How to Take Product Videos that Convert: 9 Steps

In the world of fast-paced and eye-catching content, product videos are one of the few surefire ways to boost conversion. Your job is to create an engaging, dynamic, and clear product video to use on your social media feeds and website!

How to create product videos for your ecommerce brand

1. Choose your product and which type of video you’ll be shooting

Similar to a shot list for still photography, you’ll need to consider the following: 

• Products: Which items will be featured?
• Setting: Where will the video be shot?
• Order: In what sequence should you film the scenes?
• Models and props: Will you include any models or props?
• Publish: On which platforms will the video be published?

Planning these details in advance saves time and results in a more comprehensive video. This stage is crucial for aligning the video’s purpose and target audience with your brand identity. Remember, it’s about more than just aesthetics! 

Put extra consideration into the purpose of the video and who your target audience is: 

• Is this video for people who are unfamiliar with your product? Or is it for loyal customers to see a new product drop? Is it for people who have a problem that your product solves? Is it for a certain lifestyle? Having clear answers to these questions will channel your vision into a cohesive end-result.

• If your video is for demonstration purposes, you’ll need to have a very clear understanding of how you’ll shoot it. Depending on how complicated the assembly or use of your product is, you may want to experiment with different angles, techniques, or voiceovers.

• Some product videos are for the hype. Sometimes all you need for a great product video is a loyal customer base and some clever marketing. Additionally, some product videos are “coming soon” hype. The product isn’t even ready to be purchased for but you’re already generating engagement and interest!

• Lifestyle product videos are another excellent way to get customers engaged without doing the infomercial-type advertising. Lifestyle product videos allow customers to see your product fitting into their lives. It gives you the opportunity to show potential customers your brand identity, values, and culture.

Know your platforms!

Will your product video be a lifestyle video shared on to your Instagram feed? Will it be a demonstration video to use under your hero image on your website? The format you’ll need for a YouTube video vs. a TikTok—for example—would be very different.

Here’s a quick rundown: 

• Shopify: Detailed demonstration videos and customer testimonials on your Shopify site can help customers make informed purchasing decisions and increase conversion rates.
• Amazon: Amazon product videos stand out and offer a more comprehensive understanding of the product. Demonstration videos, unboxing videos, and customer reviews help build trust and boost sales.
• Walmart: Walmart’s online marketplace allows sellers to enhance their listings with videos. Product demonstration videos, unboxings, and customer testimonials help convey the product’s value and quality.
• Instagram: Instagram is ideal for short, visually engaging content. Reels and Stories are particularly effective for lifestyle, behind-the-scenes videos, product demonstrations, and tutorials.
• YouTube: YouTube is the go-to platform for long-form content, making it perfect for detailed product reviews, unboxing videos, and tutorials. Videos that provide value, such as how-to guides and in-depth reviews, perform particularly well. You can also use YouTube Shorts for quick clips. 
• TikTok: TikTok is known for its short, viral videos. Quick, creative clips that leverage trends and challenges tend to perform well, especially those that incorporate humor or showcase the product in an innovative way.
• Facebook: Facebook supports a variety of video types, from short clips to long-form content. Live videos, product launches, and customer testimonials tend to engage audiences effectively on this platform.
• Etsy: Etsy sellers can use product videos to showcase their handmade or vintage items. Short, creative videos that highlight the craftsmanship and unique features of the products tend to perform well.
• eBay: eBay listings with product videos can attract more buyers. Videos demonstrating the product’s condition, functionality, and features help buyers feel more confident in their purchases.
• X (formerly Twitter): X is great for short, impactful videos. Quick product teasers, announcements, and GIF-like clips often capture attention and encourage shares and retweets.
• Pinterest: Pinterest users seek inspiration and ideas. Short, visually appealing videos that demonstrate how a product can be used or integrated into various projects tend to perform well.
• Snapchat: Snapchat is popular for its ephemeral content. Quick, engaging, and often playful videos that align with current trends or behind-the-scenes glimpses can capture the audience’s attention.
• Vimeo: Vimeo is favored for high-quality, artistic content. Brands often use Vimeo to showcase polished promotional videos, documentaries, and creative campaigns with a professional touch.
• LinkedIn: LinkedIn is best for professional and B2B content. Explainer videos, product demos, and industry-related insights can effectively engage a business-focused audience.

Having a clear idea of what platform you’ll be using will help you take the right shots. save time in the editing phase. and result in a higher-quality video. Video is quickly taking off as the preferred medium for social media—even Instagram recently has a push for more Reels rather than still images. Brands will need to produce consistent video content to stay relevant on today’s most visited social media apps!

Make your customers fall in love: The unboxing video pack includes three video clips up to 30 seconds >

2. Get inspired (and challenge your competition!)

It can be difficult to visualize your video idea—and even more difficult to get others to see it the way you see it in your mind. There are a few ways to get inspired and share that inspiration for your vision so your video team can create a product video that meets your expectations.

Form a list of examples videos you find notable

When a product video catches your eye, note which elements make it so alluring to you. Do you stop scrolling when you see bright colors? A cool background? What makes you stick around to watch the end of the video? Better yet, what makes you finish the video and then click through to the website? Take note of these things to use for your own product video.

Get creative with theme and cinematography

Product videos can take any aesthetic approach you can dream up! Want a bohemian vibe? Go for natural lighting. Soft earth tones call for some lens flares. Want it to look modern and clean? Go with a stark white background and pops of color. 

💡 Pro tip: A mood board made of images, colors, and themes you’re inspired by will help direct your vision for your video through the whole process. Having a visual guide to refer to may save you tons of time in the editing process.

Understand what you dislike

While you don’t need to spend as much time dwelling on what you don’t like as what you do, it may still be useful to understand what elements of product videos you dislike so you and anyone else creating with you can avoid them. Aside from the obvious: bad quality, confusing, boring. You may want to hone in on things like no models with painted nails, no harsh shadows, no clutter, etc.

3. Sketch out your video plan

Depending on how many creative collaborators you have on your video project, you may want your video plan to be very well-planned. You can try anything from a list of shots to a storyboard with scene-by-scene sketches. This all depends on you and your vision! Take your time in this phase and look it over with any collaborators to iron out kinks and questions before the shoot starts.

4. Get the right equipment

Now it’s time to have everything set up! Whether you’re shooting outdoors at a certain time to catch the right light or you’re shooting indoors with studio lighting and backgrounds, you’ll need to give yourself time to get your equipment in order before you begin. Being thorough before your shoot will save you time and stress when the action starts. Your equipment may include turntables, continuous lighting, and tripods, or it may just be you with your camera! Whatever it is, be sure your equipment is ready for action!

Here are our product video equipment recommendations:

• A DSLR or mirrorless camera with video capabilities and lots of storage space is your best bet for accessible high-quality video.
• A sturdy tripod for stabilizing your shots is a must! No one wants to get a headache trying to follow a shaky video.
• Continuous lighting (different from lighting used for still images) may be needed for an indoor shoot. This will prevent the final result from having a flickering effect.
• A solid and smooth backdrop to elevate your shoot from amateur to professional. You can easily find nice and affordable backdrops online!

5. Organize props

Now that you’ve planned and set up your equipment, it’s time to organize your props. Styling with props can enhance your product video by adding context and highlighting features. Choose props that complement your product and align with the video’s theme. 

Before filming, set up your props and take test shots to see how they look on camera, ensuring they enhance the product without distracting from it. Use tape to mark the positions of your props if your video involves movement or multiple scenes, ensuring consistency across shots. Inspect props for any imperfections and remove stickers or tags that might distract viewers. 

Have duplicates of key props in case of multiple takes or accidents. Arrange your props efficiently to streamline the shoot, keeping similar items together and within easy reach to minimize downtime and keep the process smooth. By organizing your props effectively, you enhance the visual quality of your product video and ensure a smoother filming process.

Not interested in working with physical props? You might look into AI props. 

6. Prep products 

Prepare the products you plan to feature in the shoot. Make sure there are no imperfections or smudges you don’t want to appear in your video. Use a microfiber cloth or gloves to handle the product once it’s been prepped to make sure you don’t have to continue cleaning fingerprints or marks. Be sure to account for any multiples you’ll need. 

7. Record your product video

With your set, lighting, and props in place, you’re ready for lights, camera, action! 

Keep the product as the focal point, and make sure the camera angles highlight its best features. If you're using models, give clear directions on their actions and interactions with the product. Ensure your lighting is consistent, and avoid harsh shadows that can obscure details. 

Capture multiple takes from different angles to provide variety during editing. Pay attention to sound quality if your video includes dialogue or a voiceover. Keep the background noise to a minimum, and consider using a microphone for clearer audio. Keep each take concise and focused, ensuring the product remains the star. 

Review your footage regularly to make adjustments as needed. Aim for a natural and engaging presentation that aligns with your brand’s voice and the video’s purpose.

8. Edit and format for all platforms

Now it’s time to edit and optimize your video for social media and any other platform you want to post it on. Many platforms will format the video for you but you may want to consider making specific files and videos for different platforms to preserve the best quality. 

For example, you can upload a very high-quality video directly to YouTube, but Instagram and TikTok may lower your video quality in the upload process. For uploading to ecommerce sites like Shopify, there may be size limits! Saving files specifically for those platforms in the right orientation and size can save you confusion later.

Check out some of our favorite video editing software to help you make the final touches at this step of the process of creating product and marketing videos: 

• The Adobe Suite is the go-to in the photo and video editing world. With paid and free versions of most of its programs, it has a familiar interface and the trust of thousands of professionals. Adobe Premiere Rush is a great option for everyday users and is available as an app. We personally love Adobe Premiere Pro.
• Apple’s iMovie is another classic and user-friendly video editing software that allows you to export into different formats for easy sharing.
• Final Cut is a more expensive option but does offer a step up from iMovie in editing capabilities.

9. Publish and promote your video

We all know you don’t just toss post something and walk away. You’ll want to consider your caption, your approach, what time you post, where you publish it, and how you promote it. Search and social media algorithms can either help or hurt your business. Trending hashtags in your category will encourage more views—and more views translate to higher conversion!

Always consider visibility. If it’s a lifestyle video, maybe it belongs on your website’s front page or main landing page. If it’s a demonstration video, maybe it belongs on the product’s specific page. The placement of your video can make or break the flow of your site.

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Tips and best practices for creating great product videos

Here are a few quick tips from our studio creatives on how to pull off your own DIY video shoot:

• Use natural light if possible. It’s more affordable and typically more natural. If not available, turn on and use as many lights as you can find and adjust accordingly to your preference.
• Consumers forgive bad video more than they’ll forgive bad audio so make sure to create a quiet environment!
• Don’t improvise! You’ll save a lot more time by having an outline at the very least.
• Remember small screens. Many viewers watch videos on their phones, so ensure your video looks good on small screens.
• Repurpose and optimize your videos for other uses. You invested a lot in that content, maximize the ROI! 
• Always include a call to action. Tell viewers what you want them to do and how to do it. 

Use your product photos and videos on every channel. Pricing starts at just $9/asset plus a monthly subscription or a one-time booking fee >

Let soona create the content of your dreams

Creating quality product videos is worth it, but it’s a complex and time-consuming task. If you don’t have the resources to do it in-house, hire a studio of experts to do it for you. Lean on the expertise of the video team at soona to shoot videos that are dynamic and engaging on every channel.

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