You have almost certainly seen a product video before. They are everywhere. But the term “product video” covers a lot of ground. The video format you are used to seeing might look completely different from the format another viewer thinks of when they hear the same phrase.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This guide breaks product videos down properly: what they are, where they came from, the main types, and how to make one yourself.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
A product video is a video that explains your product, its features, and its benefits. That is the simplest definition.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The purpose and the style depend on the kind of video and the kind of product. An SUV walkthrough looks nothing like a software walkthrough. The motivation behind both stays the same: tell the prospective buyer what the product can do.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Product videos matter more today than ever. Most people are online, on platforms built around video. The data on product videos and buying behaviour is consistent and strong.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If you are a marketer or a product owner, those numbers should land. But product videos are not new. To understand how they got here, we need to go back several decades.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In 1955, Gibbs SR Toothpaste won a lottery against 23 other participants for the chance to air the first commercial on ITV, the UK’s first commercial broadcaster. Roughly 100,000 households watched. That 70-second clip is the earliest known product video. Here is the video<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n You might be tempted to think a product video is just another name for a TV commercial. Not quite. Early product videos were purely commercial: show the product, show someone using it, explain why someone needs to buy it. That was the entire formula.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The market is more dynamic now, and selling is no longer the only goal. Product videos have a wider role.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Product videos became more important in the 1990s as software went mainstream. Software was great for getting complex tasks done, but learning the tools was hard. Software companies responded by sharing demos, walkthroughs, and onboarding videos<\/a> with their customers.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n The cloud revolution in the early 2000s changed things again. Software shifted to the cloud, and Software as a Service (SaaS) became the dominant model. As users adapted to the shift, sellers realised product videos were the right format to show their target audience how SaaS could help them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Decades on from that first Gibbs SR ad, product videos have become a core piece of how brands sell, support, and educate their customers. TV commercials are still part of the picture, but only one piece of the puzzle.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n It is impossible to cover every type of product video. Here are the 8 most common formats, with examples for each.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Product demo videos are like teasers. They give a quick overview of what the product does and how it can help the user. Sales and support teams love this format. When a prospect shows interest, the team records a demo and embeds it in their reply email. Personalised demos with webcam recording tend to land best.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Here is an example. It opens with a personal introduction, walks through the product, and ends with a CTA to book a meeting.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nProduct videos today<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nTypes of product videos with examples<\/h2><\/div>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
1) Product demo videos<\/strong><\/h3>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n