How To Create a Promo Video in 10 Steps

Are you thinking about using video ads to grow your business? Would you like to improve your current video production?

This article will explain how promotional videos can help you engage or influence your audience. You’ll learn a step-by-step video creation process to create high-quality videos that capture your customer’s attention and inspire them to take action.

What is a promo video?

Simply put, a promo video is a marketing video using live-action or animation to promote your goods and services to customers to lead to conversions.

However, this doesn’t mean every promo video needs to be (or should be) a sales pitch. A better approach is using promotional videos to spread awareness or tell stories about your products. These videos will appeal to your audience’s emotions and help them connect with your brand.

When to use promo videos

A promo video may be a good idea for several situations. Many companies use promo videos to market a new product or service.

They can also be helpful when you have an event coming up and are trying to attract attention. You may even use promo videos on social media on an ongoing basis to grow your following and reach a wider audience.

High-quality professional videos will engage with your potential customers no matter the medium. Consider creating a longer online video and then producing smaller short-form content videos for different social media apps, including those that support shorter attention spans (like TikTok or Instagram Reels).

What are the different kinds of promotional videos?

Not all promotional videos are identical. You can utilize different approaches and styles depending on how you want to communicate your message. Here are a few types of videos you might use for product, service, and event promos.

Product

Promotional product videos introduce a product and clearly articulate its benefits. These videos may showcase a product demo to highlight its features or present a problem and show how the product acts as a solution.

Apple often does a great job creating product promo videos to show off its laptops, iPhones, and wearable technology.

Explainers

Explainer videos are a fantastic tool for breaking down complicated processes or building brand awareness. These videos can be live-action or motion graphics.

They are similar to product videos, but many companies find them more helpful during the early part of the sales process because they rely less on prior brand familiarity or seeing a product in action.

Grammarly created an explainer video that introduces new clients to their software and shows how it can improve their writing.

Product reviews and testimonials

Testimonial videos provide social proof of products and services doing what they were created to do.

While explainer videos are beneficial early in the sales process when introducing customers to a new product or service, testimonials are more frequently utilized to overcome obstacles after a customer becomes aware of a product.

They work because buyers trust their peers and will hear what they have to say differently than they hear messages coming directly from the company.

Amazon uses testimonial videos to reflect firsthand experiences from its platform’s sellers.

Branding

Companies may use branding videos to educate consumers about their brand’s mission or values. These videos don’t highlight specific products but seek to create a lasting impression and encourage users to engage more deeply.

Several well-known companies (such as Netflix and Samsung) use branding videos to spread their reach.

How to make a promo video

Creating a compelling promo video requires several steps, but you can quickly become skilled so you can make captivating promo videos each time. Follow these 10 steps to engage your audience and spread the word about your products and services.

1. Identify your target audience

If you try to reach everyone, you won’t attract anyone. Clarifying your target audience requires you to think critically about who your offerings should entice.

Your target audience will share something in common, such as their interests, behaviors, or demographics. You can start with a broad category (such as millennials or parents with young children), but you’ll probably have greater success if you narrow your target market further.

Successful companies define their target audience based on age, gender, job titles, challenges, preferences, and long-term goals. Knowing this information about your target audience will help you create promo videos that speak to their concerns and struggles and provide helpful and relevant solutions.

2. Align on the goal of the promo video

As you think about creating a promo video, consider the outcome you’re hoping to achieve and how you’ll measure your video’s success. What do you want customers to do after they watch your video?

You may want to create SMART goals that clarify what success would look like and what goals you’re working toward as you craft your video. SMART goals are specific and measurable, making it easy for each person to know when the video achieves its goal.

For example, “Grow an online presence” is hard to quantify, but “Increase our Instagram followers by 15% by the end of Q2” is clear, objective, and measurable.

Ensure your entire team has the same expectations before moving forward. Everyone should agree on the video’s objectives and goals.

3. Clarify the message

You only have a few minutes to capture your viewers’ attention and share your message. This means thinking about your message and how to communicate it to your audience is one of your most critical tasks.

To identify your message, start by articulating what you want your customers to feel and do when they engage with your material. You should also decide whether your video is more informational and explanatory or if you want to create video content that is more persuasive or testimonial in nature.

“Building a Story Brand” by Donald Miller is a helpful resource if you want to learn how to clarify your message and promote better customer engagement via promo videos.

4. Create a script draft

Writing a video script is a better approach than simply saying whatever comes to mind when filming. Video ideas will naturally generate when you give them space to flow, which means writing a script will unlock new thoughts and possibilities you may not discover otherwise.

Drafting a script will also help you deliver your message clearly and concisely. Recording your video will be easier, and you won’t have to spend as much time editing afterward.

It’s easy to find example scripts depending on your desired format or direction. You can tailor these scripts to fit your specific needs and preferences or hire a professional script writer to provide support.

5. Storyboard your scenes

After you identify your goals, clarify your message, and create a script, the next step is to create a visual storyboard. This will help you see how your script aligns with specific video scenes and images. At this point, you’ll see your promo video taking shape and coming to life.

Storyboarding is essential for taking an idea for a video and turning it into something more concrete. It requires translating your ideas from words into images. Your storyboard should include enough information so someone who hasn’t read your script can clearly understand what’s happening in each picture.

There are plenty of online promo video templates to help you get started. Some users prefer a basic video template, while others want more complex video templates (e.g., thought bubble storyboards or circular storyboards).

6. Start filming

You’ve worked hard to clarify your message, identify your goals, and create a storyboard. Now it’s time to film your video and watch your project come to life.

Incorporate plenty of lighting, film from the right distance, and don’t forget about the importance of good sound quality. If you have a person talking in the frame, don’t film them from too far away. Your speaker should be large enough in the frame that the viewer can easily focus on them.

Many customers will judge the quality of your video as a reflection of the quality of your product or service. If you don’t feel confident in your ability to film a high-quality video, find a professional on Upwork to help.

7. Edit your video

After you finish filming, you’ll have additional work to do before your video is ready to publish or share. Effective video editing will help you evoke a stronger emotional connection and create more engaging promo videos.

One of the best practices for video editing is to include b-roll footage to make transitions smoother. Another basic principle is to follow the 321 method to avoid potentially losing important video files. Obviously, you’ll want to consider what video editing tools will make your life easier. In addition, if you plan to add a voice-over to your video, this would be the time to do so. You should also consider the use of subtitles for those who watch your video with no audio.

Revisiting the earlier steps of the process is important when editing your promo video. This is your last chance to ensure your video has a clear message that engages your target audience.

8. Test your draft with an audience

Consider testing your video with a small audience before releasing it to the public to see what, if anything, you can do to make it better.

Gather a small group to watch your video and provide feedback. Have them share, from their perspective, what they thought the video’s point was. Create questions that can help determine whether the video accomplished your intended goals.

You may even want to create multiple versions of the same video to see which better accomplishes your goals. The target audience can tell you which video they prefer.

9. Refine your video

Use feedback from Step Eight to do whatever is necessary to improve your video. You can make the required changes through editing, or you may need to refilm a specific scene.

Once you incorporate the first round of feedback, you may bring the updated video back to the original test group to get their feedback on the changes. Now they can look for more specific or nuanced issues, such as strange sound effects or choppy animations. Repeat the process and gather feedback for a final round of edits before publishing.

This step can take some time, but making changes after you render your content and stitch all the individual pieces together is much harder to do.

10. Amplify and promote

Congratulations, your video is ready to publish. Now your job is to expose as much of your target audience as possible to the video in alignment with your video marketing strategy.

Some of the work will happen before publishing the video. You can increase traffic to your channel by engaging with top contributors and recognizing your community through shoutouts and fan merchandise.

Other tricks to get more attention include working with influencers, emailing your database, and writing a special blog post to generate extra traffic to your video.‍

Examples of great promo videos

Want to see a few more examples of effective promo videos? We found two compelling videos for you to review.

Visit Switzerland:

In this video, Roger Federer and Robert DeNiro share their thoughts on why someone would want to visit Switzerland. They describe Switzerland as a beautiful country and a quiet place to rest with no drama.

Their target audience likely includes people wanting to go on a great vacation where they can experience a break from the stressors of everyday life. The actors speak to the specific concerns and desires of their target audience.

iPhone 16 Pro:‍

Apple does a fantastic job creating promo videos, with specific examples differentiated for targeted audiences. In a recent promo video for the new iPhone 16 Pro, the company asks what it looks like to go beyond a traditional smartphone. The video describes the cutting-edge technology used in the iPhone 16 Pro.

Apple’s target audience in this instance includes avid tech users looking toward technology to accomplish more in life; these are users who can afford to pay more for the most capable devices. They speak specifically to this audience rather than everyday consumers as they demonstrate what the new iPhone makes possible.

Best practices when developing a promo video

Before we wrap up, we’ll give you eight additional strategies that will make your promo videos even better:

• Keep it simple. You don’t have time to say everything you may want to say, but you can communicate the highlights and important details.
• Keep it short. You’ll start to lose your audience’s attention after around 60 seconds if your video isn’t compelling. Grab their attention quickly in the intro, and don’t try to hold it for too long.
• Use music. This will help your video remain in people’s memory. It will also add some extra depth and dimension to interviews or monologues.
• Include a teaser. You want the reader to engage with your product or service after watching your video. Consider including a cliffhanger or hook that leaves the viewer wanting more.
• Provide a visual CTA. If you only speak your call to action (CTA) out loud, some viewers will miss it. Include a visual cue (like animated text or a screenshot of your landing page) that lets viewers know what they should do after watching your video.
• Create multiple versions. This will require some additional work, but some level of variety can keep the video clips on your social media platforms from becoming too repetitive or redundant.
• Maintain consistent branding. Your video should align with your brand identity. Don’t get too creative with colors and fonts—stick to what you normally use.
• Hire a professional. You don’t have to do everything on your own. Consider working with a professional videographer or editor from Upwork.

Hire video producers and editors on Upwork

Are you considering hiring additional independent talent or full-time employees to help you create the best promo videos?

Upwork maintains a full network of talented professionals who can help you take your marketing campaigns to the next level. In addition to photographers and videographers, you can also hire project managers, scriptwriters, and animators to help with your video production. Whether you work with a startup or a large company, these experienced video editors will bring your video marketing vision to life.