7 tips to optimize your product launch videos for maximum ROI
Written by Nicholas Cox | 9th December 2024
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If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is definitely worth more. It can convey complex ideas in a much more compelling way than a picture ever will. Because of this, many marketers and brands turn to this digital channel when launching a new product to create awareness, educate the audience, and drive engagement.
So, the question is, how can you create a video to support your product launch? In the following sections, we answer this question by sharing seven practical tips – and at the end of this article, you will be able to produce a product launch video that boosts your ROI. Let’s begin!
1. Define Clear Objectives and KPIs
As with all marketing campaigns, you need to set goals first. What do you want to achieve with your product launch video? You may want to generate excitement and awareness before launching the product or educate potential customers on the product’s features and benefits. Maybe you want to encourage sign-ups for free trials or collect feedback post-launch.
Regardless of what it is, setting a goal will help you make the right decisions throughout the entire process. For example, it can help you decide between creating an explainer or unboxing video. It can inform script writing and call-to-action (CTA) placement that improves clicks. Plus, setting clear goals allows you to focus on the right metrics when analyzing your video performance.
A practical goal-setting approach is identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your broader business strategies, such as conversion rates, product demo sign-ups, or sales. This is where integrated business planning (IBP) comes in.
But what is integrated business planning? It is a process of aligning a company’s goals with its finance, product development, supply chain, marketing, and other operational functions. Applying this principle to your product launch video showcases how your new product fits into the company’s long-term vision. It also demonstrates the product’s role in achieving overall business objectives.
As a result, it makes your core message coherent and increases the likelihood of stakeholders’ buy-in, thereby maximizing ROI.
2. Know Your Target Audience
Once you’ve decided on your objective for the product video, the next step is understanding your audience. To have any shot at success, your video must resonate with them.
If you want to keep your audience engaged, you shouldn’t create a video with too much technical jargon for everyday consumers. Likewise, an audience of busy professionals requires a concise video that gets straight to the point.
Consult regular sources like customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, web analytics, and social media to gather insights about your target audience. Use this data to identify their needs and challenges. Then, craft a product launch video that addresses these pain points.
3. Focus on Benefits, Not Just Features
It can be tempting to spend the whole video discussing that new innovative feature your team has been developing and forget to highlight what customers really want to know — how the product can solve their problems. So, focus on communicating the tangible benefits and value proposition of your product rather than simply listing its technical specifications.
A good example is this Airtable product launch video above. The video starts with a text that reads, “Go from pitch to publish with Airtable.” Then, the rest of the video shows the viewer what they can do with the tool, such as easily manage content calendars, collaborate with team members in real-time, and streamline their workflow.
Rather than merely listing the features, the video demonstrates how Airtable can help teams collaborate and stay organized.
4. Craft a Captivating Story
A good story can evoke the exact emotion you want from people. Combined with your video marketing strategy, you get an amazing product launch video accompanied by a compelling story. As a result, it builds an emotional connection, makes your story memorable, and increases customer loyalty.
For example, this Dropbox video tells a compelling story that resonates with almost anyone. Although the brands don’t highlight any product features, the story is enough to tell users what it is about — that’s the power of a good story.
5. Invest in High-quality Production
Imagine you’re looking for a new bookkeeping software. Then, you come across two product launch videos. One looks like it was shot on a smartphone with poor lighting and shaky footage. However, the other features crisp visuals, professional voiceover, and polished graphics.
Which brand’s product are you choosing? The answer is the latter. It looks more professional and, therefore, seems credible. Also, a high-quality video with smooth transitions and clear audio captures and retains attention.
Optimize your video lighting, audio, and visuals to create a professional and polished final product. But don’t lose your brand identity in the process.
Like Hootsuite in this video, maintain color schemes, fonts, logos, and other visual identity elements in graphics, animations, and footage.
Additionally, make your video accessible by including closed captions. Transcripts enable diverse viewers to engage with your video content regardless of their hearing abilities or viewing environment.
6. Optimize for Mobile and SEO
A recent survey from Statista shows that 79% of users (aged 18-34) in the United States watch video on their smartphones. This emphasizes the importance of optimizing your product launch videos for mobile users.
To do this, record in a vertical or 9:16 aspect ratio for maximum display sizes. Use large texts and graphics that are easily readable on smaller screens. Consider A/B testing product launch videos of different lengths, and choose the option that works for you.
Add relevant keywords to your video title and tags to improve SEO, create a post-video transcript, and encourage viewers to like, share, and comment.
7. Include a Strong Call-to-Action
Successful product launch videos usually include CTAs that tell viewers the next step. It is the last step to drive conversions and gain maximum ROI. So, overlay relevant links, offer free trials, and provide contact info to streamline the process from video view to sign-up or purchase.
Include clickable on-screen buttons and verbal prompts that guide users to take action. At the end of the video, you can say, “Click the link below to learn more” or “Sign up for a free trial.“ This increases the chances of a conversion.
Final Thoughts
A well-crafted product video can help raise awareness of your product and drive conversion. While creating a video can seem daunting, it isn’t if you follow the tips above.
There are many more techniques to create a successful product launch video, but the ones we’ve shared in this article can get you started. Remember to track your video performance and use the insights to refine your approach for future launches.
Author's bio
Sr. Director, Product Marketing
“Nicholas Cox is an accomplished global product marketing leader with over two decades of experience in audit and accounting, finance, and product marketing. He has held senior roles at OneStream Software, Oracle, and SAP SuccessFactors, driving go-to-market strategies, product innovation, and business development across EMEA and globally. Nick has extensive experience working with customers and partners and regularly writes and speaks on finance topics.”
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