Product Demo Videos: 3 Inspiring Examples and Expert Tips

Product demo videos are the next best thing to potential customers having your product in their hands and testing it out.

They show how your product works, demonstrate its real-life application, and expose the benefits viewers will enjoy when using it.

Now, every product demo needs three key elements:

• Engaging storyline.
• Easy-to-understand video content.
• High-quality visuals.

Unsure of how to use any of the three elements?

Don’t worry. You’re in just the right place!

Below, we’ll show you how to create high-quality product demo videos, even if you don’t have in-house experts with Hollywood-esque storytelling and videography abilities.

Fasten your seatbelts….and let’s get this show on the road!

What Is a Product Demo Video?

A product demo or explainer video is a video showing the real-life application of your product. You can use it to educate viewers about your product and walk them through its key features.

Product demo videos are subdivided into four types:

1. Talking head videos: featuring a person filmed from the waist up talking about the product. These videos also have graphics and text that support the voice-over.
2. Live-action videos: showing a person using the product.
3. Screencasts: involves recording your screen using a screen-recording tool. They're best for software products.
4. Live demo videos: involves explaining how a product works to a live audience, using video conferencing tools like Zoom. 

As you’d imagine, live-action videos are best for physical and tangible products, like makeup kits, health smoothies, and designer bags, to name just a few.

You can place product demo videos on your website and social media handles, or even use them for a campaign, all to promote your brand.

Take this live-action video on TikTok from Olivers Babycare for example…

The video demonstrates the features of the baby pram, proving to viewers that it actually works.

Currently, the video has 14k+ interactions, both from people who admire the product and others asking for the link to buy it. It’s no surprise then, that product demo videos have been growing in popularity. 

In fact, 50% of marketers say they use videos as part of their marketing strategy. Plus, 36% of companies say product videos generate more revenue than other formats.

That’s because product demos can convince prospective customers to buy your product, among other benefits. To show that’s true, 89% of customers say they've bought a product or service after watching a video.

Before exploring other benefits of product demo videos, there’s an important distinction we must make…

Product demo video vs. commercial

What do product demos and commercials have in common?

If you said they feature your product in some shape or form, then you're right. But that’s where the similarity ends.

Commercials are solely used to promote and sell a product. 

They go heavy on entertainment, with little or no explanation as to how the product works.

Think about it: what do you recall the most about commercials?

Catchy tunes, laugh-till-you-turn-red gimmicks, and popular public figures doing crazy stuff, right?

Product demo videos are quite the opposite. They are used to teach the prospect how to use the product.

Also, product demo videos don't scream “buy now” like commercials. It’s more of a subtle “see what this product can do for you and buy it if you want” kinda situation.

So, instead of entertaining jingles and over-the-top choreographed dance steps, product demo videos feature the product front and center, explaining how it works.

Now, you know the difference. Let’s see if product demo videos are worth the hype…

What Are the Benefits of a Product Demo Video?

Providing your target audience with a taste of what your product can do is never a wrong move. Instead, it opens the door to a host of benefits, including:

1. Making it easy to promote new products

It's okay to hire salespeople to promote your new product.

But as a small business, paying out huge amounts in salaries, accommodation, and commissions, might not be something you can afford.

That's where product videos come in.

You can take a video of your product, post it on social media, and promote it using paid video ads or influencer partnerships.

Before you know it, potential customers all across the world will know about your product, and the sales will start pouring in.

This leads to the next point…

2. Increasing sales

Naturally, consumers are very wary of products that promise so much, having had bad experiences in the past.

However, showing the product in action with a demo video showcases your product’s functionality. 

It also proves your product does exactly what you say it does. Plus, it's a subtle way of advertising your product — you're only showing them how it's going to improve their lives.

This builds credibility and trust, which increases sales.

3. Promoting your product

It's easier to share demo videos than screenshots or images.

So, viewers may share your product video with others, if it resonates with them and can address their pain points.

Those people can then share it with others, who will then share it with their friends, who will also share it with their friends…you see the trend right?

This can make your brand go viral, promoting your product all the more.

4. Maximizing customer satisfaction

No matter how perfect your product is, customers won’t get maximum satisfaction if they use it wrongly.

For example, let's say you sell health drinks. A customer won’t achieve the result you promised if they use the wrong ratios.

Fortunately, live-action videos show exactly how the customer is supposed to use the product. This increases customer satisfaction.

How to Create a Product Demonstration Video in 10 Short Steps

From all that we've covered, you’ll see why product demo videos are indeed worth the hype!

Now, let’s walk you through the nitty gritty of creating great product demo videos.

Step #1: Define your goals

Like every other thing in your business, your product demo video should have a goal.

Is it to generate awareness? Build momentum for a product launch? Or do you just want to educate prospects about your product?

Your goal should align with the action you hope viewers will take after watching the video. This will determine the features you highlight, how you structure the video, and the style you use.

For instance, let’s say your goal is to generate sales for a makeup kit.

That means you’ll focus on its unique features for enhancing beauty. The structure would involve a before-and-after demonstration. And the style would be informal since the audience will consist mostly of young people.

Next…

Step #2: Understand your audience

A product demo can only achieve results when it addresses the needs of your target audience.

Knowing your target audience also allows you to use their language and address any objections and problems they might have.

The best way to know your target audience? Research. Lots of it.

Find out their:

• Demographics
• Interests
• Current position in the funnel
• Knowledge of your product and industry
• Challenges

To find this information, use social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook groups, and TikTok. 

Also, go through the websites, socials, and Google profiles of your competitors to discover what they're promising and the common customer complaints they receive.

If you already have customers for the product, find out the common questions they're asking about your product. You can send out surveys too.

Pro tip!‍

To save time, consult the research document you used for other marketing campaigns.

Step #3: Craft a captivating hook

In this digital world, prospective buyers have to deal with a barrage of content. 

They are coming from their emails, social media handles, the billboards they pass on their way to work, magazines they see at a friend’s house; the list goes on.

So, you have to give them a reason to at least click on the video, while the copy, engaging visuals, and unique features do the rest.

That’s where a captivating hook or intro comes in.

It grabs the viewer’s attention and encourages them to click and watch past the first few seconds. 

Your hook could be a problem statement, a benefit teaser, or a unique feature. For product videos without voice-overs, an attention-grabbing thumbnail can serve as the intro.

Remember: any hook you use, should be one that members of your target audience can relate to.

Step #4: Empathize with your audience’s problem or need

The next step of the video creation process is to hone in on the problem your product solves for the potential customer.

This is your opportunity to show you truly understand the customer’s problem and empathize with them using relatable scenarios.

For instance, if you’re selling a quick-dry makeup brush, you could mention something like… 

You’re about to rush out to work. But your makeup brush is still wet…

Anyone who has had to wait for their makeup brushes to dry while running late for work can relate to this scenario.

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Step #5: Highlight key features

You’ve shown you understand and empathize with the problem potential customers are facing.

The next thing is to highlight the key features of your product that solve your potential customers' problems.

Important note, however:

No need to go too deep into each feature or step. The viewer may end up leaving your product demonstration with more questions than answers and postpone their buying decision.

So, focus more on the unique features that set you apart from competitors and the use cases relevant to your target audience's needs. 

Detailed explanations of your product features can come in tutorial videos. Or better still, you can place a link to the full tutorial beneath your product video or request that customers contact you directly as Olivers Babycare does in this video…

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Step #6: Highlight user interaction

Next, demonstrate how users interact with the product.

Show someone using the product in a real-life scenario, so viewers see confirmation that the product works and envision themselves using it

To capture the video, a phone, digital camera, or the webcam of your PC will suffice. The important thing is to ensure the visuals are clear.

Also, you can record the video together with the voice-over. Or if you wish, record the video and voice-over separately before merging them using video editing apps (we’ll reveal some tools you can use to do this later).

Step #7: Include a call-to-action (CTA)

Remember the goal you picked in Step #1?

Use it to create a persuasive CTA that leads to the next action you want users to take, like ordering the product to enjoy a limited-time discount. Or sharing the video.

Whatever the case, the CTA you pick should be clear and concise.

Also, mention the action you want users to take — the CTA — in the voice-over. Add it as a button or clickable text too. This reinforces the action you want viewers to take, increasing the chances of conversion.

Step #8: Use on-screen text and graphics

Supporting your visuals with descriptive text and graphics is vital, since most people will watch your video muted — especially on social media.

However, keep it simple. The text and graphics should support your visuals — as Robin supports Batman.

Avoid lengthy blocks of text that cover key aspects of the visual and over-the-top graphics that distract viewers from your message.

Also, use simple words, short sentences, and a conversational tone. Plus, use text formats like boldface and italics to emphasize important information.

For your graphics, only use images and icons that are razor-sharp and clear. Blurred graphics can damage your brand reputation and raise doubts about your product's quality.

What's more, you can choose to bring your graphics to life with animations. This will make the video more engaging and memorable.

For example, SalonCentric uses text and graphics in the demo video below, without overwhelming the viewer…

‍Pro tip!

Use the same style — like the same color scheme — for all graphics, so your videos look polished and professional.

Step #9: Include music or sound effects

Using music and sound effects helps clarify specific details and stirs up certain emotions. But, at the same time, picking the wrong audio or sound effects can distract viewers from your video.

How can I pick the right music or sound effects then?

• Match your music to the nature of your product. For example, high-tempo music may be the best fit for health or fitness products.
• Pick music that matches the emotion you wish to evoke. That can mean upbeat music for evoking excitement, and slow-tempo music to elicit calm.
• Complement specific actions in your video with sound effects. For example, you could use a whooshing sound for transitions or when you're opening a package.

The right music or sound effects can boost engagement and make your product demo video memorable.

Step #10: Test and iterate

Here's one thing you must know:

It may be difficult to measure the quality of your product demo video yourself. Besides, you’re too close to it.

Yes, your teammates may be able to do a better job. But the best option will be to show your product demo video to the people supposed to watch it — select members of your target audience — before publishing.

How do you find these select members?

Ask some of your current customers if they're open to checking out the video.

Then, divide those who signified interest into two groups and send them different versions of the same video. 

Based on their feedback and metrics like views and conversions, make some improvements. For example, you could add some extra footage or redo portions of the voice-over.

This way, you're more assured of a positive response to your product demo when you launch it.

Pro tip!

You can add testimonials and reviews from satisfied customers to product videos. This unlocks social proof, helping to convince customers to buy your product.

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Recommended Tools & Platforms for Creating Product Demo Videos

Filming. Scripting. Editing. Publishing.

The major stages in creating a product demo video. Each one requiring one tool or another.

Here are some examples of such tools, in no particular order.

• Loom: online screen-recording software that records your screen and webcam. You can use it to create software demo videos.
• Descript: a tool for filming and editing walk-throughs or product demo videos. You can use it to enhance your audio to studio standards, remove filler words, and record your screen.
• InShot: a mobile application you can use to create, trim, and merge videos. It also lets you add voice-overs and music effects.
• CapCut: an application for creating product demos using templates. You can also add transitions, captions, music effects, and video filters. 

Bonus: Elevate your product demo videos with influencers

You know what can give more oomph to your product demo videos?

Influencers.

Influencers have a huge sway over consumers, who believe their product recommendations.

In fact, 36.4% of respondents to a recent survey by IZEA say social media influencers are most likely to get them to buy a new product. And 56% of respondents aged 30-44 say they bought a product because they saw an influencer using it.

We know that featuring influencers may seem like extra work. Especially since you’re already spending so much time and resources to create the product demo video.

Plus, it means you have to spend extra hours scouring multiple platforms for the right influencer.

Now, that’s where Insense comes in.

Insense is a creator marketplace with a pool of 20k+ vetted influencers for you to pick from.

The platform has several filters you can use to select an influencer who matches your brand identity and campaign goal.

That's not all…

You can also commission different influencers to create modular user generated content (UGC), which can be assembled into UGC product demos.

This allows you to use multiple influencers for one product demo video, which infuses diversity and makes your video more engaging.

You can book a demo to try it out straight away!

3 Common Mistakes to Avoid

Creating a product demo video is a marketing endeavor that’s almost guaranteed to yield results if you avoid the following mistakes:

❌ Background music drowns out the voice-over

Adding music effects to your product demo video can make it more engaging and keep the viewer's attention. But it becomes a problem when it drowns out the voice-over.

So, when editing the video, balance the narrator's volume with the sound effect.

❌ Demo is too long

You can lose the viewer's attention with long product demos, lengthy explanations, and unnecessary details.

Plus, long demos can overwhelm potential customers with too much information. This can cause analysis paralysis — customers feel confused, postpone their purchase, and possibly never return.

To that end, keep your product demo short. Worst case scenario, it shouldn't exceed two minutes (120 seconds).

❌ Focus is on features instead of benefits

Customers don't buy products for their features. They buy them for their benefits — i.e., they solve the customers’ problems.

Because of this, focusing more on the features can cause viewers to lose interest and buy from your competitors instead.

So, dwell more on the features that can help the customer solve their problems.

Better still, create separate demo videos that appeal to different audiences instead of trying to solve several problems all at once.

Inspiring Product Demo Video Examples

Now that we've covered everything about creating product demos let's explore some examples you can model.

Example #1: Give Me Glow Cosmetics

For this demo, a model demonstrates how to use the company's makeup palette to achieve the purple-smokey-eye effect. 

The demo features upbeat music in the background, which matches the vibrant nature of the makeup itself.

Also, the model shows the products she's using, so anyone watching the video can replicate the same result.

Give Me Glow Cosmetics also does something worth noting: 

Instead of the video ending abruptly, the model remains in focus for a few minutes, so viewers can admire the look she achieved with their makeup kit.

Also, the video is performing pretty well (currently has over 500 interactions) because the model is famous for the product feature they are promoting — Halloween-themed makeup effects.

Key takeaways from this example: 

• If you’re partnering with an influencer, pick one who’s best suited to promote the feature you wish to highlight.

Example #2: Mydailyhairph

This product demo video illustrates how to iron one of the brand's hair extensions.

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In just under a minute, the video shows the quality of the hair extension. It also features an attention-catching thumbnail comparing the before and after results of a straightened hair extension.

They know that the thumbnail will attract anyone finding it difficult to flat iron their wigs without causing irreversible damage.

Key takeaways from this example: 

• Use a thumbnail that can capture the attention of scrollers. Preferably, highlight the result the viewer is likely to achieve by watching the video.

Example #3: MiLounge

At just 15 seconds, this product demo from a human dog bed brand takes the golden rule of “show, don’t tell” to heart.

The demo video deals with a major pain point of every dog owner, by walking them through how to wash off spills from human dog beds.

This is a great example of how you can use a product demo video to highlight the unique features of your product to potential customers.

Key takeaways from this example: 

• Use your demo video to demonstrate how your product's unique features help solve customer pain points.

Need Help With Creating Product Demo Videos?

There you have it.

We’ve explored the benefits of product demo videos. Showed you how to create one. Mentioned some common mistakes you can avoid. And looked at some examples to inspire you. 

Now, you can create your own product demo video to generate sales, grow your brand awareness, and promote your product.

How to do all this? Use Insense to find influencers to supercharge your product demo videos.

Why wait? Book a demo with Insense today!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions about product demo videos.

Q1. How much does a product demo video cost?

It all depends on your budget. Some large companies spend thousands of dollars on demo videos that resemble full movies.

But you can create a demo video yourself at next to no cost, using the tools and knowledge we’ve shared with you.

Q2. What are the features of a good product demonstration video?

Every good product demonstration nails three key aspects:

• Great camera shots of the product from all angles.
• High-quality voice-overs and music and sound effects.
• Engaging visuals and storyline.

Q3. What kind of equipment is needed to shoot a product demo video?

You need a camera — a phone, webcam, or digital camera — and video editing tools. 

Q4. How long does it take to shoot a product demo video?

A product video doesn’t take so long to shoot. However, it’s better if you do 2-3 takes and pick the best one.