When you’re trying to sell a product online, pictures and text descriptions can get you only so far. Since you can’t offer prospective customers a hands-on experience of your product in most cases, a product demonstration video is the next best thing to show how it works.
HubSpot reports that over 73% more visitors will make a purchase after watching a product demo video — and tapping into this audience should be a crucial part of your marketing strategy.
In this blog, we’ve compiled a step-by-step guide to making captivating product demo videos, complete with benefits, helpful tips, and case studies that you can learn from.
Let’s have a look!
Product demo videos demonstrate how your product works by showing it in action. Since online customers cannot physically view your product, the demo allows them to visualise what their experience with the actual product will look like.
Product demo videos shouldn’t be confused with general product videos. A product video is a more explanatory video that describes and introduces the product to the viewer, while a demo video involves a recreation of how the product actually functions. It’s particularly popular for digital products, such as software-as-a-service tools.
The major goals of a product demo video are to:
Product benefit videos are important because:
Showcasing your product is the best way to educate your audience on its features without making a flowery sales pitch. Rather than telling your audience why your product is so amazing, you can show them exactly how it can help them in their daily lives.
These videos are the easiest way to nail the “show don’t tell” approach and can get your message across without sounding too salesy or repetitive.
They are also a great way to announce new updates or features. You can walk your audience through the changes, show them what’s new and improved, and get them excited about what’s to come.
Product demo videos are a great way to build credibility for your brand. By giving customers a clear understanding of what they can expect from your product, you can encourage them to trust that it’s the best solution to the problem they’re trying to solve.
Showing customers how your product works in real life also makes them feel more comfortable in taking the next step and making a purchase, especially in cases where they may otherwise be hesitant.
Product demo videos can increase conversion rates up to 85%. They give potential customers the final push they need to make an investment and try the product for themselves.
Complex products can be difficult to explain through text alone.
A visual demo simplifies complex information, breaking it down into digestible chunks for your audience. This ensures that potential customers can understand your product’s functionality and benefits without being overwhelmed.
In an era where digital interactions dominate, demo videos go a long way to make your website/online store more interactive and engaging.
Instead of a landing page with static images and walls of text, captivating demo videos provide a better user experience, enhancing your customer’s journey with your brand.
Before you bring out the big cameras, it’s important to plan your video. A successful demo video is always backed up by a well-researched plan, a great team, and a creator who understands the end goal of the project.
Here are four factors you should consider when planning your demo video:
While animations and video tools are great, the script will do most of the explanation in your video.
When writing your script, start with creating a clear outline. You want to divide the video into sections, such as introduction, pain points, demonstration, solution, and call-to-action. Once you have the overarching structure, you can start filling in the details.
Remember to keep your language engaging and speak directly to your audience. Remove filler words like “kind of/sort of” and refine your language, making good use of every second of the narration. Also, keep the introduction short and snappy, spend more time on the pain points and demonstration, and round it off with a clear call to action.
You’re now heading into the more technical side of production. When prepping for the shoot, you should arrange proper equipment and ensure you have a good set/location.
Some key equipment you should have includes:
Before the cameras get rolling, ensure your stage is just how you want it. Have the right props and tables, a professional lighting system, and a flattering background that doesn’t distract from your product. Run some test shots first to perfect the colours and images on screen and ensure there is nothing upstaging your product.
When shooting, try breaking it up into parts instead of jamming the entire shoot in one go. This gives you more time to spot and correct any flaws when filming and to prepare when shifting between stages/angles.
Post-production is where your video comes to life. Never cut corners when editing your work — you want to onboard professional editors if you’re not an expert.
When it comes to editing, ensure your video transitions seamlessly from one clip to the next, add in final touches like closed captions, texts, and voiceovers, and play around with effects, music, and animations.
Don’t go overboard though — keep extras minimal and tasteful and ensure they’re truly in line with your brand image and voice.
You’ve finally made an epic product demo video — but your work is only half done.
A captivating product video is of no use if there isn’t an audience to captivate. To ensure your video reaches the viewers it’s intended for, marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO) are everything.
Focus on promoting your video on multiple channels, especially on those where your target audience is most likely to view it. These can be:
Use hashtags, compelling thumbnails, titles, and other video SEO best practices to increase traffic and keep viewers hooked.
There are two common mistakes to avoid when it comes to product demo videos:
Overcomplication is the worst demo video mistake you can make.
Don’t make your video unnecessarily lengthy or complex — the ideal duration is between 60 and 90 seconds.
Also, ensure you don’t overload your audience with information. Showcasing unimportant tiny details of your product can clutter the viewers and confuse them.
You also want to avoid using technical terms or industry-specific jargon in your narration and keep it simple and engaging.
While your product demo video is meant to highlight the best features of your product, it’s important to not rattle on about features and ignore customer pain points.
Make your video more customer-centric than product-centric. Since they’ll be the ones using your product, showcase it from their viewpoint. Address how it solves their problems and customise the content and visuals to resonate with their preferences and challenges.
If your target audience can’t access your video, you’ve wasted your efforts. To make your video more accessible:
Including captions can increase video viewing by 80%.
Captions and subtitles not only make your video more accessible to all audiences but also help increase viewer attention and make them more likely to watch the video till the end.
Including multilingual subtitles in your demo videos allows you to break down language barriers and engage with customers who might not connect with content in English. This is especially true for software products, which don’t have a geographically restricted target audience.
Also, since videos with subtitles are easier to share and embed on websites and vlogs, viewers will be more likely to share your content. Plus, you’ll demonstrate your business’s commitment to cultural sensitivity and inclusivity.
What does the future of product demo videos look like? The answer lies in virtual and augmented reality technologies.
Virtual reality helps you create simulated experiences, while augmented reality blends the digital and physical worlds.
These technologies are changing the way product demo videos are made and experienced. They can take user interaction and engagement to a whole new level and can help your business attract tech-savvy customers.
An interactive video is a self-guided walkthrough that gives customers a more realistic experience of your product before buying it.
Unlike traditional videos, interactive demos provide a personalised, immersive experience and help prove your product’s value faster. Your viewers can see the product’s functionalities in action, use it in a virtual landscape, and decide if it’s worthy of a purchase.
Here are two examples of great product demo videos that hit the nail on the head.
From the beautiful apartment location to the relaxing background music, this demo video doesn’t just sell a Nespresso machine, it also sells a story.
With close-up product shots and text descriptions, it gives adequate information about the product’s features but also centres the audience. It teaches the viewer how they can use the machine and what the outcome is, and sells them a narrative. The producer creates a picture of wonderful moments of calm and peace with a delicious cup of coffee, something incredibly appealing to the audience.
This demo video is an excellent example of using successful storytelling to identify with an audience. Headspace uses adorable animation on their product demo to explain the benefits of using their meditation app, but also includes empathetic characters that the audience can identify with.
The quirky style of the video is another thing to note — it successfully sells something as abstract as meditation to the audience. The narration and use of music work well with the tone of the video, and the consistent colour-scheme is both aesthetically appealing and reinforces Headspace’s brand.
This video is a great example of a demo that tells a story, highlights the product’s features, centres the audience’s concerns, and shows a great eye for aesthetics and attention to detail.
Customers love a good demo video that caters to their needs and leveraging this demand can be your business’s most valuable marketing asset.
If you want help with your next video project, reach out to Ivory Media today. We have a combined experience of over 40 years in this industry and can take your product ideas and amplify them through an epic creative and visual experience.
