Good visual storytelling is the top priority for brands that perform well. It’s no surprise because video content has become the heartbeat of digital engagement.
Videos capture our attention in ways that static images and text simply can’t.
And amidst all the types of video content out there promotional videos stand to be a powerful tool that blends creativity and strategy to captivate and convert audiences.
So in this blog, we hope to break down everything you need to know about the design aspect of creating promotional videos.
But first, let’s get down to brass tacks and understand what promotional videos are and their efficacy.
Promotional videos are short videos designed solely to promote or advertise products, services, brands, businesses, events, or anything within that capacity.
The ultimate goal of these types of videos is to capture the attention of the intended audience, convey specific information, and persuade them to take a desired action. A few desired actions would be making a purchase, signing up for a service, attending an event, or something along those lines.
With today’s digitally abundant landscape, there are many places where you can feature promotional videos such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and even on your website.
And because the number of social media users is at an all-time high with more than half the world population active on these platforms, there is an assuredness that your promotional videos will reach the intended audience. They are also a useful tool during product launches.
So, leveraging promotional videos has become a crucial strategy for businesses and organizations to use.
Here are more benefits of using promotional videos:
But you can upload promotional video after promotional video and not get any results. How, you ask? The top reason could be poorly designed and irrelevant videos that don’t resonate with your audience.
So in this next section, we will discuss some juicy design tips you need to know when creating promotional videos
A lot of things go into creating promotional videos that are good. Having a good script, quality voiceovers, and video footage is important, but how you put everything together makes the biggest difference when creating promotional videos.
But, following these tips can help you combat the problem of creating promotional videos that leave audiences uninspired and passive.
Let’s get started with the first tip!
Your brand may have a vibrant color palette. But that doesn’t mean you use all of the colors when creating promotional videos. That’s why you have primary and secondary brand colors. Out of these various colors in your pallet, stick to a few complementary colors to create a cohesive and professional look. A focused palette avoids visual clutter, making your video feel polished and still on-brand.
Not limiting your color choices can overwhelm viewers, create confusion, and dilute your brand message.
A good example is when Rare Beauty did a funny promotional video of their iconic blush range. Regardless of the tone of the video, which was a satirical one, the color usage was quite minimal, and restrained, and it helped maintain a professional and on-brand look.
When creating promotional videos it’s very important to use realistic effects. Effects are a huge part of how captivating your promotional video will look. And our advice is to incorporate subtle, high-quality effects that mimic real-world lighting, shadows, or reflections. Using such effects when creating promotional videos will make your video more immersive without overwhelming the viewer.
But it’s equally important to know when to stop and practice restraint. Overusing effects or relying on unnatural visuals can distract the audience, making your video look unprofessional or amateurish.
Flat, textureless visuals may make your video appear bland or sterile, reducing viewer engagement and interest.
Textures, much like colors are a great way to evoke emotions. Different textures communicate different meanings to the human brain. Smooth and soft textures will often give a feeling of comfort, luxury, and sophistication. Rough textures can stimulate a sense of energy, rigidity, and excitement.
Here’s an example of a textured rough background used for a promotional video for the Dior Sauvage perfume:
Furthermore, you can also add depth to your promotional videos by layering textures like grain, paper, or fabric. Ultimately, this can give your video a tactile, engaging feel, making it stand out visually.
Text or copy is an important part of promotional videos. They supplement the effects of the visual message. But what really helps keep things exciting and engaging is the way you use typography. Poor font choices or uncoordinated text animations can make your video difficult to read and understand, weakening the overall communication.
When creating promotional videos it’s advisable to use bold fonts and creative animations for text.
Burger King’s official rebrand introduction promotional video is a great example that showcases what we mean by playing around with typography:
Again, make sure the typography aligns with the tone of the video, enhancing the message without overpowering the visuals.
When creating promotional videos match music and sound effects to your visuals to create a seamless and engaging experience. This helps reinforce key moments in your video and keeps viewers hooked.
Unsynced audio can feel jarring, causing viewers to lose focus or interest, while mismatched sounds can break the flow and reduce the emotional impact.
GoPro’s promotional video introducing their HERO11 Black model perfectly exemplifies how good it looks and sounds when you sync the audio track with the graphics and animations:
Pacing is an important part of any type of video production. As the word itself denotes, it simply relates to a video’s pace. But why does pacing matter? Here’s why: Viewers may lose interest if the pacing is too slow. If it’s too fast, it can feel chaotic and overwhelming. Finding the right pace is crucial to keeping the aesthetic of the video intact as well as communicating the message effectively.
A practical piece of advice for creating promotional videos is to vary the speed of cuts and transitions to keep viewers engaged. Slower moments highlight important details, while faster cuts add excitement and energy.
We love the dynamic pacing incorporated into this promotional video created by Apple for the iPhone 15 introduction:
Branding your promotional video is how you keep things cohesive across mediums are other branded material. And yes you should use brand elements like logos, colors, and fonts consistently but it’s important to do so without overwhelming the content.
That must sound strange and contradictory. The truth is that over-branding can come off as too salesy. It doesn’t paint a professional image when there are too many brand elements.
On the other hand, under-branding may make your video forgettable and your audience wouldn’t know which brand it belongs to. So it’s all about finding that balance – something a good video designer can help with.
Videos are not one of those one-size-fits-all things. One video format doesn’t suit all platforms or mediums. That’s why you must tailor your video by adjusting the length, aspect ratio, and content emphasis for different channels.
For instance, a horizontal 16:9 video works well on YouTube or websites, while vertical formats like 9:16 are ideal for Instagram Stories or TikTok.
Posting a single version across all platforms can limit your video’s effectiveness and hinder the promotional aspect of it.
A long-form video might lose attention on fast-scrolling feeds, while a horizontal video could look awkward on mobile-first apps. By creating promotional videos in multiple versions, you ensure your content looks polished and engages viewers no matter where it’s shared.
And with that let’s close up.
Understanding the importance of creating promotional videos that are effective is crucial to appearing as a serious brand. And that’s why we believe the above expert tips for creating promotional videos should be followed by every brand that wants to be taken seriously.
Having a good script and storyboard is indeed important, but finding a good video editor or video designer will make a world of difference. Professional video designers and editors know how to create promotional videos that adhere to the tips we covered above.
So always use experts and never entrust your promotional videos to amateurs. We know where to find expert video designers and editors in the field – and that’s with unlimited design services. There are services dedicated solely to video editing as well as others who do it all including, graphic design, video editing as well as motion graphics.
