Best Practices for All Amazon Video Types
Earlier this month, I published a blog post about the three Amazon video types—sponsored brand video, listing video, and brand store video. If you read the post, then you should now have a clear understanding of how the video types differ from one another and what their specs and requirements are.
But you may also want to know more. For instance, you may be curious as to what the best practices are for all Amazon video types. Because at this stage, you’re aware that if you can showcase your products in the best possible light, you can boost brand awareness and increase engagement and conversions.
With all of the above in mind, I’ve created a set of guidelines for making any type of video on Amazon shine. Read on to learn about what I consider to be the six best practices.
1 - be guided by ‘dynamic and concise’
As was mentioned in the previous blog post on the topic of videos for Amazon, attention spans are short—sometimes no longer than a few seconds, even. What’s more, attracting attention on Amazon can be difficult; it’s a giant marketplace that has become oversaturated across many categories.
An effective way to stand out from the crowd and take full advantage of your opportunity to win over shoppers is to create videos that are eye-catching and to-the-point. This can be done with punchy text and/or captivating visuals that are centered around a) a provocative question that is answered by your key differentiator or b) a problem the consumer is likely to have that your product can solve.
By making your videos dynamic and concise, you’ll be much more likely to reach the level of click-throughs you need to generate sales.
2 - focus on the product
Amazon.com is a point-of-sale environment where shoppers can easily and quickly find the products they are looking for and complete their transactions without leaving the site. Many brands tend to want to share their brand story or information about their founders, but the results of a study we recently conducted show consumers tend to care about the product first and foremost—suggesting brands are better off making the product the hero of their video instead. Brand-centric videos can still be used, but make those secondary to the videos focusing on the product.
Amazon’s research scientists have done their homework, too, and their findings are similar to ours. When it comes to what grabs eyeballs, product matters most. If you do choose to call out the brand or founder, then at the very least you should link back to the product being offered.
3 - key on a single message
At Netrush, we often get questions about whether videos should be animated, include lifestyle images, or feature models in action. All of that is fine. But what’s more important is getting your key message across. Determine what it is that you most want to say about your product—or, better yet, identify the one attribute that shoppers are likely to be most interested in—and then build your video around that North Star.
4 - use text early (but not heavily)
Even though video is a visual-heavy medium, including a headline or key call-out in writing in the opening frame ensures that the shopper receives the most important message you want to convey. Headlines and call-outs are easy for the viewer to digest, and if written well can actually make a powerful and lasting impression. That’s important, because, like I said, many Amazon shoppers only watch video for a few seconds, no matter how slick the presentation is.
5 - INCLUDE captions, almost always
If your video includes a narrator, interview, or any other kind of speaking element—or you know that your video will autoplay without sound—then it also needs captions. If recent research into video consumption behavior is anything to go by, then the majority of Amazon shoppers watch videos on mute anyway, so make sure that they can follow along with or without the volume on.
6 - keep the shopper on-platform
When creating a video for Amazon, you may be inclined to include calls to action (CTAs), links, hashtags, or social media handles. And for good reason: Good brand leaders understand that building brand equity and engagement is essential for long-term success. So, why not try to use video to bring potential customers closer to your brand?
There are two good reasons to steer clear of this tactic. First, any attempt to lead shoppers off-platform is against Amazon policy. (So, unless you want to find out what mounting such a challenge results in, it’s best to play by the world’s largest online retailer’s rules.) And again, Amazon is a point-of-sale environment, which means the customer is there to shop and buy, so you might as well keep them on the straight path to a sale.
conclusion
When making videos about your brand or product for Amazon, it’s important to not only know and understand what the three video types are, but adhere to the best practices for creating any type of video you plan to place on the platform. Following these best practices can boost your brand’s image, increase engagement and conversions, and lead to better customer experiences, to name just a few of the benefits.
Need help creating videos that will engage and inspire shoppers on Amazon? Netrush has its very own studio team, which specializes in the development of premium photo and video content for Amazon. Learn more about our creative services, then contact us to get started.
ABOUT THE AUTHORKathleen Burckhardt leads content strategy for Netrush’s brand partners and manages the editorial and strategic direction of creative on its studio team. She is the company’s in-house expert on content opportunities and limitations on Amazon, and possesses international experience in ecommerce strategy and cross-cultural communication—making the Swiss-American-Canadian a key member of the Netrush family. Connect with Kathleen.