How important are Amazon product videos?

As of 2021 , all Amazon sellers with brand registration in the United States can add product videos to their listings. This could have a huge impact on some Amazon brands.

90% of users say that videos help them make purchasing decisions, and landing pages with videos see an 80% increase in conversion rates. In other words, featuring product videos on your listings is a game-changer that can give your products a competitive edge in a crowded marketplace. With over 60,000 registered brands on Amazon , this is an opportunity that can’t be ignored.

Let’s dive into Amazon product videos and learn how they can make your brand stand out in a sea of ​​products. In this article we’ll learn who can use them, what their benefits are, what are the guidelines and best practices, and finally, we’ll dig deeper into the best strategies for using them.

1. What is the purpose of adding videos to Amazon listings?

Having a product video in your Amazon listing is one of the best ways to optimize. Videos provide an opportunity to build relationships with potential customers. A good video highlights the features and benefits of a product and demonstrates its use. An explainer video goes into more depth than any bullet point to understand what a product does or how it works. A comparison video shows the features of the product relative to its competitors.

For shoppers, videos allow them to take in a lot of information quickly. They tell them how they feel about the product and strike an emotional chord with them. This is information they want, so they are more likely to stay with your description or store and keep watching if the video provides value.

Video is an opportunity for Amazon sellers to focus on product attributes without distractions and show buyers that they are getting what they want. It is the best way to show the product’s value, purpose, brand message, and unique selling proposition.

Most importantly, product videos can help shoppers learn about your brand and products, help them make purchasing decisions, and increase store sales.

According to statistics:

① 96% of consumers find videos helpful when making online purchasing decisions.

② 79% of online shoppers would rather watch a video to get information about a product than read text on a page.

③The right product video can increase conversion rate to over 80%.

Videos can also help reduce negative reviews by making it clear what a product offers and doesn’t offer, so buyers are less likely to purchase a product that’s unlikely to meet their needs.

Let’s take a look at the sales difference of the same product with and without a video.

For example, on the Japanese site I work on, this pair of sneakers is a product that comes with a video.

After we enter its ASIN in the "Keyword Analysis " toolbar of the product selection tool A mzChart , we can check its historical sales and price trends.

Comparing the same pair of shoes without a video showing the product, we can clearly see the difference in sales: the richer the product in the listing, the better the sales will generally be .

Who can use videos in listings ?

Product video is not available for all Amazon sellers. Currently, it is available to two main groups:

Sellers who have registered trademarks or brands on Amazon .

Manufacturers or suppliers with brands, these wholesalers wholesale goods to Amazon

Registered brands can also use videos in Amazon Storefronts .

Note that while videos are available to all brand-registered sellers on Amazon.com, most sellers in Europe have not yet chosen to upload videos. In the UK and elsewhere in Europe, videos are still limited to vendors only.

If you are a marketplace seller who is not brand registered or has no brand at all, you are limited to videos posted by customers in their reviews.

What this tells us about Amazon and product videos is that Amazon is focused on providing the best features for trusted brands and those that deliver the most sales. If you ’re not one of those brands or sellers, your options are very limited.

3. What does it cost to add videos to products?

For brand-registered marketplace sellers, adding product videos to your listing or Amazon Storefront is free.

Unfortunately, vendors have to pay extra to use product videos. It is considered a premium module and costs about $1,500 per detail page , which covers one ASIN variation family.

Product videos posted in customer reviews are free for all brands and sellers, although no attempt should be made to directly control this video.

In terms of video production costs, high-quality product videos are cheaper than ever before. With advances in camera, editing, and lighting technology, video has become very cost-effective.

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How do I add product videos to my Amazon listing?

From here on out, we’ll focus primarily on brands selling through the Amazon Marketplace and publishing product videos through A+ Content in Seller Central .

The process of adding a video to your product listing is pretty simple and straightforward:

①Go to your Seller Central account.

②Click Inventory.

③In the drop-down menu, select Upload and manage videos.

④Click the Upload Video button and select the video file.

⑤Enter a title and the ASIN associated with the video .

⑥Select the thumbnail (preview image) of the video.

⑦Click the Submit button to send the video to Amazon for approval.

The review process can take up to a week, and sometimes longer. Once approved, the status will change to "Live." The video should appear on the product detail page for the relevant ASIN within two days, as long as no more than six images are assigned.

5. What should I consider when making a video ?

Pre-production and planning are key to the success of any kind of video production, whether it’s working with a brand’s latest widget or the latest blockbuster from Marvel Studios.

For Amazon sellers product videos, it is crucial to:

a) Think carefully about how you want to present your brand and products and what product information you want to include.

b ) What is your brand positioning and how will your product be presented? Is it a high-end product or a mass product?

c ) What are the features and benefits of the product and how do they solve the problem for the customer?

d ) How can you present your product in a way that helps customers understand it and want to buy it?

e ) What questions do customers typically ask and how can you answer them in your video?

f ) Are there any differentiated products that need to be made? Do these require separate videos, or can they be lumped together?

g ) You are making a product video to showcase your brand’s products. Therefore, you need to ensure that your branding is consistent throughout the process.

What are the different types of Amazon product videos?

There are four most common types of videos used for Amazon products.

( 1 ) Product Highlights Video

This is clean, simple, and completely focused on the product. It can be as simple as a 360° view of the product on a white background , or it can be a more complex video with close-ups and snapshots of the product in use.

Which type is more appropriate depends on your product. Some items, like clothing or footwear, benefit greatly from simply showing them from all angles. For other products, it’s important to help viewers understand their functionality as well as appearance.

( 2 ) Customer experience video

Such videos are designed to show customers the product in use, which helps potential buyers get to know the product better and understand its features.

This type of video is ideal for products where there is a direct interaction with the product ( i.e., both the product and the experience), such as toys and beauty products. The video will help buyers understand what the product can do for them and how they will feel after using it.

( 3 ) Explanation video

This type of video really focuses on the benefits of the product and how it solves a problem for the customer. A great script that is persuasive, whether spoken out loud or displayed on screen, is key here.

Some products require explainer videos (like the nutritional supplement shown above): the benefits are not clear from their visual appearance alone. A video showing how to use the product and what value it brings to the user is a valuable asset.

( 4 ) Comparison video

This type of video shows the product compared to competitors’ products and what the customer would have gotten if they hadn’t had the product in their life.

You don’t have to talk about your competitor’s products by name, but you can give examples of other products with handles that are difficult to hold or contain loose parts, and explain how your product provides a solution to these common problems.

7. How should I write a script for my video?

If you’ve never prepared a video script before, you might be thinking, “How hard can it be?” The answer is hard, especially for shorter videos.

The ideal length for an Amazon product video is less than a minute, but it can be longer. However, after two minutes, buyers’ patience wears out. The best rule of thumb is: shorter, better .

In the script for a one-minute video, every word and image counts. The product, its benefits, and uses need to be introduced – all while keeping it engaging and in sync with the right imagery. This is a good time to hire a professional script writer or copywriter to refine the message and present it in an engaging visual and narrative way.

Amazon buyers also need to consider voice-over. Will there be on-camera or off-camera narration? Maybe there will be no narration at all, but the story will be told through images, captions, and graphics?

Consider the goals you identified before production and choose the method that will best help you get your ideal message to your ideal customers.

8. What kind of music should I choose for my product video?

Especially in short films, having the right music is crucial to the viewing experience.

If you don't want to distract your audience, the music you choose can complement the rest of your presentation.

Make sure you don't use copyrighted music without permission. There are many websites that specialize in low-cost music for video soundtracks. Look for royalty-free music, but remember that royalty-free doesn't mean completely free, it just means the cost doesn't depend on how many times the music is listened to.

Make sure you get the highest quality download possible so your video editor can use the music flexibly. Bad audio can even ruin the quality of your video.

9. What are Amazon’s technical requirements for product videos ?

As with all content on the platform, Amazon has very specific guidelines regarding the technical aspects of product videos.

Export the file from your video editing software at the highest available quality setting.

Acceptable file formats are 3GP, AAC, AVI, FLV, MOV, MP4, and MPEG-2. Avoid the Apple ProRes file format.

Thumbnail images should be in JPEG or PNG file format, with an aspect ratio of 16:9 and a minimum size of 1280 x 720 pixels (preferably 1920 x 1080).

10. Why did Amazon reject the product video I uploaded?

Your Amazon product videos must be approved according to the terms specified in Amazon's Video Content Policy. Therefore, there may be cases where these terms are violated and your video is not approved.

Here are some requirements:

a) Unsupported or inaccurate claims about the product.

b ) Derogatory remarks about competitors.

c ) Referencing your company as a seller or distributor, or providing any company contact information.

d ) Including prices, promotions, discount claims or time-sensitive information.

e ) Modifying the manufacturer's warranty, or offering your own warranty.

f ) Mentioning customer reviews that contain inaccurate product information, asking for positive reviews, using reviews more than a year old, or editing reviews to change their meaning.

g ) Claiming that a product can lead to weight loss without following a balanced diet and doing exercise.

h ) Including web links or calls to action that direct the viewer away from the page, or away from Amazon in general.

i ) Implying celebrity endorsements or infringing on others' intellectual property.

j ) Being controversial, socially insensitive or politically divisive etc.

As you can see, there are a lot of things that are prohibited from violating the Video Content Policy. If you don't read the policy carefully from beginning to end, it's easy to accidentally do this, especially if you're trying to use humor in your script or use some kind of sensitive product.

Having to reshoot or re-edit a video due to avoidable policy errors can be time-consuming, expensive, and frustrating.

11. Is there any way to add product videos on Amazon without registering a brand ?

If you want to benefit from product videos but don’t have a brand, or your brand isn’t part of the Amazon Brand Registry, then there is only one option:

This option is for buyers to review videos. Sellers can post reviews on your product page and include a product video with it. If your product is very high quality, then you may find that you can submit a review video without submitting anything else.

Please do not submit false reviews. Once malicious reviews and obvious marketing traces are found, your seller account may be permanently closed.

To enjoy the full benefits of product videos, A+ Content, and a degree of brand protection, your best option is to enroll your brand in the Amazon Brand Registry.

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