Promotional videos can raise awareness for your brand, support product launches, and directly contribute to your return on investment (ROI). Best of all, you don't necessarily need a big budget to produce engaging, high-quality videos that leave an impact on consumers. That said, working with a professional team can significantly expand your creative possibilities and help you earn an even greater ROI, depending on your specific goals.
Learn how to create a promo video for your business by walking through each stage of production.
A clear objective is necessary for the success of your content, whether you're producing an animated short or a modern office tour promotional video. Possible objectives could include increased awareness, audience engagement, leads, sales, or customer retention.
Ensure your promotional video goals are measurable in order to track performance and progress throughout your campaign. Your best metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) include:
Video viewer counts and play rates
Video impressions
Average watch duration and video completion rates
Social media engagement, such as likes, comments, and shares
Subscriber and follower growth
Conversion rates
Click-through rates (CTRs)
Traffic sources
In-app social media analytics
Using multiple KPIs to define your goals gives you a comprehensive framework to offer, letting you consider all variables of your campaign's success (or lack thereof). For example, high video viewer counts indicate that your video is popular; however, if your average watch duration is less than 10 seconds, only a fraction of those viewers actually heard your message.
Research your existing and target audiences to understand their online behavior, shopping habits, and purchasing pain points. Discovering as much as possible about your potential buyers lets you reach them on their level and on their preferred social media platforms with the right video formats. For example, short-form TikTok and Instagram videos appeal to younger audiences, while explainer videos on LinkedIn appeal more to business-to-business (B2B) professionals.
Your overall marketing campaign strategy should inform and define your promotional video objectives. A strong marketing video strategy helps you understand how each individual video contributes to your business's greater marketing goals. It will also push you to maintain a consistent brand identity and message across all marketing content by keeping you aligned with the bigger picture.
Your campaign objectives dictate what kinds of video marketing and promo videos are necessary, while also helping you get the most use out of each piece of content. In many cases, you may be able to make seemingly fresh content using previous resources and repurposed videos.
Every promotional video should have a clear, usually actionable message that leaves a lasting impression on your audience. Keep this message in mind across all aspects of your video production process, including initial brainstorming, storyboarding, and scriptwriting.
Your message should be short, informative, and memorable, which can be a challenging balance to strike. To hone in on your video script, first write down whatever you think your message must include, whether you're highlighting specific advantages and capabilities or directing viewers to a call to action (CTA).
From here, brainstorm strategies to condense your message or make it catchier to boost impact. You may need to rewrite your message several times to find a "sweet spot" that audiences will connect with.
Visual storytelling offers a unique and engaging way to deliver your message. Rather than simply stating information, use narratives to emotionally hook viewers and encourage them to watch your video until the end.
The best types of visual storytelling in promotional video production include:
Your message and any other dialogue in your video ads should be impactful and to the point. Strategies for sharpening your message include:
Minimizing passive voice
Simplifying complex words and ideas
Combining or splitting up statements
Eliminating tangential information
Ending your last sentence with the most critical detail or CTA
Testing different messages with various audiences
Video is an inherently visual medium, which means what you put on the screen is just as important as what you say — if not more important. The right visuals can elevate your message while encouraging viewers to watch your video ads to the end.
Storyboards let you plan and visualize every shot in your video, even if you only spend a couple of minutes sketching. This way, you can change and optimize each shot in advance, such as by condensing repetitive shots or brainstorming set dressing to fill in space. Storyboards also set clear expectations for camera operators and other production departments, letting them plan for every camera angle.
Visual styles can change the tone of your message and brand image. Consider your setting when working with live-action footage and interviews, whether you're outdoors or in a minimalist office.
When handling animation and presentations, think about what colors and details you want on screen. For example, a classic whiteboard animation keeps things simple while keeping viewers' attention on the most important information. Meanwhile, complex and psychedelic animations can immediately hook viewers' attention and prevent them from scrolling past your social media video.
Integrate your brand colors, logo, and iconography into your promotional videos wherever possible, even if you're still discovering what your iconography looks like. For instance, if your most successful video was filmed on a beach, consider ways to incorporate a beach setting into your following videos, too. This can help viewers remember what your previous video was about and encourage them to keep watching.
Visual assets and video templates benefit promotional videos in different ways. Fortunately, you don't just have to choose one. Many of the best promotional videos blend multiple types of content to keep viewers engaged and expand storytelling capabilities.
You don't need a wildly expensive camera to film most promotional videos, especially if you're only posting on social media. Your in-house production team should instead start with the equipment and resources currently available, such as smartphone cameras and well-lit rooms. That said, you should still invest in high-quality microphones, especially when filming outdoors, to maximize sound quality.
If you don't think you can produce your content entirely in-house, consider what resources you're missing or which goals you'll need help meeting. This will help you know how to choose a marketing video production company.
Repurposing old content is one of the best ways to save money on promotional video production. As you develop video content, set aside clips and templates that your editing team may be able to use again later.
For example, footage featuring your products, services, or events can be used as "B-roll" footage in future content, such as for brief cutaways during interviews. Likewise, soundbites and standout quotes from interviews or presentations could support your message in future videos, too.
Copyright and royalty-free stock footage and audio can further boost your production quality without significantly raising your budget. Royalty-free libraries let you use various types of footage, audio, and templates, whether you're looking for soft background music or quick footage to cut to. For example, the Golf Reimagined promotional video uses inspirational music over various clips of golf courses and golfers to establish a clear setting and vibe.
Various artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as ChatGPT and Google Veo, can simplify different stages of production, letting you focus on the details and messages that matter most. That said, featuring obviously AI-generated content in your final video could turn potential consumers away from your brand. So, use AI in your video ads sparingly.
Visuals such as animation and motion graphics can make your videos even more engaging, directing attention exactly where you need it.
Animation can bring blueprints, illustrations, and concepts to life in ways that cameras can't. For example, you could animate charts and graphs to draw attention to success rates. Alternatively, a car commercial could animate the different gears and parts of the engine while it's running, letting car experts visualize every detail.
Animated text and other motion graphics can draw attention to the most important parts of your message, even if the rest of your video uses live action footage. For instance, many social media videos feature animated subtitles that highlight the word being said. Adding a little motion to your logo and other important text can direct viewers' eyes to your words.
AI animation tools can simplify your animation processes by reducing manual labor. Many tools build off of the content and animations you've already developed, letting you easily maintain your brand's style and standards.
Post-production covers editing, distribution, and everything else after the cameras "cut." This stage of production can make or break your video ads, requiring careful attention to detail.
Video editing tools, such as Adobe Premiere, Capcut, Davinci Resolve, and Promo Video Maker, give you optimal control over your video's final look. As you splice your content together, look for areas to condense clips for a better flow or spots that don't quite make sense.
On a technical level, check for audio that isn't clear or visuals that could use a little more color. Professional video editors can help you fix common issues with color correction, audio cleaning, and expert juxtaposition.
Social media platforms and algorithms tend to prioritize different video formats, making it crucial to understand the platforms you're advertising on. For instance, short, vertical videos tend to perform better on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook than longer, landscape-style content.
You should also consider your ideal video durations. Many apps, such as TikTok, restrict how long your videos can be until you reach a particular follower count. Beyond specific limitations, short and long-form videos may simply perform better with different audiences and apps. Consider creating 30 and 60-second versions of the same video, for example, and use A/B testing to determine which videos perform better on different pages.
Consider the best posting strategy for each unique platform. Use social media analytics to gauge when your followers and audiences are the most active. Posting your video at the best possible time can increase how many people see your content and reduce the chance of your post being "buried" by the algorithm.
Some platforms also prioritize videos with detailed captions and subtitles, especially if you use relevant keywords and hashtags. Taking the extra time to strategize your distribution, including how frequently you post, can help your videos stand out in every algorithm and reach the viewers you're targeting.
Of course, your work doesn't end after posting a video. Track each video's performance over time using KPIs, engagement, and other metrics to estimate your ROI and identify the most successful strategies.
To create a promo video, you'll need to combine a measurable strategy, a clear message, engaging visuals, and other creative elements. Fortunately, in today's digital age, video content creation is easier and more accessible than ever, especially with the right help. Start creating and collaborating with professionals to elevate your video marketing campaign.