5 tips to making a killer product video

Your product has something worthy – its just that no one reads now. So how do you make your audience appreciate the worthiness of your product. They’re hearing you – but are they listening to you? 

Videos use 2 out of our 5 senses and if designed right – a video can help you can slip the pill. A pill that will start a conversation. And a conversation is the start to any sale.

For hygiene – videos are of many types. A video can entertain (Avatar the movie), It can teach (NGC the channel) and it can sell (explainer videos). I’m talking about the last on the list – quick explainer videos that showcase a USP of your product. 

Here are my top 5 tips to making your product video stand out:

1. Number of propositions

Sure your product has half a dozen value propositions. But your audience can only remember a few of them. In a minute – try to restrict the propositions to 1 or 2 at the most. 

Its better you say 1 thing two times than 2 things once.

This is a proposition heavy video. (you’ll notice how little propositions you’ll remember after you’ve seen it) 

2. Number of seconds 

Brevity plays a big role in any content. Not at the cost of the propositions though – but exceeding 90 seconds can cause slow death. 

See this 2:28 min video we did for a tech startup and then compare it to the 68 second one for another product – you’ll appreciate the difference. 

3. Speed/Velocity 

The pace of the video is perhaps the trickiest to set. If the speed is too fast – ideas will zip by. If its too slow – your audience will lose attention. Damn these fickle minded audience I tell you ! 

The trick is to build the speed based on the propositions. At govideotoday, we set the pace based on how many UIs are to be shown, or how many propositions need to be delivered. We also take into consideration the pace of the narrator (voice over) and the genre of the background score. 

This is a fast video. The pace limits the understanding of the product. 

4. Audio 

Most forget that Audio Visual – is 50% Audio ! As a musician and a self-taught audio engineer, I can tell you that if you get the audio wrong – all hell will break loose. 

The trick to judge any audio is to close your eyes. Silly I know – but by closing your eyes, you’ll prevent distraction and you’ll focus on the tonal quality of the voice over, the beat in the music, the gain levels, and how the music contours the voice. 

I know this may not be precise but audio engineering is not a science yet and most audio engineers get paid (or used to) because they just had good ears. Its pretty much like a painting on canvas. After a few years of doing it – your eyes can detect the goods and the bads. 

In my opinion, this video has a good audio master. (notice the beat on the score)

5. Reality – use case 

This is the BEST way to make your video rock. Real use case of where your software made a hit with the customer. Call it a case study or a client showcase – the use case is real, therefore its something your target audience can relate to, and therefore its got trust written all over it. 

When people trust you – they’ll talk to you. What did I say about conversations earlier – remember? 

This is a video that you’ll so easily relate to.

If you’re a pastry fan like me – you’ll know that the light and crispy pastry always wins over the oily and soggy. That’s not a personal choice – that’s how we ALL like it. Any marketing content is subject to the same prejudices. 

Keep it short. Simple. and Humorous. Humor is the best way to break any resistance. 

What have been your favorite product videos?