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One easy way to turbo-charge the results of any new product launch is by integrating the use of video. That’s especially true on social media, where the inclusion of video in any post will result in more views and higher engagement than just about any other type of post. With that in mind, here are four easy way to use video during a product launch.
#1: Create a teaser video
Just like major Hollywood studios create trailers to stimulate demand for an upcoming movie, you can also create short “trailer” or “teaser” videos to tell customers about coming attractions. What makes teaser videos so easy to create is that you are literally selling the sizzle, not the steak. In other words, even if your product is not quite ready for prime time, you can still amp up the buzz by giving customers an advance look of what’s coming to product shelves soon.
#2: Run contests featuring user-generated content
Remember when the term “UGC” (user-generated content) was the big buzzword in digital marketing circles? Well, UGC is still very much a thing. And one way to leverage all the brilliant, creative talent in your fan community is by running contests, competitions or other prize opportunities. For example, some brands run contests where they encourage fans to think up new names for products or to design some form of new label or packaging. The best suggestion, of course, wins a prize. The big bonus here is that consumers are doing all the heavy lifting of creating videos, not your in-house marketing team.
#3: Create short videos that highlight key product features or benefits
In many ways, you can think of this as making a brief 15- or 30-second commercial for your product. Instead of running this commercial on TV, however, you will run it on your website and on social media. If you already have a YouTube channel, that’s a natural outlet for this form of video content. The key here is to make the “ad” as fun as possible – and that usually means some sort of emotion or humor. Nobody has the time or inclination to watch a boring infomercial. (For an example of how to do an infomercial correctly, just Google “Will It Blend?”)
#4: Create how-to videos
Here, you will want to anticipate questions that customers might have about how to use a product. That’s especially the case if you are creating an innovative product that has not yet existed. But even if your product has existed forever, there are still plenty of ways to use how-to videos. For example, if you were selling a food product sold in supermarkets, then you’d want to create a cooking how-to video, showing customers how to use your food product as part of new recipes or food-wine pairings.
Final thought
Ultimately, all video content that you create should be fun, informative or entertaining. And, most likely, you’ll want to adjust the length of your video content to fit typical social media attention spans. That’s usually 30 seconds or less. Longer videos will still get views, of course, but it’s smart to include all the really important content upfront. With a little experimentation, you’ll find exactly the right type of video content to promote your brand and drive the right type of business results.
