Product Tip – How To Videos

Robert Ardell – Oculu
How-to videos are being used by many companies to inform costumers about their products in a familiar way.
This approach has proven to be an effective way to increase conversions while not seeming aggressive toward the viewers. People don’t like to be told what to buy, they want to make an informed decision for themselves.
Many companies have begun making how-to videos and placing them on their websites. Indeed, a quick search will net you a score of how-to home improvement videos from hardware stores such as Lowes and Home Depot. And while it makes perfect sense for these businesses to create how-to videos, these videos can be beneficial to any company.
How-to videos do more than show your customers how to do things; they also advertise your product.
An example of this (highlighted in the video on this page) is Big Train, one of the country’s leading providers of iced coffee drinks. Big Train creates how-to videos detailing how customers can make their favorite drinks at home, and this has led to increased sales on their website. Using an episodic format for their videos encourages customers to check Big Train’s website regularly, and more hits translate to more conversions. Additionally, how-to videos allow Big Train to engage with their customers from a different angle, rather than constantly pushing for sales. Through this method, Big Train appears friendly and open to their customers. This video was created by our friends at www.thesparkhouse.com for Big Train.
A lot of companies are using how-to videos on their websites to increase conversions in a cheap, non-intrusive way. How-to videos spark an informative discussion on the products rather than pushing the viewer into a sale. A how-to video will inform the viewer about a company’s product and unwittingly sell the product in the process. Another advantage that how-to videos have over other types of videos is they are very easy to produce.
Depending on circumstance and the nature of your how-to video, a production team could likely get away with a single camera and a single actor. Alternatively, the video could star a company employee, saving you money while increasing your conversion rate.
How-to videos are not just for do-it-yourself themed hardware stores; they can actually be a boon to any type of business. They are easy to make, and can substantially increase your conversion rate, so it may make sense to consider them for your business.