8 Tips For Product Demo Videos That Convert + Examples
Great marketing intent has three very important hallmarks. They have equal parts of “Information”, “Entertainment” and “inspiration”. If you tick these three boxes, then you have a winner in your hands. And the entertainment does not mean only funny, just something that holds audiences’ attention. Inspiration here speaks of the content’s ability to convert your viewers into paying customers.
A content form that regularly kills it in these divisions is video. Out of all visual content, video is the easiest to understand, remember, and take action off. For a brand with multiple products in the market, video content is indispensable. Especially product demo videos.
Product demo videos reduce the friction in the shopping process better than any other content form. Having a product demo video on the Internet attracts 72% more customers than an in-store demo. For ecommerce brands, 69% of customers agree they like to see short product demo videos when they browse or learn about a product.
But how to create product demo videos that impress customers and lead to conversions?
Read on.
Product Demo Videos: An overview
Every product firm must create content that helps customers make the most of their products. We already spoke of how it speeds up the sales process and breeds goodwill in the market.
But why Product demo videos in particular? Why not blogs, articles, or infographics?
Well, as you know, video reigns supreme in terms of engagement, shareability, and popularity among customers. When you combine informative content and video, it results in something that adds a lot of value to your audience.
In 2021 alone, 14% of businesses created product demo videos and realized that they were more popular than training or even promo videos. Since customers understand the offerings clearly via the product demo videos, you get a very qualified lead based on these videos.
Product Demo videos come in many forms, such as
- Live Product Demo video on social media
- Recorded Product Demo video
- Short-version or overview form of product view demo
- Animated Product demo video
- Screencast Product demo video (Desktop/Smartphone)
Why and when do you need a product demo video?
If your choice is only to make informative content for your brand, you have many options, such as How-to videos, product reviews, comparative videos, and product demo videos. So how do you know when and why to create a product demo video?
Let’s take a look
1. Influence decision-making process
Every product company, including but not limited to tech companies, requires a product demo in their content marketing pipeline. This is especially true if the customer must make a substantial investment and extend a long lifespan from the product. Such decisions are the hardest to make.
Also, google search results feature videos before moving to other results. So having a product demo video on YouTube can help you raise awareness of the product and brand in a customer contemplating to purchase.
So whether you are appealing to customers in the awareness stage or closer to the decision-making stage, product demos can tilt the favor in your balance.
2. Educate Buyers
As per the latest Google study, we understand that the current consumer base is extremely curious. The more they can find out about a product, the more they trust the brand. Also, knowing the workings and other intricate details helps them be confident in their choice.
By educating buyers, you also avoid any returns or refunds that may come in the future. For most ecommerce brands, this is a major saving on logistics and services. Product demo videos help you form stronger bonds with customers and make the shopping experience for everyone.
3. Generate Interest for the Product
Trial rooms are everyone’s favorite. This is because you can feel the product for yourself. Many people walk into showrooms just to satisfy this innate curiosity. If you can create a content form to substitute that, then you eliminate the need for someone to seek a store itself. And this is a major advantage for ecommerce brands.
Short-form or overview form of product demo videos can also intrigue a customer enough to make them want to try it for themselves. This curiosity will eventually drive sales when done consistently.
Now that we have uncovered so many vital benefits of including product demo videos in your content marketing plan, no time to waste.
Creating this can change the way you gain customers and handle businesses.
So, with no further ado, let’s dive in.
8 Tips For Product Demo Videos That Convert + Examples
Marketing experts will tell you that the packaging is as important as its content for this field, too. Your heart may be in the right place, but there is more to creating product demo videos than just shooting a tutorial. It is an art form that can deliver a lot of results when mastered.
The Kimp Video team has curated a list of tips that can elevate the quality of your product demo videos and turn viewers into customers.
1. Define your goals
In the previous section, we discovered product demo videos work for customers in the awareness and decision-making stage. But each of these groups has very different requirements from you. Understanding the customers’ needs in these stages and then tailoring the content will create a meaningful impact on them.
For example, let’s assume your product demo video is for a customer just in the discovery stage of a purchase decision. They need a broader understanding of the product and its value proposition in their lives. Intricate details or comparisons may not make sense to them now.
Similarly, understanding your goals will help you create the appropriate CTA and script for your product demo videos. Do you want to improve your engagement rates on social media or increase followers? Is the video to impress customers, to intrigue them, to watch longer content?
This product demo video from Sphero shows us how you can create simplistic but visually engaging videos to raise brand awareness.
Kimp Tip: Creating product demo videos can prove to be an expensive and complicated process. But your investment bears fruit when the customer connects with it. So define goals and then tailor the video treatment, end screens, and CTA accordingly.
When you choose to work with the Kimp Video team, our teams offer end-to-end video design and editing services at a flat monthly fee. Check our samples now and book a call.
2. Design for the right audience
No two people in this world have the same preferences. Customers’ preferences in design style, audio, video treatment, visuals, and even aesthetics vary because of many factors. They result from their lived experiences, personal tastes, cultural influences, age, location, occupation, and more.
Designing for the Gen Z audience differs from designing a product demo video for customers in the Boomer generation. Living in the golden age of information, you can leverage many analytic tools to craft an ideal buyer persona for each of your products. Sometimes, even for the same product, the design may have to vary based on the audience profile on social media.
For example, if you have an Instagram feed aesthetic in place, a video editing team like the Kimp Video team will help you have a filter on your product demo video. The audience on Instagram appreciates these efforts.
You can do this by sharing buyer persona details in the design brief for your product demo video so that the design and production team can make the right choices.
Apple knows its audience really well. They know what they like about their product and designed the perfect product demo cum promo video for the new launch.
3. Promote Storytelling over Facts
The reason we are promoting video as the best format for product demo is well-established. But it does not mean that any video format will make it work. The best product demo video is the one that pulls the audience in, surprises, and engages them throughout the play duration.
And this happens most naturally when you opt for a storytelling approach instead of running over the facts. Stories make customers relate to the product and understand its place/utility for them. Studies show us that demos with stories have a 22X retention over others.
So if you are looking to attract “Top of the funnel” customers to your product and want them to remember it the most, choose a storytelling format. Check our guide on creating a video storyboard today.
A classic example of demonstrating value along with the product features in this demo video from Ring door view cam. The story makes it relatable and easy to grasp as well.
4. KISS
KISS may be an overstated mantra, but it remains a very underrated one. Keep it Simple, stupid is essential for product demo videos because the intent here is to bring the focus on the product and educated buyers.
How would you feel if a product demo video you check is complex, full of unwanted elements, and takes a long time to arrive at the point? Chances are that the first few frames and the length of the video will make you click “Back” pretty quickly.
Arriving at your point with brevity is an art that everyone in your customer base will appreciate. So, here are a few of our suggestions :
- Keep the setup simple and retain focus on your product. You can have props, actors, and even background, but nothing must overpower the product in question.
- Limit the video’s length between 2 to 3 minutes at the most. Customers are more likely to click on videos in this range than most long videos. To repurpose these videos for social media, you may have to bring them in under 1 minute.
- Do not overpower the video with too many details. Leave a few questions unanswered to bring in engagement. Too much information may also take the spotlight away from the USP and main features.
This simplistic demo video from Airtable shows us how without having too many elements, you can bring the focus to customers and product.
5. Invest in quality setup and professional teams
Customers on the internet expect professional content from brands. You also risk a major chunk of your audience to influencers and other third-party channels if you do not invest in quality setup and teams.
Some things to have in place before you record your product demo videos are :
- Lighting – Try to record as much as you can under natural lighting or with a ring light. Since product demos need to display a lot of intricate features and details, light is important.
- Camera – Ensure that the camera you use can capture high-quality videos with no disturbance. Use two cameras to capture cutaways, thumbnail images, intros, and the actual demo for convenience.
- Mic – Product demo videos need actual audio also to display the correct information to the customer. While Kimp Video can help you enhance audio quality, investing in a good mic can save you a lot of trouble.
- Editing team – There is a lot of post-production involved in product demo videos. If you work with your editing team right from the beginning, the result will be far more cohesive.
Kimp Video team can help you enhance audio and video quality to a great extent when you sign up for our unlimited video design services. So don’t worry if you don’t have the right setup now. We are here for you.
6. Enhance user experience with editing
When you record and create a product demo video, you have to always think from the customers’ perspective. It is a product meant solely for their eyes. So how can you make the experience better for them? We covered the storytelling section in scripting. But what more?
Let us introduce some features you can add to your product demo videos with the power of editing :
- An interesting thumbnail for your video to invite viewers in. When customers are scrolling through social media or checking your newsletter, they are often distracted. You need something to capture their attention. You can either use a frame from your video or design a thumbnail, especially for the product demo video.
- Bring special attention to some features or instances in the product demo video by varying the speed, including transitions and other graphic effects in the video.
- Include cutaway shots seamlessly in the video to maintain visual flow. You can add these shots in the beginning too and create interest in the video.
Don’t you agree that including these special effects will enhance the value of your product demo video? That is why we suggest subscribing to Kimp Video’s unlimited video design services now. You can have these at a very nominal cost for your brand.
This product demo video by Peloton shows us many cutaway shots and special features interestingly. A good example to follow for creating interesting Top funnel content.
7. Improve Accessibility
You want more and more people to view and experience your product demo videos to the fullest, yes? While enhancing user experience is one side of that coin, accessibility is the other. Most viewers access these videos in public places, which makes viewing with audio difficult. For the differently-abled audience too, user experience is only enhanced when there is accessibility.
Some ways to improve accessibility in your product demo videos are :
- Optimize your videos for mute play by including text overlays, frames with text whenever there are voice-overs if possible.
- Include closed captioning in your product demo videos always.
- Avoid too many quick transitions and motions in the product demo videos, as it can be sensitizing to some audiences.
8. Animation or Recorded? – Know when to use what
Much like any other video content, there are two options here too: Recorded videos and animated videos. Not every brand can consistently put out filmed video content, and sometimes the product itself suits best for animated videos.
For example, a product demo video for an IKEA installation can present well in the animated video form, but a recipe video needs filming. Brands need to understand their options before they start creating. Video marketing is a complex process, and animated videos can help you keep the momentum without investing in the filming process.
Some features and effects in the animated form also add value and beauty to break the monotony of your product demo videos. And if you are working on videos for the younger generation, then animated videos in a design palette they prefer can prove helpful.
A simple but effective example of an animated product demo from Zendesk Sunshine.
The advantage of subscribing to Kimp Video is that you can access video editing and design services under a single plan at no additional cost.
Create Product demo videos that convert with Kimp
Looking for a service that allows you to experiment and create stellar product demo videos for your brand? How about a team of experts who can handle end-to-end video editing and design services?
Did we mention that all our services come under a single flat monthly fee? Yes, that is Kimp Video for you. And looking for a team to design thumbnails and other creatives for the video’s promotion? Check out Kimp Graphics today.
Sign up for the free trial now and experience the pleasure of working with Kimp today.