Unlock the Secrets to Creating an Engaging Product Video: Learn from Our Step-by-Step Journey

Define Your Objectives: Establishing Clear Goals for Your Product Video

hen embarking on the creation of a product video, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of your goals before diving in. Establishing your objectives not only helps in selecting the appropriate video format but also aids in generating creative ideas.

The utilization of videos by brands throughout various stages of the customer journey is extensive. According to a study by Biteable, approximately one-third of businesses employ videos for sales purposes, while 20% utilize them for product management and customer support messages. Depending on your specific business needs, you may require a video for one or more of the following purposes:

1. Building Brand Awareness: Introduce the need for your product and portray your brand in a positive light.
2. Generating Leads or Sales: Persuade prospects to take action and engage with your brand, ultimately leading to conversions.
3. Explaining Specific Features: Educate existing customers on the functionalities of your product, enhancing adoption and retention rates.

By clearly defining your goals, you can determine the most suitable type of video to produce. For instance, a short advertisement is effective for brand awareness, while video tutorials work well for customer retention.

In our case, we aimed to create a concise and captivating video that effectively communicates our company’s purpose. Feedback from customers and prospects revealed their appreciation for the wealth of resources and content we provide about media monitoring and marketing. However, they expressed confusion regarding the absence of a brief introduction to Mention.

Additionally, our sales team received numerous demo requests from individuals who lacked a clear understanding of what Mention offers. We suspect this may be due to insufficient information on our demo request page.

Know Your Audience and Unique Selling Points: Identifying Target Audience and Value Proposition

Understanding Your Audience and Crafting a Compelling Message: Identifying Target Audience and Value Proposition

Once you have set your goals, the next crucial step is to identify your target audience and define your unique value proposition. It is essential to know who you are addressing and the message you need to convey in order to create an impactful video.

Start by determining who the video is intended for. If your initial response is “everyone,” it is important to conduct thorough research to narrow down your audience segments.

Understanding your ideal customers will guide you in selecting the most suitable tone and language to effectively engage them, ultimately increasing the effectiveness of your video.

Next, consider what you want to emphasize in the video. Identify your biggest selling point and highlight why it is relevant and valuable to your audience.

To identify your target audience and value proposition, consider the following approaches:

1. Consult your sales team: Your sales team interacts with customers daily and possesses valuable insights. They understand the characteristics of potential buyers, their concerns, preferences, and communication styles.
2. Engage with your customers: Communicating directly with your customers is an excellent way to gain insights. Ask them why they chose your product over competitors, what they appreciate most about your product, and how they utilize it.
3. Monitor brand discussions: Pay attention to conversations related to your brand. Customers may express their opinions, share feedback with their network, or leave online reviews. Observing these conversations will provide valuable insights into your customers’ perceptions and the language they use when discussing your brand.
4. Analyze competitors: Study your competitors’ customer base and marketing strategies. Analyzing their target audience and messaging can offer valuable insights into your own target audience and help you differentiate your value proposition.

In our own video project, we collaborated with our sales team to define our ideal client types and identify the Mention features that resonate most with them. Through monitoring online reviews, we discovered that our customers highly value the ease of use of our tool compared to our competitors.

Armed with this information, we proceeded to write the script and create the storyboard for our video.

Crafting an Engaging Script and Storyboard Aligned with Your Target Audience

Once you have identified your target audience, determined the appropriate tone and value proposition, it’s time to begin drafting your script and storyboard.

In the past, we have handled video production in-house, including our “Real Smart Marketing” series and customer success story videos. However, due to time constraints and competing design projects, we decided to collaborate with a video production agency, Left Productions, for our product explainer video. Nonetheless, we recognized the importance of writing our own script, and so we embarked on that task.

Writing the Script
The script serves as the foundation for your entire video, akin to a movie script. If you have ever attended a screenwriting class, you are familiar with the concept that a good story requires conflict and resolution. The same principle applies to crafting a compelling product video.

Setting the Stage:

Establishing the Context and Challenges Faced by Your Target Audience

To effectively engage your target audience, it is crucial to set up the context and highlight the challenges they encounter. By doing so, you can create a relatable scenario that resonates with their experiences before introducing your product as the solution.

For our customers, the primary challenge they face is the difficulty of monitoring and keeping track of brand discussions across various online channels. To visually depict this challenge, we decided to employ animations that convey the overwhelming feeling of being inundated with numerous social media conversations from the outset of the video.

Striking the Right Tone:

Reflecting Your Brand’s Voice

The tone of your video should align with your brand’s voice and the nature of the product or service you are offering. If your brand presents itself as a smart and sophisticated solution, your tone should reflect that. Conversely, if you are promoting a dating app, your tone may be more lively and flirtatious.

In our case, emphasizing the ease of use of our product is paramount. Therefore, we deliberately chose a conversational and straight-to-the-point tone for our video. We opted to steer clear of jargon and corporate terminology, aiming for a tone that feels approachable and relatable to our target audience.

Highlighting Benefits Over Features:

Addressing Customer Needs and Problems

When crafting your script, it is crucial to focus on the benefits your product offers rather than solely highlighting its features. Customers are primarily interested in how your product can solve their problems and fulfill their needs. To capture their attention and make them care about your product, you must clearly demonstrate how it can address their specific challenges.

For example, if you are selling a drill, instead of solely discussing its technical specifications, emphasize the benefit of the hole it can create in your prospect’s wall. The drill itself is the feature, while the hole represents the tangible outcome that your customers desire. Your script should revolve around these benefits, showcasing how your product can provide practical solutions.

While it’s acceptable to touch on features, do so in a way that directly connects them to the benefits they offer to your customers. Clearly illustrate how these features can help solve their problems and improve their lives.

Selecting Words that Reinforce the Central Idea

In your video, it is essential to have a central idea or theme that you want to convey to your audience. This central idea should align with the core value proposition of your product or service.

For us, the central idea we want to emphasize is that Mention helps brands listen and understand better. To reinforce this concept, we carefully selected words and phrases that are synonymous with “listen” and “understand” throughout our script. By using these specific terms, we aim to create a consistent and memorable message for our viewers.

To further highlight the importance of these words and phrases, consider bolding or emphasizing them in the script. This visually draws attention to the key elements that align with your central idea, making them stand out and resonate with your audience as you draft and read the script.

Creating a Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA)

At the conclusion of your video, it is crucial to include a compelling call-to-action (CTA) that prompts your viewers to take a specific action. The CTA should align with the goal of your video and guide your audience towards the desired outcome.

Consider the purpose of your video and select an appropriate CTA. Some common CTAs include:

• Contact us
• Download our product or resource
• Make a purchase
• Subscribe to our mailing list
• Visit our website

Once you have determined your CTA, ensure that it is included in the final portion of your script. This prompts viewers to take action immediately after watching the video.

Crafting the Storyboard

After finalizing your script, it’s time to create the video’s storyboard. The storyboard serves as a visual representation of the script, mapping out each frame and the corresponding visuals you want to showcase.

Referencing your script, ask yourself what you want to show on the screen as each line is being narrated. Consider the imagery, animations, or illustrations that effectively convey your message and engage your audience.

Your original storyboard can serve as a starting point, but be open to revisions and refinements as you align the visuals with the script’s narrative flow. The storyboard acts as a blueprint for the video production process, ensuring a cohesive and visually appealing final product.

Yes, I understand. Allow me to rephrase it for you:

After collaborating with our video agency, we have developed a more refined and comprehensible storyboard:

Since we have emphasized the benefits of our tool in the script, we believe it is appropriate to visually showcase our product and its features.

Based on discussions with our sales team, we have identified several key features that we want to highlight in the video. We have made sure to incorporate these features prominently throughout the visual elements.

Maintain Attention to Detail

Storyboarding requires meticulous attention to detail.

From the precise moment the music should begin playing to the specific wording used in the app screenshots, every aspect needs to be carefully considered and planned.

If you are collaborating with an agency, don’t hesitate to ask numerous questions about each scene and transition. Having a clear and detailed storyboard will save both parties a significant amount of time during the post-production phase.

Seeking an External Perspective

After closely examining our storyboard for two weeks, we reached a point where it became challenging to objectively assess its strengths and weaknesses. To gain fresh insights and valuable feedback, we decided to invite members from our sales, tech, and design teams to provide their input.

By involving individuals from different departments, we were able to benefit from their unique perspectives and expertise. Their fresh eyes allowed them to identify areas for improvement and offer valuable suggestions to enhance our video.

Considering an International Audience

Given that our target audience is international, it was crucial for us to fine-tune the wording and slang used in the video. To achieve this, we actively sought the opinions of non-native English speakers within our team. Their input helped us ensure that our messaging was clear, easily understandable, and culturally appropriate for our diverse audience.

Filming, Actors, and Voiceover

In our case, the filming process turned out to be the most straightforward aspect of the entire video production.

Having partnered with an agency, they took care of providing all the necessary equipment for the shoot. This made it convenient for us as we didn’t have to worry about sourcing or setting up the filming equipment ourselves.

With the agency’s expertise and equipment in place, it took us less than an hour to capture all the shots we needed. Their efficiency and professionalism ensured a smooth filming experience, making this phase of the production process relatively effortless for us.

Additionally, if our video required actors or a voiceover, the agency would have handled those aspects as well, ensuring a seamless integration of talent into the final product.

Recognizing the significance of showcasing the people behind the Mention brand, we made a deliberate choice to feature our actual employees in the video rather than hiring actors.

Introducing Julian, a genuine account manager at Mention, who plays a key role in the video. By featuring real employees like Julian, we aim to establish a genuine connection with our audience and convey the authenticity of our brand.

Including our own team members in the video adds a personal touch and reinforces our commitment to transparency and building authentic relationships with our customers.

Promoting and Sharing Your Video

After completing the production of your video, the next step is to ensure its wide distribution and visibility.

Considering your specific goals, it is important to determine the most suitable platforms and channels to share and host your video. Here are some common options to consider:

1. Landing Page: Incorporate the video on a dedicated landing page that highlights your product or service. This allows visitors to engage with the video directly and learn more about your offerings.
2. Website Homepage: Feature the video prominently on your website’s homepage to capture the attention of visitors right from the start. This serves as an effective way to introduce your brand and product value proposition.
3. Social Media Platforms: Share the video on various social media platforms where your target audience is active. This can include platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or YouTube. Leverage the reach and engagement potential of these platforms to amplify your brand message.
4. Nurturing Emails: Include the video in your email marketing campaigns, particularly in nurturing emails. This provides a dynamic and engaging way to communicate with your audience, further strengthening your brand awareness and value proposition.

And pinned it as the top post/featured content on our social media accounts:

Choosing a Video Hosting Platform

When it comes to hosting our videos, we typically opt for YouTube as it is a widely recognized and popular platform. By naming our YouTube video “What is Mention?” and targeting relevant keywords, we increase the chances of our product video appearing prominently in Google search results under the “Videos” section. This helps us reach a larger audience, especially those who may not be familiar with our brand.

YouTube’s free hosting service offers significant advantages, such as its widespread usage and the potential to reach a diverse audience. However, there are a few drawbacks to consider. When embedding a YouTube video on our website, viewers have the option to click away and watch the video directly on YouTube. This can divert their attention and reduce the likelihood of them continuing to engage with our website or take the desired action. Additionally, YouTube displays ads and suggests related videos, which may include our competitors’ content.

To address these concerns, we decided to give Wistia a try. Wistia provides a video hosting solution without ads and prevents viewers from clicking away from our page. By embedding videos hosted on Wistia, we have full control over branding and customization options. This allows us to add social sharing buttons, incorporate clickable call-to-action elements, and even divide the video into different chapters, enhancing the overall user experience and engagement on our website.