Can we let you in on a little secret? Amazon product videos can change your life. literally. sure— that might not be an actual secret. but think about this: are you getting the most from your Amazon product videos?
here’s the catch: making killer Amazon product videos isn’t always easy and it’s not always clear what it takes to get the job done. it can be tough to know where to start. plus – there are Amazon guidelines you’ll need to follow in order to get your product videos uploaded successfully.
there is good news: you’re in luck. we put together this ultimate guide to Amazon product videos so you can spend less time creating video content and more time watching those Amazon sales flourish.
Data supports using videos in your Amazon listings
think product videos are just a waste of your time? think again. studies have shown (time and time again) that incorporating videos into your Amazon product listings is an easy way to help boost sales. some studies suggest that video can boost ecommerce conversion rates by up to 144%. that far outweighs the 84% of people that review a social media account before purchasing!
let’s face it: customers love video content.
that’s because it can help build confidence in your product and create that irresistible hype factor. they can help demonstrate the features and benefits of your products. and they can even help you distinguish yourself from your competitors in comparison videos.
videos also contribute to your storytelling adventure. that story is what will ultimately inspire your customers to commit to the purchase.
video storytelling takes advantage of two of the five senses: sight and sound. and while it can’t *technically* let your customers touch (or smell or taste) your products – you can create compelling videos that come pretty close.
who doesn’t imagine the smell or taste of that gooey slice of pizza when you’re watching that video commercial? exactly! that’s the magic of video 🧙
long story short: it’s not enough to simply have a killer hero image for your Amazon products (although there’s a trick to mastering hero images on their own). you’ve gotta commit to the video content if you want to see your sales soar.
Who can post product videos?
it’s easy to see how adding video content to your Amazon product listings can help boost your ecommerce sales. but here’s the downside – you might not meet Amazon’s criteria for who can post videos. here’s how to know if you’ll have the permissions to post videos within the Amazon ecommerce space.
AMAZON PRODUCT VIDEOS NOT AVAILABLE TO ALL SELLERS
Amazon restricts who can post videos to product listings to two primary categories: marketplace sellers and vendors.
marketplace sellers who own a registered brand (according to Amazon’s Brand Registry) can post video content to their product listings through A+ content. you might otherwise know this as EBC and it can be found via Seller Central.
vendors who sell wholesale to Amazon can also use the A+ content within the Vendor Central interface.
💡 don’t qualify for the last two? there’s one more option: registered brands who aren’t marketplace sellers. you can also use video through the Amazon Storefront.
marketplace sellers with unregistered brands (or no brand at all) are out of luck. Amazon only gives video privileges to its most trustworthy sellers. they consider sellers outside of their registry as more of a business liability in terms of customer service. this means they give trusted brands the most effective selling features (i.e. – video) to help build customer loyalty and maximize sales.
THE PRICING DIFFERENCE
adding videos to your product listings varies in cost according to which seller category you fall into.
it’s free for brand-registered marketplace sellers. you can add product videos to your listings without having to pay any extra fees.
the story’s completely different for vendors. Amazon knows the value of video for your listing. it’ll cost a bit more to incorporate videos on your product pages since that trust factor is missing. around $1500 more. this price only covers one ASIN variation family. we still think it’s worth the investment because of the massive impact that video has on driving ecommerce sales.
Things to consider before creating a product video for Amazon
Knowing where to start can be the biggest challenge you face. there are a few things you should consider before you dive head-first into the world of Amazon product video production.
the first decision you’ll need to make is who will create your video content. there are two options. you can do it in-house OR you can outsource it to a production company.
the good news is that video content is getting cheaper to produce. that means this decision will ultimately come down to whether or not you want to invest the time into creating video. that part remains unchanged: creating great content takes time!
the second thing you’ll need to think about is all the pre-production questions that’ll set your video content up for success. here are a few questions you should ask yourself:
how will you position your brand? remember that brand storytelling is EVERYTHING! it’s what will create repeat and lifelong customers for your ecommerce business
what pain point does your product address? at the root of every sale is a single thought: what’s in it for me? answer this question for your target customers and you’ll nab the sale with ease
how will you present your goods in a way that makes them easily understandable and relatable? one of the main barriers to purchase is when your customers can’t envision their lives with your products. demonstrate your products in a way where they can imagine it as part of their daily lives.
can you use your video to answer commonly asked questions? whether that’s how to use it or what it’s good for – video can help clear up any confusion your customers might have.
do you have product variations? ecommerce product videos are a fast and easy way to highlight multiple variations without making the user click through a long list of photos.
what’s your goal for your product video? are you trying to educate? inspire? persuade? this goal should guide all of your decisions along the way.
you should also consider the setup: visuals. backgrounds. props. music. etc. they all play integral roles in making sure your product video is brand cohesive and visually irresistible. play around with it! your product videos should be anything but bland and boring. the sky’s the limit!
5 Amazon product video types that are most effective
Ready to get started? now all that’s left to do is to decide on what type of product video you’re going for. they all serve different purposes – so it’s important to keep your primary goal in mind.
here are five examples of the most effective types of product videos for your product listing.
1. PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS VIDEOS
product highlight videos are one of the most common forms of Amazon product videos. they’re fairly straightforward and simple – but don’t let that fool you into thinking that your product page doesn’t need them.
the best product highlight videos are clean and focus solely on the product. try it with a crisp background to let your product be the star of the show. need some inspiration? 360 videos are perfect for highlighting all that your product has to offer.
2. PRODUCT COMPARISON VIDEOS
Product comparison videos can be one of the most compelling types of ecommerce videos that you can add to your Amazon product page. there’s nothing quite like a comparison video to really highlight what sets you apart from the crowd.
there are a couple of different ways you can set up your comparison videos. you can compare your product to a competing product. and you can also do a sort of before & after where you compare your customer’s life before they own your product to after they own your product.
just keep in mind that Amazon has some fairly clear-cut guidelines on what you can and can’t say in a comparison video. you’ll need to keep it strictly factual and avoid defamation and derogatory statements.
3. LIFESTYLE PRODUCT VIDEOS
Lifestyle product videos are kind of like a mashup between influence marketing and product video. lifestyle videos create a compelling brand story that sells more than just a product – it sells all those aspirational feels ✨
customers can sometimes struggle to imagine what their life would be like once they buy your product. clever use of props and professional models can create an alternate reality that lets them envision what their life could be like.
4. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE VIDEOS
Customer experience videos are another aspirational type of video. they can help boost brand authenticity and build trust with prospective customers.
a great example of this type of video is product reviews or customer testimonial videos. you can talk about your product until you’re blue in the face and some customers will always be skeptical of just how awesome it is. but once they hear others talking about how it changed their life – they won’t be able to resist!
5. EXPLAINER VIDEOS
Does it seem like customers always seem to be asking the same questions? then an explainer video might be just what your Amazon product page is missing. This is your moment to really showcase the how of your product.
get into those nitty-gritty details. show your customers exactly how your product works and how they can use it. sure – you might send instructions with your product. but why wait to demonstrate its usefulness until after the sale? help your customers push pash any hesitation to purchase by using explainer videos demonstrating your product’s ease of use.
FAQs about Amazon product videos
still a little fuzzy on the details? here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about Amazon product videos.
HOW DO YOU UPLOAD A VIDEO TO AMAZON?
the answer to this largely depends on which seller category you fall into.
brand registered? just head to Seller Central and upload there. Amazon vendors can upload their videos via Vendor Central.
WHAT ARE AMAZON’S TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PRODUCT VIDEOS?
again – Amazon is pretty specific here. there are a few different allowed file formats for uploading:
3GP
AAC
AVI
FLV
MOV
MP4
MPEG-2
you should export your file on the highest quality setting that you have available on your video editing software. you’ll also need to upload a thumbnail image as a cover. JPEG or PNG works. shoot for a 16:9 aspect ratio with a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels. even better if you can get it exported at 1920 x 1080 pixels.
IS THERE A LIMIT TO HOW LONG A PRODUCT VIDEO CAN BE?
There’s no technical limit on how long your video can be. Amazon simply restricts your upload size to 5GB. but that doesn’t mean you need to use it all.
✨ here’s the scoop: short and sweet is better. cater to that brief human attention span and keep your videos brief.
15 – 30 seconds is perfect for keeping attention and getting to the point. remember that you’ve only got a few seconds to capture the attention of your audience. so the first few seconds of your video are the most precious. use them wisely!
This article is a re-post from Soona