Even though Elegant themes have been around since 2008, the builder itself was created just a few years prior and was still relatively unknown. They faced dire competition from both established builders like WPBakery and newcomers focused on front-end building like Elementor, which had just been released the previous year.
At the time, their strongest selling point - the extremely flexible front-end building - was regarded with some concerns by the WordPress community, and people outside of it just didn't know anything about Divi.
That all changed with the launch of this video ad on Youtube.
In just a short period of time, the video ad accumulated millions of views. At the time, storytelling for brands was still a novelty, and people from all kinds of digital backgrounds got intrigued by the fascinating (and often promoted) ad. It became one of those ads people make inside jokes with, and within a few months, Divi achieved recognition and reach beyond their wildest dream - all because of this one well-executed video.
Today, you can say that this video is the golden child of media, and you won't find a single marketer who doesn't love and rely on it.
Of course, not all videos are created equal, and not all videos you create will impress the audience into taking action. But some specific types of video are somewhat of a standard within the industry and have proven themselves highly efficient in eCommerce.
Today, we'll take a look at some classic video types and examples that would help us understand why these video archetypes are worthwhile.
How to use Videos to Promote the Product/Brand
1. Product Spotlight Videos
For some bizarre reason, the topic brings up the image of this meme.Potential customers should not doubt the product they are planning to buy. Shooting product spotlight videos is an easy and sure-fire way to showcase a product.
Undoubtedly, it's the best thing next to holding and examining the product in detail. Moreover, these videos are easy to create. A decent video recording device and good video editing are the only two things you need.
Most of the top brands use product spotlight videos to attract the audience. Apple, Samsung, and most other smartphone brands spend huge sums to create high-quality, high-definition, close-up videos of their products. It's widely believed that close-up and spotlight videos create a better connection with the product and help showcase details that otherwise may get lost to the target audience.
A great example of a spotlight video is the promo ad Bring on the Intensity showcasing the All-New Training Mask 3.0:
Product spotlight videos can't get any better than this. The new training mask video showcases the product and conveys its unique features in less than 60 seconds.
Although designed for a niche audience, the product highlights the message nothing should stop the audience from moving forward, no matter how challenging the circumstances are.
2. Product Awareness Videos that Evoke Emotion
The first rule of video marketing is to become a good storyteller. Video content that coveys a story filled with emotions has a greater pull over the audience.Adding emotions is a powerful method of creating brand awareness. Not too long ago, a study revealed that young women prefer empowering video ads. While many companies, including Nike and Always have jumped on the bandwagon recently, Pantene was one of the companies to lead the way to this with their 2012 Chrystalis ad:
The Chrysalis video advertisement that features a deaf girl has won awards, accolades, and the admiration of millions of people. Ridiculed by others, she almost gave up a dream of playing the violin.
A deaf street musician encourages her to pursue her dream. To the dismay of the people who bullied her, the deaf girl overcomes challenges and achieves her dream.
Equally compelling are videos that convey a social message or highlight a brand's social responsibility.
For example, suppose you are a sustainable clothing brand. In that case, you could produce a small documentary video on how your eco-friendly practices prevent wastage of fabric, and your use of natural eco-friendly dyes prevents water pollution.
3. Product Video Ads
Although we're in the third decade of the new millennium, the predominant marketing strategy of the 1960s' Advertisement Era' still holds good. The rise of social media hasn't reduced our reliance on video ads to promote products.Video ads that are creative and engaging can cut through the clutter to reach consumers. Regardless of your budget, it's possible to find a video maker who can create video ads that imbibe your brand personality and voice.
eCommerce brands that create persuasive video ads convert and sell products on a much higher rate and are much more successful in creating brand loyalty.
The fact that viewers' attention spans are thinning is a crucial point to consider while creating eCommerce video ads. Keep them short and make an impact within the first few seconds of the video.
Use the few minutes you have to introduce the product and demonstrate its benefits. The Dollar Shave Club, a subscription-based service, does this remarkably well in their humorous and edgy video ad "Our Blades Are F***ing Great":
The video advertisement starring the CEO and founder of the Dollar Shave Club never gets old. It's still fresh, engaging, and impactful even after so many years.
The makers of the ad are spot on with the script. The short video explains the brand and how the product would help the customer. But, simultaneously, the ad makes a personal connection with the audience.
Using Videos to Generate Leads
4. Product Demonstration Videos
More than once, I have been deceived by the physical characteristics of a product. The features and functioning didn't live up to the glib of the product.While I'm partly to blame for not performing in-depth research on a product, I hold the brand equally responsible for misleading me.
In eCommerce, the brand must showcase how a specific product functions, its particular features, and what it can and cannot do.
Product demonstration videos would come in handy in educating the audience about your product. The viewers are more likely to convert to leads and paying customers if they see how the product can improve their lives.
Infomercials promoting handyman tools and kitchen products are popular because they don't just tell but show the products in action.
That's precisely the case with the DuoLingo app video - a simple yet effective way of demonstrating a product. The video shows how you can use this simple app to learn a new language.
The animation video demonstrates the app's main features and how to use them. The video does a great job of explaining the app and keeping the audience engaged and interested.
The video also stresses that learning a new language with this simple app is easy. And, seeing the video, most of the audience would agree with the message.
5. Brand Lifestyle Videos
For a second, forget about the sales funnel marketers design for their campaigns. In their minds, most people go through various stages before buying a product. One of the most critical phases is the product in action.eECommerce marketers can convince the target audience about the usefulness of a product by showing people using the product.
A short clip showing people employing the product in their daily lives will give the prospective buyer an idea of the product's role in their life. It also typically creates a strong emotional connection, helping the audience relate to the brand per se.
Nespresso, a coffee machine that Nestle produces, released a beautiful, compelling, and convincing demo video. With this machine, the customer need not stand in a queue to buy an overpriced coffee.
https://youtu.be/Vvp0GXXT9XY
The video tells a story of how to create the best coffee in town at your home. In a nutshell, everything about the Nespresso video appeals to the audience.
If you're looking for other examples of lifestyle videos, you can see those across all industries.
For example, during the lockdown, restaurant video marketing saw a sudden boom, with many restaurants uploading content on how to cook sumptuous meals with minimal ingredients.
In another example, if the eCommerce marketer promotes a glucose monitor, a video on how adults can use the machine to keep their glucose level in check at home would be most helpful to the target audience.
Similarly, online businesses selling hiking boots can show people using the product to safely hike a mountain without much effort.
6. Product How-to Videos
Of course, you know how to use a blender or a drill machine. Some products, however, need a 'how-to' video to warm the audience up. How-to videos demonstrate the product's value to the customer.How-to videos can also help eCommerce brands highlight certain special features that make their product unique. Certain special product features need video marketing to reach and attract customers' attention.
How-to videos need not be too long. Nor do they need to be complex or have high-end production quality.
You need to focus on the message and keep the video simple so the customers clearly understand how a product or a feature works.
The BioLite Portable Grill has done this by creating a simple, how-to instructional video. The short video has three parts.
The first shows how to set up the portable grill machine. The second part demonstrates how to properly use the device and some of its features.
Finally, the third part is the most important. It shows how to safely de-construct the machine, store it, and later clean the components. The audience gathers all this information in less than 160 seconds.
7. Influencer Promo Videos
The same message coming from two different sources, one from an influencer and the other from a stranger, has a different effect on us. We sit and take notice if something is said by a person we like, respect, or trust.ECom brands often collaborate with influencers to convey the marketing message. Influencer marketing is quick and effective because there is a strong bond of credibility and trust between the influencer and followers.
The success of the eCommerce campaign depends on how you choose influencers to partner with. Influencer marketing will work only if your target audience is part of the influencer's follower base. If done right, influencer marketing is like having the digital signature of a celebrity on your product.
Sierra Designs – the makers of backcountry camping gear – partnered with Andrew Skurka to promote their new product, the High Route Tent 1FL:
A famous adventurer, backpacker, and author, Andrew Skurka, was featured in Backpacker Magazine and National Geographic.
In the influencer video, Andrew explains the product and its best features. Through the influencer's endorsement, the video helps Sierra Designs reach its target audience – backpackers, travellers, hikers, etc. – through the influencer's endorsement.
Using Videos to Boost Trust
8. Product Testimonial Videos
Before buying a product, every customer goes through a stage where they fight their inner doubts and trust issues to make the buying decision. Brands can help overcome objections by using testimonial videos.Potential customers are more likely to listen and trust product information coming from peers: other customers who already had experience with the product.
For product testimonial videos to have an impact on the audience, they should possess a few essential ingredients, such as:
- Keep the video short.
- Focus on authenticity (i.e.) avoid tutoring the customer on what to say.
- Encourage the customers to share their stories (their pain points and how the product worked as a solution).
- Don't use actors. Use real customers who bought the product.
- Use emotional appeal to engage potential customers.
Now, we live two lives: one in the real world and one online. We communicate, buy things, pay online, work, and do many other things. Without the internet, we are lost.
Is our online life safe and secure, though?
Those questions were explored in the video review released by the company Lifelock.
In the video, Jamie A, a LifeLock customer, shares her harrowing experience of losing personal information online. Her emotional journey of losing personal information and social security number strikes a chord with the audience because this could happen to anyone.
She also states how LifeLock helped her reclaim her life. That’s social proof of another level and probably one of the most trust-inspiring types of videos you could use.
9. Product FAQ Videos
The FAQ section in an eCommercee-commerce website is a crucial communication tool. FAQ serves potential customers by dispensing essential information about the products, shopping, delivery, privacy policy, etc. The section also helps retain customers by clarifying their doubts about using the product, etc.Video FAQs have become essential to eCommercee-commerce because people nowadays see more and read less.
Furthermore, video FAQs are more engaging, and the information is retained and recalled better than the text content.
Customers also say that video FAQs feel more personal and helpful. Marketers can also use FAQ videos as a conversion tool by adding a call to action to the content.
As a project management software company, it's vital for Active Collab to have an easy-to-understand FAQ section that explains its various features to the customers.
Instead of using a text-based FAQ section, they created a video knowledgebase that's informative, engaging, and entertaining. This short video shows customers how the online payment feature works.
https://wistia.com/learn/showcase/explaining-online-payments?wvideo=btajr7zirg
Using Videos to Retain Customers
10. After-Sales Videos
These are customer support videos that a brand provides after a customer has already purchased the product. After-sales videos help in customer onboarding, instructing them on how to use the respective product.Brands understand their duty doesn't end when the sale is done. They must engage the customer after the sale to build a long-term relationship. Brands can send after-sales videos directly to the customer using email marketing software.
You shouldn't disregard the claims of experts that it's less expensive to retain existing customers than to acquire new ones. Furthermore, through after-sales videos, brands can delight the customers and influence them to act as brand ambassadors.
IKEA is a master at creating after-sales installation videos. This global conglomerate that sells ready-to-assemble furniture relies on its extensive library of installation videos to guide customers.
The value of their video is unquestionable, as they convey the message that anyone can design and assemble furniture, even a whole kitchen, with the help of their easy-to-understand and follow videos.
11. Bonus: Product Launch Videos
Every brand aims to get a head start over its competition. One way to grab eyeballs, attract attention, and make a place for their product in the audience's minds is through product launch videos.Most brands know product launch videos work. That's the reason they spend a considerable amount on product launch events, sometimes as much as on product development.
You don't have to spend a lot of money on product launches if your budget doesn't permit extravagant events. Product launch doesn't have to be an in-person event. With the help of live streaming features on social media platforms, brands can live stream to millions of viewers on a shoestring budget.
The launch video of the new AirPods Pro earbuds caught the world by storm. The soundtrack is catchy, the close-up shots are spectacular, and the whole video is gorgeous.
This short and powerful video will trigger curiosity and influence the viewers to learn more about the product.
Final Thoughts
If you have an eCommerce website and don't know what video type to use, start with these 11 ideas.These videos will ensure your eCommerce marketing will take off successfully. Once you learn what works and what doesn't for you and your eCommerce brand, you can branch out and try other video marketing techniques.
For now, these are the only video marketing ideas you need to know.