Have you ever watched the Home Shopping Network or QVC? Combined, these channels reach more than 100 million US homes. The channels broadcast 24/7, driving sales to the products they feature. In addition to offering discounts, the Home Shopping Network excels at demonstrating the appeal of its merchandise. HSN content doesn’t just display products—it shows them in use.
Demonstrations show the real-life applications of a product and help potential customers imagine how it could fit into their lives. This technique isn’t just for TV—ecommerce brands, too, can show off their goods by creating product demo videos.
What is a product demo video?
A product demo video is a video that shows your product in use. Most product demo videos show a real person using the tool or device. Brands with a digital tool, like a language learning app, often create animated videos or use screen recordings to demonstrate their service.
The best videos provide viewers with truly useful information and leave them with a clear understanding of the product’s features and value. You can share your brand’s product demo videos on your website and social media platforms or use them as ads on other websites and TV.
Benefits of product demo videos
Demo videos can provide instruction, prove efficacy, and highlight the product’s appeal. These tools are often part of a brand’s video marketing strategy. Videos can also appear in searches, so a well-optimized video could help your website attract additional traffic and enhance brand recognition.
Thorough product demo videos or product tutorials can also be a useful way to head off potential questions. By demonstrating proper use, you can teach customers the most effective way to set up and work with your product, addressing concerns before they arise.
Shopify, for example, has a product demo video showcasing how to set up your ecommerce store from the very start. Viewers can watch or work alongside the guided tutorial to gain a better understanding of the platform’s offerings.
Product demo video examples
Get inspired by these top-notch examples from merchants before creating your own product demo video.
Bruvi
Consider this example from the coffee machine manufacturer Bruvi. Bruvi’s product demo video illustrates the benefits of its machine by using a voiceover to highlight its unique features.
With this video, the brand has also seized the opportunity to address a potential pain point. The video shows customers that Bruvi’s pods decompose, eliminating any concerns about single-serving coffee pods contributing to waste.
BioLite
BioLite, a mission-driven business creating off-grid energy sources and lighting, combines studio and on-location footage to showcase the AlpenGlow Mini. The video begins with a quick list of product functions and statistics highlighting the AlpenGlow Mini’s advantages. It also showcases the product in outdoor settings—around the yard, at a campsite, hanging from a tree—where the target audience will likely use the product.
BioLite’s video also includes an incentive—it promises that by purchasing one of its products, customers support BioLite’s mission to provide clean power around the world.
Soleil
The hair tool brand Soleil created a video to demonstrate its Vapor Iron tool. In this example, a representative from Soleil delivers a verbal run-through of the product’s main features while showing viewers how to use the product. Seeing this tool in action helps prove that it works.
CALPAK
For a simpler demonstration video, check out this example from luggage and travel accessories company CALPAK. Although it doesn’t discuss product features, this clip proves that you don’t need a big budget or a professionally produced video to create product demo videos that show off your merchandise.
Packing Cubes 5-Piece Set from CALPAK on Vimeo.
How to create a product demo video
- Define your goals
- Choose a video style
- Write a script
- Prepare for the shoot
- Shoot your video
- Edit
- Publish and optimize
It’s time for your product’s close-up. Follow these steps to create your own video:
1. Define your goals
Establish clear goals for your video and create a project brief. Setting goals at the very beginning of this process will allow you to tailor your content to support those goals.
For example, if your goal is to drive conversions, consider including a clear call to action that asks viewers to order now. To build brand authority, you could offer social proof by including real customers in your video.
2. Choose a video style
Product demos can be casual or formal. Choose a style and set that aligns with your brand identity and resonates with your target audience.
A luxury brand may shoot a professional-looking video with an elaborate set, while a software company could prefer a screen recording that clearly shows their product’s features on a computer screen. Instead of shooting live-action footage, you could create an animated product demo video.
3. Write a script
Write a script to ensure that your video covers all the essential points. Video demos typically include a product description that explains its key features. If customers can use your product in multiple ways, you could write a script explaining all of its applications or shoot multiple demo videos. Don’t forget to focus on appeal. The best videos don’t just list features—they paint a clear picture of the product’s benefits.
4. Prepare for the shoot
Careful planning before production will help everything stay organized on the day of the shoot. You may need to hire freelancers, find a studio location, purchase props, and cast models and actors. You may also create a shot list that clearly describes all the footage you want to capture.
5. Shoot your video
Roll the cameras and capture footage of your product in use. You may work with freelance videographers, an in-house creative team, or a social media manager.
Keep in mind that professional quality video content requires more production support, often including specialized lighting and sound setups.
6. Edit
Remember, you want to show your product at its best. Use creative editing to make sure your video showcases your product and brand in the best light. During the editing process, you can also incorporate additional elements to your video, including on-screen text and background music.
7. Publish and optimize
When your video is complete, publish it on your preferred platforms. Product videos can live on your website, social media channels, and video-sharing platforms like YouTube. Optimize your video for success by writing a compelling title and including a video description.
Product demo video FAQ
What is the purpose of a product demo video?
Product demonstration videos show viewers how to use a specific product. In addition to highlighting the function of a product, they can educate consumers and increase web traffic.
How long is a product demo video?
The appropriate video duration depends on the platform. Videos published on YouTube or hosted on a website are often between two and five minutes long, while videos posted on Instagram Reels can only be 90 seconds long, for example.
What’s the difference between a product demo video and an advertisement?
Advertisements are paid media placements designed to sell a product. They may or may not contain information about how to use the product. Product demo videos always demonstrate how to use a product. You can use them as advertisements, too, but their primary function is to show someone how a product works.
