Video marketing is permeating the global marketplace and has become the preferred content not only for brands, but for consumers as well. By 2020, it's estimated that online videos will make up more than 80 percent of all internet traffic by consumers worldwide so now more than ever, the escalated use of video marketing means today's marketers are even more pressured to produce videos that outperform their competitors.
When it comes to product videos, statistics show that almost half of today's consumers will seek a product video before visiting a store and shoppers who view demo videos are almost twice as likely to make a purchase than non-viewers.
Today, you'd be hard-pressed to not see people snapping photos and videos with their smartphones. And, indeed, some amateur videos can go viral but when it comes to branding and introducing a new product, the level of expertise needed to create something that follows our four tenets of a Perfect Launch video goes far beyond simply pointing and shooting a quick video with your smartphone.
Producing a powerful and effective product launch video that gets results is achievable when you follow a proven formula.
The Four "C's" of Successful Product Launch Videos
While everyone has their own style and flavor, there are four basic principles that ring true whether you're launching a novelty item or a global product or service.
- CAPTURE
You have only seconds to capture the attention of those who view your video. With digital media, it's much easier to simply skip or scroll past your content, so you need to capture the viewer's attention immediately. The good news is that if you are able to capture their attention, you have a good shot of capturing their wallets as well (digital video advertising is "projected to reach 17.56 billion U.S. dollars in 2019").
With a physical product, an exciting demonstration right at the start often does the trick, or sometimes it's a personal approach with a person speaking right to camera in an organic looking way.
- CAPTIVATE
Maintain their interest and get them leaning forward. This can be tricky but the often absurdly successful "As Seen on TV" campaign is an example of how providing a problem/solution works.
Create a scenario where the audience can relate - you're showing them you understand their problem/challenge - and use this opportunity to showcase your features and benefits. If you lose the audience during this stage, you may never get them back, so as with all of the components of your product video, testing to find the optimal messaging that captivates your audience will be crucial.
- CREDIBILITY
Today's consumers are able to find sources of information on anything they want and credibility is essential in today's global marketplace. That's why you must establish credibility in your product launch video, and there are a few options to effectively achieve this:
Involve Experts
Experts who are recognized in their industries can be powerful additions to your product launch video that both provide information and build trust in your product.
Utilize Testimonials
Testimonials from real users can be a powerful credibility building tool. These don't have to be shot in a professional studio. Sometimes testimonials that are shot on a phone in an organic fashion perform the best simply because they are so believable.
Share Written Reviews
Sharing written reviews can also be powerful, especially if coming from a trusted third party source like Amazon, where reviews can't be made up.
Incorporate a Live Demonstration
When you demonstrate your product without changing camera angles, for example, the demonstration is much more believable.
Use Premium Visuals
For many product categories, premium visuals are a must as you build credibility. It's okay for your audience to know that you started your business in your garage, but for some product categories, you don't want them to think that you are actually making the product in your garage. Supplements are a great example since consumers will be ingesting and digesting your product.
- CONVERT
The final of the four "C's" in a successful product launch video is converted. The beauty of digital marketing is that the "Call To Action" doesn't have to take place in the first video that consumers see, and maybe not in the video campaign at all. If you are taking a more organic approach with your video style, then your call to action can be in the Facebook ad copy and with a clickable button to "learn more" that links directly to your site.
But, your mindset still needs to be that you are working towards a conversion at some point in your process. Figuring out the right time to ask for the conversion within your product marketing flow will be easy to see as you test various options.
Your ad dollars should be converting each website visitor to purchase at the rate of two to five percent, but you also want to pay attention to your Click Through Rate (“CTR”) and make sure that at least one percent of your total viewers are converting to website visitors.
If you aren't seeing a CTR of at least one percent, then it may be wise to go back and review the previous "C"s: Are you capturing their attention? Captivating them? Establishing your credibility efficiently? And if you aren’t see conversion rates above two percent, how effective is your Call To Action Revisit these vital elements to determine if there are areas that could use some work.
With digital video marketing, it is much easier to show your content to an engaged audience in several different rounds, so you don't necessarily have to accomplish all of these goals in the very first viewing, unlike in TV marketing, but you do need to make sure you have a process to eventually take your target market through the entire flow and end up converting them to a sale.
We realize it sounds like a lot of work - and it is! - but we welcome you to contact us today and let us create a breathtaking product launch video that is sure to provide you with all of these attributes and more.
Here's to your success with your product launch!