Are you making a commercial video for your product? Are you struggling to make your product or service look as great as it is in the flesh? If so, then you need to know how the experts get products looking fresh, appealing and convert video into sales.

Much of this comes from planning and knowing your audience. Below, we give our must know 9 tips for commercial video production.

Set Your Goals

The first fundamental of product commercial video is to know what your goals are. This will assist you in deciding upon the right format, and give you a much clearer path when brainstorming ideas. Essentially, you are looking at the cornerstones that you would aim for in any traditional marketing campaign.

Is the aim of the video to build brand awareness? If so, the video will need to contain information, a narrative, and language that put across the mission of your organization. You will need to let people know what your business and its product are about.

Is it about generating leads or sales? If so, it will be geared towards making customers connect with you. The language will have to be convincing and relationship building.

Is it about retention and education? This is when you are teaching existing customers or those who already know about you, of something new. It will be about changes in how you operate or new products.

Each of these objectives can then be tied to the type of video. These could be more standard advertisements, product reviews, or video tutorials.

Know Your Demographic

Aiming the video at your demographic is vital if you are to have the impact you desire. You need to decide who you are addressing and the best way to do it. This may need some backtracking, through your previous data and market research.

Luckily, most companies should already have this. See what your customer base is, based on gender, age, income, interests, and any other factors that are applicable to your business. Once you have this, think about what kind of elements would appeal to this group in a video.

If you are not sure, then consult the people who know best. These are your customers. Ask them about what they like about your product, why they come back to your brand, emphasizing these elements in your video.

When launching a product, if you are lacking this data then look at your competitors. Check what people are saying about them, what they like best, and work out what it is that customers desire the most. You can then use this to inform the video production.

Tell a Story

Everyone loves to hear and see a story. They form emotional connections, and this is what brings customer loyalty. A video is a great way to tell your this.

This story could be one to do with your product or the history of the company. How many times have you seen a car advertisement that has clips of previous models in it? The reason for this is that it is building a story, as well as showing the enduring quality of the product.

Telling the story does not need to be extensive. It could be a simple quick scene, an object, or quick cutscenes that pick out the best parts. In fact, the last thing you want is a long video about the company's history.

Stay Short

In a world where attention spans are limited and time is in short supply, it pays to keep your video short and sweet. Generally, people are very unlikely to watch more than two minutes of any video. That is why you need to keep it succinct.

Keeping a video short also has the advantage of making your editing better. With a shorter video, you have less room to fill up on big words and grand gestures. This means that your video is more likely to be to the point and contain the most important parts of your message.

Plan and Edit Your Commercial Video Production

In a video commercial production, you must be willing to plan and edit in conjunction with a number of people and departments. This will generally be a cycle between your marketing department and a commercial video production company.

The first task is to write the script. If you are aiming for a video that tells a story, then you will need some sort of conflict and resolution, as all good narratives have.

These do not have to be huge, life-changing dilemmas. They could be as simple as showing the problem, then how your product solves it.

You can then begin to write using the correct language. Once again, this should be aimed at your demographic. Use words and tone that are appropriate to who you are targeting the video at.

Throughout, carry on reinforcing the central theme. Make sure you discuss benefits and show the value it can bring to people who use the product. Once you have done this, then edit the whole thing, sending it to various departments to get their feedback.

Make Sure It Works With the Sound Off

Once you have the product commercial video mapped out, then your final edit should be one that takes a different perspective. Go back through what you have planned and scripted. Now imagine the video without sound.

Does it work? Could you still tell what the product was, and the problem is solved? Would you be able to tell the demographic that the video is aiming at?

If not, then you should go back and rearrange the video. You are likely to be too reliant on dialogue, and not on the visual aspect of telling the story. People may not have the option to hear the audio, especially if you are using the video in public places on in pop-up ads.

Draft a storyboard that shows the cuts and shots in the video. Without any dialogue, would you be able to understand them? If not, think about how you can adapt to show them in the video.

Don't Skimp On Audio

Writing and filming the video is only part of the experience. You also have to consider sound. If it is absent or poor, even the best product commercial video can seem lifeless and lackluster.

Without a decent sound, you could have a video in which the speech is muffled or inaudible. You may be lacking music to add gravitas to the product, or you may be missing out on sonic clues to assist your audience in making connections.

If you are hiring a commercial video production company, make sure they include professional sound recording and editing. You may also need to pay for music to go with the video, so you should factor this in and discuss it with the producer in the planning stages.

Provide the Next Step

Often known as a call to action (CTA), any piece of marketing material should end with an instruction to your audience or reader. This is an instruction, on how to proceed, where to go next, and what to do. Video can also benefit from a strong CTA.

Without one, your audience will watch the video and once it has ended, so does the connection. You can choose to instruct them, telling them to visit websites, pre-order products, or where to find them. Sign off with the action you want them to take.

In a video, it is a good idea to let people know what to do both in the middle and at the end. This spreads the message and is good for people who are simply seeking that next step but may not stay until the end. All of this turns the meaning of your video into something solid, a lead, which eventually may become a conversion.

Be Human

People want human connections. Even if your product is futuristic and technological, the human aspect is what is going to make it sell. This needs to come through in your video.

Do not be afraid of showing the identity of your brand. If you are humorous and fun, then go for it. If you are high end and luxury, then be sure to play on this.

Finally, consider moving away from the product and business and showing the humans that make it move. From staff members to satisfied customer testimonials, putting a person into your video will give it life.

Hire Professionals

If you are still struggling with commercial video production, then hire a professional company. They will have the knowledge and experience to make your product or service shine, as well as the ability to deliver a great looking video or showreel.

If you are looking for a commercial video production company, then Blu Light should be your first stop. Click here and contact us for a special 10% off new customers discount, and let us turn your vision into reality!

Commercial Video Production: 9 Tips to Help Your Product Stand Out