Tip #1 for making great product videos: Make their customer the hero
This is the first rule of making a product marketing video. It could be an app, a device, or even vehicle, just resist the temptation to make your client the hero and make your video about their customer.
If you successfully address the pains, desires, and aspirations of the end user of the product you will make a successful product video. The big challenge for video producers (and really all marketing professionals) is to see the product through the eyes of person who will spend their hard earned money on it, instead of the creators of the item.
So, the next couple of tips deal with crafting a script for a solid product video.
Tip #2: Create a brief
When you sit down with the creator of a product, your first order of business is to craft a brief. This is a short document, maybe even half a page, that identifies the product, the target audience, the main pain point it seeks to address, the features, actions and benefits of that product.
You’ll also want to agree on a delivery date for a first and final draft of the video. A word to the wise, many times the smallest clients are the most difficult to work with. They have poured their soul into a product and they admire its smallest details.
A mentor of mine called this “baby toes”. A mom and dad look at their new baby and simply can’t get over how cute their baby’s toes look, they want everybody to see those cute toes. But the people want to see a picture of the baby’s face!
Prepare yourself for clients who identify the smallest details as the biggest, and ignore the most marketable aspects of their products.
Tip #3: Identify FAB – Features, Actions, and Benefits
Professional sales people have long identified 3 key aspects of any product. The features, actions and benefits. A new laptop may feature a brand new processor. An app may employ a new underlying architecture. A drill might showcase new battery technology.
Features can easily lead you down the “speeds and feeds trap”. Features are important, but there’s a better way to engage your audience.
Actions are the way your features work. A stereo might feature bluetooth connectivity, you can pair your phone to it by just tapping the phone on the speaker—that’s the action. The nice thing is about actions is that they easy to show. Video does a great job showing off actions. But sometimes actions can just look like work. So you have to front-load your messaging with benefits.
Benefits usually provide the best entry point for a product video. How does this product relieve the pain for the end user? How does it make their life easier? What kind of emotional lift do they experience? If you can articulate that, then your message will resonate with your audience. If you craft a narrative that puts the benefits on full display, shows the actions and nods to the features you’ll make a powerful piece.
Conclusion
That should get you well on your way to crafting compelling product videos. Make the end-user the hero, craft your brief with care and front load the benefits instead of prioritizing features. If you can do those things, you’ll take your craft, and your clients’ businesses to new heights.
