Using Videos to Attract Customers
By: Kemal Sidar
Tags: Amazon, Retail, Sales, Ecommerce, Marketing

Using Videos to Attract Customers

Photo by Donovan Silva on Unsplash

The need to attract customers is becoming more and more important given the competitive nature of online shopping; there are millions of sellers on different platforms competing for customers.

Research has shown that not only do videos increase buyer’s confidence, but it also provides essential information beyond what they would get from photographs alone.

Therefore, it is very important to ensure that videos include the right content for the appropriate online platform, which requires understanding the requirements of the different platforms as well as having a grasp of product specific marketing and to get that right you might want to contact a sales marketing consultant agency.

There are two common characteristics for most product videos;

1. Videos that answer product question

2. Videos that show the product in action

Most shoppers do not take the time to read the product descriptions, often relying on a picture which cannot show all the details.

A video allows the seller to provide a visual representation of all the essential product details such as scale, material and design — sizes and colours can also be conveyed.

Videos demonstrate the products proper function and can assist potential customers to visualise themselves using the product. For example, if the product is a wearable item, such as apparel, using a model in the video shows actual size and how it moves.

Videos provide an opportunity to combine products so as to encourage multiple item orders for example jewellery paired with a scarf or coasters with coffee cups.

If items need to be installed, then a demo video can be used to show how easy it is to do which can have a big impact on giving customers the confidence to proceed with the purchase.

A demo video assists with products that need styling, such as hair accessories, as it engages the customer and will bring customers back to your site to see multiple ways to style the product.

The different online platforms have slightly different requirements for uploading videos.

Videos on Amazon require further explanation; Amazon Vendor Central used to be the only way that videos could be added.

It is quite a difficult method for including enhanced content as sellers need very high sales levels and customer reviews in order to access vendor central and additional assistance through a company which can provide Amazon sales support can be beneficial.

A relatively new alternative is Amazon Enhanced Brand Content which is available to all private label sellers who are registered; however, this process also has its rules and regulation and a professional can be a beneficial guide to navigating the brand registry and content review process.

Videos are not the exclusive domain of sellers; customers can also increase the impact of their reviews through video.

Amazon will use a generic feedback email request after a product has been purchased but if you send a personalised review request with a link it will make is easier for them to include a video as part of their review.

Ideally this would be a positive review so this is where you would tap into your social media followers and newsletter subscribers and ask them to create video reviews when they buy the product.

These videos will appear as “related video shorts” underneath the product detail section making it attractive for customers looking to find out more about the product

It is important to approach product videos from the position of the shopper. Key questions to address when uploading product videos include; what is it about a video that will attract them and then make them click and buy, what should be included and possibly even more essentially what should be excluded from a video.

Different platforms may even require different types of videos depending on the product for example a hand-made product video on Etsy can differ significantly from a commercially available one on Amazon.

However, the benefits of including enhanced brand content such as video can have a real impact on sales numbers so it is worth finding out what is needed for the specific sites and including something, that at least for a while, will make your shop stand out from the rest.