What kind of product video is right for your product?

Your product video is a powerful marketing tool because it helps customers understand what your product does or how it can help. They help explain the features and benefits of often complicated or complex products.

You want your product video to be effective – and setting it up to be effective means choosing the right product video type for your brand and product. But, how do you know which type is best? Where do you start? What types are there?

Let’s get into it.

Where do you start when choosing your product video type?

Start with why

You want to start with why you are making this video. Before you hire a video or animation production studio to help you make your product video, I challenge you to think about why you are doing a product video in the first place.

Ask yourself things like:

• Do I want to show how a product works?
• Do I want to highlight specific product details?
• Do I want to show off the personality of the brand in the product video?

Once you know why you are creating a product video, you can look at which product video type will help you meet your business’ needs.

The four main types of product videos

There are several types of product videos that you can use, and each has its own set of unique benefits depending on your specific needs, goals and target audience. I’ve put together this guide to the four main types of product videos to help you filter out the ones that might not be the right fit.

Here are the four main types of product videos:

1. Demonstration videos
2. Screen capture videos
3. Animation and cartoon videos
4. 3D animation videos

But let’s break it down.

Demonstration videos

When you want to show how a customer would use your product

Demonstration videos show how a product works by highlighting the product features and demonstrating how a customer might use it. These work best for products that are innovative or hard to explain because written instructions are often not sufficient. Showing visual examples of your product in use, especially by a client or user, can be the clincher for that potential customer to buy your product.

Demonstration video benefits:

• Increases customer confidence that the product does what you say it does
• Saves time for your sales team in demonstration
• Show off key product features
• Put it in context for your customer
• Can supplement or be more effective than written instructions
• Give your customers a blueprint, or proper expectations, for how a product works
• It’s (usually) evergreen – meaning you can use it again and again!

Check out this video from Koala, a sustainable lifestyle furniture brand. In less than 2 minutes, you can learn how to assemble their Modern Sofa product, wherever you are. It also shows off it’s ‘no-tools’ approach to assembly, making it a stand out from other furniture brands that require a more ‘tools-on’ approach.

 

Screen capture videos

When you need to provide a step-by-step how to for an online product

Screen capture videos work best with online products like websites, ecommerce stores, software programs and web apps. They are commonly used by companies that need to show how to do something step-by-step for the purpose of product walk-throughs, customer training, tutorials and/or how-to videos.

Screen capture video benefits:

• Show users and potential customers the UX and UI of your site, program, app or store
• Give a detailed, exact how-to for any function of your site
• Save time for your customer support team by providing them these resources to send to users
• Simplify processes into easily-followed step-by-step walk-throughs

In task management software Asana’s ‘Understanding the Basics’ video, a presenter walks a new user through the software, from explaining how to use the dashboard to setting up their first project. The background music, upbeat voice and clean, well-paced visuals gives a new user a solid introduction to the basics of Asana’s task management and collaboration tool.

 

2D Animation/cartoon videos

When you want to stand out with your creativity

Animation and cartoon videos work well with most types of products. They give you the ability to create a memorable character or symbol that is tightly linked to your product and helps the customer distinguish you from your competitors. These types of videos also work well if you don’t have a physical product, so if you only have a prototype or offer a service instead of a product, an animation or cartoon video can be used effectively.

2D Animation/cartoon video benefits:

• It’s unique and can be personalised or created purposefully for your brand
• Easily explains complex ideas with really engaging visuals
• It can be more cost-effective than hiring a film crew and actors

Animation can also be used in conjunction with live action filming. In this video promoting the new McDonald’s rewards app in Pakistan, it’s used to highlight how easy the app is to use, as well as add in surreal, exciting and colourful elements to the video.

 

3D animation videos

When you want to communicate product details

3D videos are more engaging than traditional videos because they give you more flexibility in communicating your product details. These types of videos are surprisingly more cost effective than traditional videos, as they bypass production costs and delays associated with traditional video. If you don’t have a physical product or you want to skip the production crews and onscreen talent, 3D videos are a good option.

3D animation video Benefits:

• You can go deeper into demonstration of a product with 3D animation: e.g. exploded details
• Appears more realistic than 2D animation but is still as flexible
• It can be more cost-effective than hiring a film crew and actors

3D animation is in full force in this visually appealing HomePod ad from Apple. The bright colours, vivid textures and white background allow the product to stand out.

Where to from here?

Now that you know more about the different types of product videos, I hope that you’re clearer on which one to go for when making your next product video. If you’re unsure, come talk to us and we can discuss how to promote your product in the most compelling way.