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3 copywriting tips for a captivating product video

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3 copywriting tips for a captivating product video

Video marketing is all the rage, with 86% of companies using it as a marketing tool, and 93% of marketers saying it’s an important part of their strategy. And one of the most important methods of video marketing is the product video, which typically explains how a product works. As animation agency, Frantic notes: “Being able to demonstrate the basic functions and nuances of your business’s newest product can dramatically broaden the reach of your branding, and has an extremely positive impact on engagement.” And this approach definitely pays off for businesses, as between 64-85% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase after watching one.

The imagery, music and props are all huge parts of a product video, but the most important by far is the information it contains, in both a visual sense and via text or the voiceover used. This involves planning exactly what you want to say in advance, with copywriting serving as the most crucial, make-or-break element. Here we look at three copywriting tips for creating a captivating product video that secures business for your brand.

  1. Hook viewers from the get-go

As the saying goes: first impressions are lasting impressions, and this is all too true for product video content. Hooking viewers from the off isn’t only a good storytelling technique, but will have tangible benefits for your business. The first five seconds are the most important in keeping your audience’s attention, and giving them no excuse to click away. Some of the ways you can hook your viewers include telling an intriguing story, using powerful statistics, or by simply addressing the audience directly.

One example in practice is this product video by Esusu Savings, which immediately poses a question to the audience, asking them: “Have you ever considered yourself to be financially invisible?”. Not only does this get viewers instantly invested in the content and what’s to come, but the use of unique, somewhat enigmatic language is also likely to pique their interest. Meanwhile, this product video for Josie Maran’s cosmetic brand sees the entrepreneur immediately dive into a story about motherhood, helping to connect the dots between her life as a mother, health, beauty and natural skincare in an engaging way. This helps to create empathy with the viewers, and drive interest as a result.

  1. Succinctly explain the problems the product solves

Of course, you can have the world’s most gripping product video, but if your audience doesn’t understand how it can benefit them, nobody will buy what you’re selling. Think of it like being back at school doing a Show and Tell presentation — the video needs to show off your product, and tell your audience exactly what it is and why they should buy it. It’s that simple. You should also include a call-to-action at the end to make it easy for viewers to actually learn more about the product in question. And when it comes to the words themselves, avoid industry jargon and cut out any extraneous information. You want every word to count.

This advert from Duolingo offers a great example. Clocking in at just over 40 seconds long, it manages to show how the language-learning app works, its benefits to users, and critics’ reviews which back up its effectiveness, all while using easy-to-follow language. This 58-second IKEA Place video is similarly to-the-point, concisely conveying exactly how its new app works using simple sentences that match up with what’s being shown on screen. 

  1. Be conversational 

It’s important to remember that you’re writing a video for people to watch and listen to, rather than a formal document. Consequently, you need to use conversational language, and steer clear of bland, clichéd marketing phrases like “one of a kind” or“results-focused”. By engaging with your audience with words they can understand and relate to, they’ll be much less likely to see you as a soulless corporation. This can bolster your chances of conversion, considering consumers are twice as likely to buy from brands they consider human-like.

An example of this in practice is this product video by Zendesk, which opens with the narrator introducing himself at the start with a friendly “Hi,” immediately creating a connection with the viewer. Similarly, DollarShaveClub’s renowned “Our Blades Are F***ing Great” product video from 2012 took this even further. By using coarse language, and terms like “handsome-ass”, to relate to its audience, it hammered home its position as a uniquely personal brand. And although you might not want to go this far with your own content, DollarShaveClub shows how treating your audience like adults can pay dividends.

I am the founder of Startup Today. I am the main writer and have put in many hours of work into creating this blog. If you want to find out more about me then lets get in contact.

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