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As a marketer and video enthusiast, I can confidently say a promotional video is crucial to promoting your brand. In fact, 73% of respondents say video marketing is effective at helping them reach their company’s overall business goals.
But what makes a good promotional video? How much does it cost to make one? How does one even make a promotional video?
Don‘t worry, I’ve got the answers. Let’s go.
Table of Contents
A promotional video promotes a product, business, event, sale, or service. It can be short, low-budget teasers that quickly grab your audience’s attention or highly stylized, long-form videos that tell a story.
This promotional video from Nike is a great example of a long-form promotional video.
The cost of creating a promotional video can vary depending on different factors, such as video length, approach, and whether you outsource production to an agency or creator.
A promotional video can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $6,000 or even more if you opt for a higher or more complex production.
However, I can confidently say that it’s easier now than ever to make compelling, persuasive promotional videos on a tight budget.
For one, the majority of marketers already have smartphones, which is like carrying high-quality camera equipment in your pocket.
Check out this promotional video from Scrub Daddy. It’s short, simple, and can be easily made with a smartphone and minimal production equipment.
A variety of AI tools, like HubSpot’s Clip Creator, can save you time and money when creating the perfect promotional video. Just make sure your video still has that human touch.
AI tools can make content creation easier, but I believe they should be used more as digital assistants rather than as a means of replacing an entire production team.
You don’t want to receive the type of backlash major companies like Coca-Cola have received backlash for overusing generative AI to create promotional content that lacks depth and looks weirdly uncanny.
Like many consumers, I spend an obscene amount of hours scrolling through videos on apps like TikTok and Instagram.
The most persuasive promo videos I’ve come across are compelling enough to stop my scroll dead in its tracks, and they all have at least some of the following in common:
When crafting a persuasive promotional video, think about how you can immediately grab your audience and pull them away from their infinite scrolling. Then, present a problem your target audience often experiences and market your brand as the solution.
Finally, include emotional appeal or humor to create a genuine connection between your audience and your brand, product, or service. One of my favorite recent promo videos comes from Scrub Daddy.
The video immediately raises eyebrows because it includes a viral clip of a sponge-cleaning potato. The problem is more of a question: Is Scrub Daddy strong enough to clean the dirt, grime, and skin from a potato, thus my dishes? The answer: Yes.
It also uses blunt, somewhat crass humor to keep the audience entertained.
Ask yourself, what makes your business unique? What problems does your product solve? Who typically needs your services? Then, create an interesting concept around it.
For example, recruitment software company Loxo recognizes that many recruiters have difficulty tracking candidates. Hence, the company created a fun promo video of recruiters trying to track down Big Foot.
The idea is that if Loxo tools can track down the elusive Big Foot, then they can track down any potential job candidates.
Once you have your concept, prepare a script. What do you want your narrator, presenter, or actors to say? If you need assistance putting together a script, several AI content generators on the market will help you write a compelling story that will grab your audience.
I‘ve used AI content writers like ChatGPT and HubSpot’s free AI Content writer to write blogs and short-form video scripts in minutes.
Now that you have the tools, what makes a good script? Remember, you want to grab your audience’s attention, so start with a punchy, interesting opener.
From there, it‘s a marketer’s choice. Do you want your video to be funny, emotional, action-packed, or something else? Whatever you choose, make sure your script reflects the tone you want.
Finally, end the promo with a clear call to action that tells your audience to take action, such as making a phone call, visiting the website, or signing up for your newsletter.
Film your b-roll, record a voiceover, create your graphics, and combine all your materials to create a one-of-a-kind promotional video that will introduce your brand, product, or service to your audience.
If you want to streamline the process, consider using AI tools like HubSpot’s Clip Creator. This tool uses machine learning and natural language processing to customize a video based on your vision.
Clip Creator is among my favorite AI video-generating tools, and I tested several others if you want to find the best one for you.
Once your video is complete, make any necessary adjustments and post to whatever platform you prefer.
If I had a nickel for every time I mentioned Scrub Daddy in a blog post, I’d have enough to retire, but who can blame me? Scrub Daddy is known for offbeat, funny, relatable promo videos that constantly go viral.
I love the example below because it takes viewers on a funny, casual trip to Target to pick up the latest Scrub Daddy product. The casual humor and POV make me feel like I’m running errands with my favorite silly uncle.
Even better, the video is low-budget and shot with a smartphone, proving you don’t need a huge budget to make an impactful promotional video.
I mentioned this example earlier in the post, so I won’t go into much detail. Essentially, I love this promotional video from Loxo because of its unique concept, clear purpose (promoting Loxo tools), and interesting story.
Okay, I might be slightly biased, but I love this recent HubSpot promo video. Aside from being beautifully shot and edited, it also appeals to emotion via relatability.
As a marketer, I can confirm that our days are busy with all the content we have to make and the channels we have to distribute it to. So, I resonated with the sense of urgency the promo video illustrates.
Also, notice how the promo shows the problem (overwhelmed marketer) and the solution (HubSpot).
Creating your first promotional video can seem daunting, but once you know your budget and concept, you‘ll find it’s not that scary. The key is to just get started.
Now, you have the tools and knowledge to do exactly that. Good luck!
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