PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

You’ve probably heard the term “promo video” thrown around a lot, usually in the context of an online
commercial surrounding an upcoming event. But what actually is a promo video? Why make one? And
how do you make a good one?

Today we’re going to answer all those questions and plenty more, covering the benefits of creating a
promo video, when you want to use a promo video, and how to best use them in your overall video
marketing strategy.

What Is a Promo Video?

A promotional video or promo video is a video used for the express purpose of promoting a specific
marketing initiative, sale, or event. Promos are often similar in style and tone to a teaser video, where you
grab your audience’s attention and draw them in to learn more. This video for a curbside cook-off event is
an effective example.

Another example: You have an upcoming promotion for 50 percent off your lawn and garden furniture
over Labor Day Weekend – so you create a simple promo video to highlight your offer, including the
details and dates of the sale.

In both instances, you aren’t trying to sell a particular product like you are in a product video, or
promoting your brand, like you would with a brand video. Instead, your goal is to draw the viewer in to
find out more – like a teaser trailer does for a movie!

When Should I Use a Promo Video?

Promo videos are great for attracting new visitors by building awareness online for upcoming events
and promotions. If your viewers are new to your brand, a promo video can introduce them to your
company by piquing their interest with your current promotion.

For those who do know your brand, you can also engage current and recurring visitors by drawing
them back in and giving them another reason to consider doing business with your company.

Here’s a good example – say a potential client or customer is on your site and has been considering your
product or service for awhile now. By sharing a promo video with them for an upcoming promotion, you
can provide additional value and one more reason for them to say yes.

Check out this example, which includes an actual discount code at the end:

Why Should I Use Promo Videos?

The short answer? Because promotions work. Sometimes, all a future customer or prospective client
needs is that extra push to take the leap and try out your product or service. Studies have even shown that
certain promotions, like offering coupons or discounts, can lead to a rise in oxytocin levels, making
people happier and more likely to buy.

You likely already know how well this works with limited-time discounts – creating a promo video for
your events or promotions just helps get the word out in a form that your followers want to see.
Customers actually prefer watching videos from the brands they follow, as it makes information easy to
digest and remember.

Promo videos are a fun and effective way to convey information, especially time-sensitive information
you need your audience to easily grasp and commit to memory. Think about all the advertisements you
see during the lead up to holiday weekends from big brands promoting their own promotions. Or teaser
trailers that perfectly capture the mood of a film and go viral, even with very little information about the
actual plot.

In the same way, you can effectively use these videos to attract new customers and engage current visitors
to come check you out – especially if you’re trying to get attendees for an event.

What Makes a Good Promo Video?

The promo video may seem simple in concept, but there are definitely a few key elements you don’t want
to leave out when you’re creating your own.

 Think like a teaser. The goal of your promo video isn’t to take a deep-dive on your product or
services. It’s a quick, attention-grabbing trailer to highlight a promotion or event, so use fast cuts
in your edit, as well as catchy sound bites or titles.
 Stay focused. If you’re promoting an event, keep your promo video all about the event details.
What will the guests experience there? What vendors will be there? And most importantly, when
is it all going down?
 Don’t overlook graphics. You’re going to want to a visual call to action, whether its a discount
code for a percent off or a time and date for an event or promotional period ending. Use visual
titles to help the viewer focus on what you want them to remember.
 Create multiple versions for social. You’re going to want to use your promo videos a lot—
especially for time-sensitive promotions. Try creating a handful of alternate edits of your promo
videos so your social feeds don’t get too repetitive!
 You can use promos for your business. Don’t feel like you have to have a deal to make a promo
video. You can use a promo video just to tease or highlight an aspect of your business in the same
way you would a timed promotion or event.

How to Make a Promo Video

There are many ways to create a promo video, but they all follow the same basic steps. Here are our basic
guidelines for getting started. First, we’ll give an overview of the tips, and then dive deeper into each one.

Steps to Make a Promo Video

1. Script it out.
2. Storyboard your vision.
3. Produce your video.
4. Assemble your video edit.
5. Promote your promo video.

Step 1: Script it out.

Start with the most basic concept: what are you promoting? Next, come up with a playful concept: what’s
your angle on this promotion? Is it holiday-themed? Are you urgently corresponding about a pain point
your viewer regularly faces? Or if it’s an event, how can you get creative around the theme of the event?

Focus on keywords and key concepts you want to use in your promo video. What are three or four of the
key takeaways you want your audience to remember about this promotion? For example, if you’re doing a
short business promo video, you might want to focus on a few core values you want your audience to
connect with, like in this example:

Keep your script short – promos can be up to a minute or minute and a half, but we don’t advise that.
Thirty seconds and under are the sweet spot, especially if the promotion is pretty straightforward. Event
promos can go longer, but again, we don’t recommend going over a minute if you can help it.

Step 2: Storyboard your vision.

A lot of the time, promo videos will require visual aids like graphics or title cards, so make sure to plan
those out in advance using a storyboard. Even if you’re going to be promoting an upcoming sale and
want to show off your storefront or products in a montage format, you should try and map out what all
you want to feature. The more you plan ahead, the easier it is when you show up to set and film!

In the case of an event promo, you might be using footage from a previous event to promote an upcoming
one. If that’s the case, you can still plan what key elements of your past event you’re looking to feature to
make the assembly easier on your editor!

There are also opportunities to create multiple versions of the same promo video. Try coming up with a
few short variations on the same theme or idea, so you can create multiple promo videos for the same
promotion. But remember to keep them simple so you can shoot them all at the same time!

Step 3: Produce your video!

You’ve scripted and storyboarded your vision, so now it’s time to produce the video! Depending on your
goal, shooting on location in your store, office, or event location is the best way to go.

If your promo video includes an abstract or short narrative concept, you’ll want to secure those locations
in advance. For example, for an abstract promo video, you might want to use a studio space with a totally
white background, so all the emphasis is on your unique and exciting product.

Step 4: Assemble your video edit, and don’t forget graphics!

Once you’ve filmed your video, it’s time to put it together. This is also referred to as the post-production
stage; if you don’t know much about post-production, check out that link for a full breakdown.

One of the most critical elements in a promo video is sharing vital information, like discount codes, dates
and times for events, or deadlines for the end of a sale. Make sure you include that information visually
with graphics and title cards so your audience doesn’t miss out!
Graphics help add and highlight key information, and can be used in all sorts of creative ways. It’s always
best to plan ahead when it comes to graphics, so coordinate them accordingly by baking them into your
storyboard for maximum efficiency.

Check out how we used graphics creatively in this promo we created for one of our own marketing
initiatives!

Step 5: Promote your promo video!

Now that your video is done, it’s time to promote it! The goal of a promo is to get the word out, so try
some of the following techniques to get your promo video seen:

Social: Your social channels are one of your company’s key owned audiences, so definitely push out your
promo video (or videos) on your social media feeds!

Email: Just like you would send multiple emails to promote an event or discount promotion, you’ll want
to email your subscribers (multiple times) with your promo video in newsletters and e-blasts so they
remember to take advantage before it’s too late.

Paid Ads: Put some spend behind your promo video to get it seen on social media, and use retargeting
ads to retarget your followers and subscribers who have opened your promotional email so they’re
reminded of the promotion!

Website: When promoting a time-sensitive promotion, you don’t want to miss any opportunity to engage
potential customers, so post your promo video on your website and company blog, too!

10 tips for successful video marketing:

1. Know your audience.  Just like in sales, mirroring your audience is important in a promotional
video.  Know your desired prospect and match your dress and delivery to this audience.
2. Plan the shoot.  Plan ahead the style of the shoot.  Will it be a series of interviews?  What will be
the location?  What do you want to be the audience’s takeaway?  Plan this out ahead of time and
you will save time and resources during the actual shoot.
3. Script, but don’t over script.  Just like any other marketing tactic, content is king.  Don’t sound
like you are reading your brochure.  Make the video conversational.  Know your target audience
and speak to their needs and interest. Give them valuable content.  Some may disagree, but from
my experience, what has worked best is to outline the points of discussion.  Prepare and practice
what you will say beforehand, then speak to the points without actually reading the script.  You
will come across as more honest and sincere then reading from a teleprompter.  Remember, you
can always use the magic of editing.
4. Production value can make or break a video.  Use a tripod to avoid “shaky camera
syndrome”.  Also, take some test shots to check lighting.  You may want to block the sunlight
coming through the windows to avoid looking washed out or add additional lighting.  You can
make interesting effects with shadows to create an interesting background, especially if you are in
filming front of a blank white wall.   Using a wireless mic will capture the best sound for an
interview type of video.  We recommend using a professional to edit your video for best results.
5. Consider using a musical score.  Often, promotional videos consist of short interview clips or
testimonials.  Keeping your content interesting and informative to the audience is helpful, but you
 will be surprised how adding a musical score to the background of an interview clip can give the
audio more depth and appeal.
6. Be aware of your surroundings.  If shooting the video in your office or conference room, be
sure to “stage the area”.  Clear off the desk of messy papers, staplers, etc., and be conscious of the
overall look of the shot.  Again, review test shots and rearrange as necessary.
7. Keep it short.  Be mindful of the attention span of the online hunter of information.  We
recommend editing to a 2-3 minute length for posting to the Web.  3-5 minutes will work for
more specific uses, such as  information requested by particular clients.
8. Repurpose your videos.  Be creative with using video to market your company.  A video
proposal can make a deeper impact than a standalone document.   You can shoot a general video
and break it down into segments (for example by service sector or industry topic) and embed
sections in presentation files  to use for proposals, a kickoff meeting introduction, blog posts, or
embedding in your Web site.
9. Share!  Most importantly, set up a company YouTube channel to store your videos.  Also, share
your videos via social media.  Another idea is to use QR codes to link your videos to your
business cards or other print collateral.
10. Have fun.  From first-hand experience, being on video can be uncomfortable at first, but keep in
mind that your comfort level and personality will come across on video.  Loosen up, have fun
with it and focus on giving your audience an impression they will remember and share.