Everybody knows the #1 search engine is Google. But do you know who’s #2? YouTube. More searches start there than with many of the other search engines combined.

Why’s that? Mostly because YouTube accesses videos….free videos. And people love watching videos…especially free ones. Many savvy marketers are leveraging the popularity of YouTube and other social media into free online advertising. Of course, you need a video first.

Video showcases products beautifully
If you sell a product, you’re perfectly positioned to take advantage of consumers’ appetite for online video: a product demonstration video can show and tell your product’s features and benefits in all their glory.

Here’s a product demonstration video that is about as close to perfect as any I’ve ever seen. This video demonstrates a portable lumber sawmill — a monster machine that saws logs into lumber. Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka8Q6PSDEJQ  Here’s what makes this such a powerful sales video:

-The opening – strong animated logo with sound effects says, “Hey! Look at me!”
-The star of the show — the product, the TimberKing sawmill, is shown early and often in the video.
-The testimonial — mill owner, Jason Parker, has a strong camera presence. His endorsement is extremely credible.
-The demonstration — all the machine’s features are shown with dramatic action while Jason narrates. So the viewer gets a “double dose” of salesmanship — seeing and hearing the sales message.
-The on-screen text — a third helping of the sales message.
-The closing — Jason sums up the key benefits beautifully.

Must do your homework
Of course, a product demonstration video like this just doesn’t fall together all by itself. I spoke with Clint Pollock, President of www.IncreaseSalesWithVideo.com, the video company that produced this video. “The video itself is the end product,” says Pollock. “You’ve got to do your homework well before the camera starts rolling.” Here are the homework questions to ask yourself as you’re planning your product demonstration video.

“What are my product’s unique selling points? What makes it different and better than competitive products? What are its key features? How do those translate into benefits? How can I “show off” my product to its best advantage – what should it be doing? Do I have a spokesman who can tell and sell in my video? Or do I have customers who can give as powerful a presentation as Jason’s in a customer video testimonial?”

With those considerations nailed down, you’ve got a good start on creating your powerful product demonstration video!

Steve Edwards
Copywriter/Direct Marketer
www.EdwardsDirect.net 

Some more references on Succeeding with Video:
How to Increase Sales With Video — Hands-On Tips
Quick Quiz: How to Tell if Your Business is a Video Candidate
How to Get Customer Testimonials