How to Get Started with Video on Amazon - A Guide for Sellers

High-quality images and targeted product descriptions can make an impact on any listing. But are they enough to bump up your brand to the top of Amazon’s list? If dynamic images aren’t enough to increase consumer interest, it might be time to consider adding video descriptions to your products. 

Across all platforms, video completely enhances the purchasing experience. Adding video to your listing can create engaging experiences for buyers, guaranteeing a higher and more consistent sales conversion rate. Bobsled’s marketing experts Gary Hammerschlag and Ivana Lekovska share advice that both paid and organic campaigns can use to get started with video on Amazon.

Our research-driven advice has secured us a spot on the Inc. 5000 list as well as in Business Insider as a leading Amazon marketing firm for brands large and small. Keep reading to learn about the key benefits and uses of video advertising on Amazon.

Why Use Video on Amazon?

A product video on your listing is a powerful way to increase optimization. Your video will automatically give the Amazon algorithm a boost, helping you rank higher in relevant search results. Not to mention, videos are a great new(er) form of customer engagement, adding to the richness of the individual’s shopping experience. Videos will convert more sales, which lead to better metrics overall. 

Videos provide a good opportunity to build new relationships with potential customers, among other things. They also have the ability to provide buyers with a more intricate and informative description of your product for their better knowledge.

Big Benefits to Buyers & Sellers

According to Web Retailer, videos benefit buyers in several ways:

•     96% of consumers find video helpful when making online purchase decisions.
•     79% of online shoppers would rather see a video to get information about a product than read the product description text.
•     The right product video can increase sales conversions by over 80%.
•     72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service via video (HubSpot).

It’s important to note that video usage can also help to reduce the number of negative reviews on your product and brand pages. By demonstrating everything that the product offers, buyers are more likely to make an informed decision (and less likely to receive an item they weren’t expecting).

Sellers can greatly benefit from the use of video in product descriptions as well:

•     74% of marketers see a better ROI with video compared to static imagery (Biteable).
•     Online videos will make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic by 2022.

Brands are able to use and engage with videos in different ways depending on the type of seller account they have.

Who Can Use Video on Amazon - and Where?

The ability to upload videos to product descriptions is available to all sellers. However, not every seller can use videos in the same way. The following breakdown will explain how and where video can be used depending on what type of seller you are.

What Types of Videos Can Be Used on Amazon?

A good product video is concise, accurate, and descriptive. The most common and popular types of videos posted to Amazon product pages include:

Product Highlight Videos

These videos are self-explanatory and they do a great job helping the buyer understand the main features of your product. Displaying the usability or functionality of your product in its actual surroundings gives customers a good idea of how your product’s features will work.

Explainer Videos

If you are selling a product that requires a couple of instructions to fully understand its use, it could be beneficial to explain everything in a video. Research has shown that product explainer videos are still the go-to video format for consumers looking to understand how a product functions.

360 Videos

This is the type of video that will make a huge difference between high returns or reduced earnings. 360 videos are the only digital features that can show a product in its entirety, in all dimensions, in real-time. The buyer will be able to see exactly what they are buying before it arrives at their doorstep.

How to Post Videos on Amazon: Key Guidelines

Like every professional eCommerce platform, Amazon has a long list of policies and regulations that must be followed in order for a video to get approved. It is required that your video meets all of the technical and official specifications for approval.

Amazon Video Technical Specifications

Guidelines and Policy Specifications

Amazon requires strict adherence to each and every item in order to approve a video for posting on a product description. Some of these policies may seem like a no-brainer, but it is still critical that brands understand the dos and don’ts of posting videos on Amazon:

1. Videos must be entirely in English.
2. Any claims you make (implied or explicit) must be supported by evidence. You may provide your personal opinion, provided it is clearly noted as such. Any claim that could reasonably be interpreted as a factual statement must be accurate and substantiated.
3. Any products used must be yours and you must be the brand owner.
4. No defamatory or derogatory statements about competitor products or brands. Statements about competing products must be factual.
5. Videos must not contain prices, promotion information, discount claims (including words such as “cheap,” “affordable,” “on sale,” etc.), or time-sensitive information. 
6. No health claims, medical claims, or medical advice (see the full section on this topic in Seller Central for more information). 
7. No controversial, political, sensitive, or sexually suggestive content. 
8. You must not direct viewers away from Amazon. 
9. If you mention customer reviews, you must include accurate product information that can be substantiated.

How Do I Add a Product Video to My Amazon Listing?

The process of adding a product video to a listing is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Seller Central account.
2. Click “Inventory”.
3. From the drop-down menu, select “Upload & Manage Videos”.
4. Click the “Upload Video” button and select your video file.
5. Enter a title and the AINs that are related to the video.
6. Select a thumbnail (preview image) for the video.
7. Click the “Submit” button to send the video to Amazon for approval.

Video on Amazon: Best Practices for Sellers

Sellers may see a lot of new success when introducing video descriptions to product listings. Here are a few final pieces of advice to help you get into the habit of employing best practices for video on Amazon:

Keep it Concise

If in the first few seconds of your video you don’t capture the customer’s attention, don’t expect them to stick around for the whole thing. While Amazon doesn’t restrict description videos to a certain length (just a size cap at 5GB), the best videos that grab the eyes of potential buyers are 30-60 seconds long.

Stay Consistent with Your Branding

Delving into the world of video descriptions is an exciting thing, but don’t lose sight of your brand along the way. You want to make a sale, but it is important to create loyal customers who will come back to purchase from you repeatedly. Consistent branding will help those same buyers easily recognize - and remember - your products.