when producing your video. When creating a budget, account for expenditures in four main categories:
Here’s a no-nonsense list of the equipment you’ll likely need:
If it’s hard to source all of this, consider outsourcing your video to a professional video production agency.
When it comes to video, visuals are king. Try to capture a variety of angles, from tracking shots, drone shots, POV shots, macro shots, and so on.
Also, capture the original B-roll first and then use stock footage to cover the gaps if need be. But remember, authenticity is key, so if your budget allows, always opt for live footage featuring real people within your organisation for maximum impact.
Here are four important tips to keep in mind when filming your promo video:
A great way to humanise your brand is by introducing the faces behind the screen. Create a promo video that spotlights your team members, sharing their roles, passions, and life stories.
You can also capture real footage of your team at work, at dinners, and on breaks. Giving viewers a glimpse into your daily operations fosters transparency and authenticity, making your brand more relatable.
Your video’s length, pacing, and rhythm are extremely important.
Studies have shown that the shorter the promotional video, the higher the chances of it being watched completely.
So to keep viewer’s eyes glued to your screen, keep your video short and sweet. Refrain from talking about every single benefit and feature of your brand/product — remember, you’re battling against your audience’s attention spans.
Colour grading is the final brushstroke that will bring your video to life. Often overlooked, it is critical to achieve a polished, professional finish. You want to tailor your video’s colour to match your promo’s message or your brand aesthetic, entirely transforming the way your audience perceives and connects with your content.
On the technical side, adding subtitles and translations is essential to make your content more accessible.
Recent statistics have shown that 69% of viewers watch videos without sound, especially when in public. Failing to add captions will make you miss out on this segment of your audience.
So always include well-designed captions with appropriate fonts, backgrounds, and colours, and add translations in multiple languages to make your content accessible to a wider audience.
Finally, here are four mistakes to avoid at all costs:
Finding the median for information is crucial. Avoid dumping in every single detail about your product or service — too much information will confuse your viewer and a confused viewer will never continue watching.
Your video is meant to be entertaining and educational — so if your audience is scrunching their noses at it, there’s clearly something wrong.
To avoid appearing cringe-worthy or pretentious, make sure to keep your script as authentic as possible. Your audience will always know when you aren’t being yourself — don’t try to impersonate another brand or make claims you cannot back.
Also, always be appropriate — make sure you know your character and that it is right for your audience. Unnecessary swearing, crude language, or inappropriate humour can leave viewers with a terrible impression of your brand.
Losing track of your target audience is one of the most common video production mistakes. Your video strategy should be based on a clearly defined target audience and buyer personas — and you must never lose sight of this audience.
Sound is an essential element of your video. And nothing turns your audience away faster than sound that is too low, too loud, unclear, or distorted. To avoid this, invest in a good microphone, record clear voice overs in a controlled environment, and always edit your sound with extra care.
Promo videos are a unique blend of formal design elements, engaging storytelling, and marketing techniques that compel viewers to take action. Your viewers have needs, and the most convincing promo videos highlight how these needs are met.
If you’re looking for a video marketing partner, reach out to us today. We have over forty years of combined industry experience making all sorts of promo videos — from testimonials to product videos, explainers, company culture videos, and more.
For more information, get a quote today!
