5 Steps to Creating a Promotional Video

Last updated on June 23rd, 2022 at 04:25 am

When it comes to marketing, promotion is probably one of the most important steps that can either lead to success or ruin the whole campaign. That is why choosing an appropriate reach channel is so important. Nowadays, promotional videos are some of the most effective methods of promoting a product or service.

There are lots of benefits to promotional videos and you can visit website to read more about those. However, this piece will focus on a different aspect of the topic — how to create such video material that will engage potential consumers and lead them to purchase!

Step #1: Have a clear goal and direction

The first thing that you will need to do when creating a promotional video is to make up your mind about what you want to achieve with it. Are you a new company or an established one? Do you want to promote a new product or an older one? These questions are the direction signs that will lead to the right path. Answering these and other questions will provide you with an idea of what should be done as promotional videos have several goals:

• Traffic;
• Education;
• Brand awareness;
• Sales.

After identifying the main goal, you can proceed to focus on the direction of your future promotional video. Usually, these sorts of videos are focusing on things such as introduction to a product/service, information about it, endorsement, and entertainment. So, the first step is pretty simple — identify why you want to make a promotional piece and the direction in which you should move.

Step #2: Create a tone and format

With the first step covered, it is possible to focus on the tone of your future video. When it comes to promotion, uniqueness is the thing that captures the audience. The reason is simple — the market is saturated with generic promotional materials and this is why they aren’t enough to make a real impact on a marketing campaign. That’s why it is imperative to set a proper tone for one’s video.

Depending on the goals, the tone may differ. For example, you can go for a humorous, dramatic, playful, or inspirational mood. It really is up to the goals and target audience. A proper choice of the promotional video format is one of the factors that distinguish a generic piece from a masterpiece.

As for the format — well, the situation is similar as everything depends on the audience and goals. Your video can be:

• Animation;
• Inclusion of real people;
• Live-action;
• B-roll.

You can also combine these and other formats to achieve the effect that you truly desire. At this point, everything depends on your creativity and ability to make something truly unique yet digestible for the target audience. So, it is advisable to take your time and think about what would work perfectly for your particular case — this way, you will be able to come up with a perfect combination of tone and format.

Step #3: Make an outline

Having an idea is good and all but this may not be enough for a really effective promotional video. Any sort of concept should be written down and outlined. This way, it will be possible to create a script for a future video. So, the purpose of an outline is to focus on key points that were identified in the previous steps while merging them together into a one and coherent concept.

Such an approach may seem “basic” but it works pretty well for lots of things. The statement is especially applicable to promotional videos. To begin your outline, start with a general statement, a paragraph, that summarizes what you want the video to look like, considering the previous steps. 

Your outline is basically a generalized combination of the goals, direction, tone, and format. So, at this point, you should be knowledgeable of what the final product is going to look like. An outline also provides you with an opportunity to think of all the details that have to be addressed, which can be determining for the quality of a final product.

Step #4: Script

Now, with all the previous steps covered, it is possible to write the script for your promotional video! Although it is possible to find lots of different templates for scripts, it is important to remember one thing — each and every creator has their personal way of writing their scripts. 

While there’s no universal solution, a typical layout should consist of the numbered scenes that are detailed with time stamps. A script should also include information regarding any kind of audio that is going to be used in every scene. Finally, all the scenes need to have brief descriptions that are as detailed as it is possible.

Step #5: Creation and Cooperation

After all the steps that culminated with a script, it is possible to proceed to the actual production of a promotional video. At this final stage, you will need to cooperate with other individuals to create a final polished product. 

At this point, it is important to work with specialists such as visual artists, actors, designers, and illustrators to bring your vision to life. That is why all the previous points are so important — a clear vision of what has to be done coupled with proper script results in a successful video.

This last step is a culmination of the promotional video creation process and that is why it is imperative to be on the same page with everyone involved. You want a successful video clip so cooperation is the key. Finally, don’t forget to test the product. The best way is to find people and create a “control group” to check your video. This way, you will be able to gather critique and adjust the promotional clip to make it perfect!