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For most products, the most effective way to advertise online is a short product video: a main film that shows the product in use and why it's worth having, cut into versions for your website, online shop, social feeds and paid ads. Video shows what photos and text can't (movement, scale, sound, use) and works on every platform where buyers look.
Why does video work so well for products?
Video works because it lets people see a product being used before they buy it. A photo shows one angle at one moment. A video can show the product from every side, in real hands, doing the job it's made for, in a few seconds. For anything with a mechanism, a texture, a process or a result, that's far more persuasive than a description.
Video also carries personality. The setting, music, pace and people in a product film tell viewers who the product is for, which helps the right buyers recognise it as theirs.
And it travels. One shoot can supply a product page, an online shop listing, an email campaign, social posts and paid ads across several platforms.
What should a good product video show?
A good product video answers a buyer's questions in the order they ask them:
- What is it? Show the product clearly, early.
- What does it do for me? Show it solving the problem or creating the result, ideally in a real setting.
- How does it work? A quick demonstration, without listing every feature.
- Why this one? The one or two things that set it apart.
- What do I do next? A clear call to action: buy, find a stockist, book a demo.
Close-ups, real use and honest results do more than effects. If the product is beautifully made, show the detail. If it's easy to use, show someone using it without effort.
Which versions of a product video do you need?
Plan versions before the shoot, because each needs slightly different footage:
| Version | What it's for | Typical shape |
|---|---|---|
| Main product film (30 seconds to 2 minutes) | Product pages, online shops, presentations, YouTube | Landscape |
| Short ad cuts (6, 15 and 30 seconds) | Paid social and video ads | Vertical and square, plus landscape for YouTube |
| Feature or how-to clips | Answering specific questions on product pages and social | Vertical or square |
| Stills | Shop listings, email, print | Any |
Ads need to work with the sound off, so use captions and on-screen text. On LinkedIn, for example, video ads autoplay with the sound muted. Vertical versions should be framed for vertical on the day rather than cropped from landscape later; why aspect ratios are so important explains why.
Live action or animation?
Live action suits most physical products: food and drink, fashion, homeware, equipment, anything people touch. Animation suits software, apps, products with hidden internal workings, and things that don't exist yet. Many product campaigns mix both, for example live action of the product in use with animated graphics to explain a feature. See animation and explainer videos for the animated route.
Where should you run product video ads?
Run them where your buyers already spend time. Instagram, Facebook and TikTok suit most consumer products. LinkedIn suits products bought by businesses. YouTube suits longer demonstrations and searches for reviews and how-tos. Your own website and online shop should always carry the main film, because that's where the buying decision is finally made.
Test more than one version. Ad platforms report clicks and results in detail, so running two or three different openings or messages side by side quickly shows which works best. Creating videos for different social media platforms covers the platform differences, and promo video vs social media ad explains how ads and longer films work together.
How do you plan a product video shoot?
- Decide the one message. What's the single thing you want people to remember?
- List every version and platform you need, so the crew can shoot for all of them.
- Prepare the product. Clean, unmarked samples, more than one if possible, plus anything needed to show it in use.
- Choose people and locations that match your buyers.
- Allow time for detail shots. Close-ups and product moments take longer to light and film than people expect.
For examples of this kind of work, see the Paperblanks product advert and the Output Sports advertising film on our work page.
What does a product video cost?
Most Mango projects land between €3,000 and €8,000 plus VAT, and larger multi-day campaigns go well beyond €10,000. The price depends on shoot days, crew size, locations, editing time, the number of versions and cut-downs, and extras such as motion graphics, animation or drone footage. Concept, script and captions are included in every project.
For an estimate for your product, the instant quote calculator emails you one within minutes, or see our brand films and advertising page.
Written by Mango Media. Published , updated .
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