Demonstrate This! 4 Types of Product Tutorials
The inability to physically touch and interact with a product when shopping online leaves many consumers hesitant to complete their purchases - opting to visit a brick-and-mortar location instead, finding an alternative item or abandoning the search altogether.
One way retailers try to move shoppers toward purchase is with product tutorials. Demonstrating how a product works not only helps retailers strengthen consumer confidence, but also helps them engage and educate consumers about the product being showcased. Product Tutorials, however, come in many different formats - from Pinterest demonstrations to email explanations.
For some inspiration on how to showcase your products across channels, check out these four retail examples:
The Pinterest Demonstration
Brand: Redken
Redken does a good job at featuring its products - and how to use them - on its Pinterest Page. The brand showcases a variety of hairstyle-specific boards, such as 'Buns' and 'Braids,' that feature various hairstyles and the products that can help consumers recreate the styles at home. In addition, the retailer's 'Oscars Hair Tutorials' board showcases YouTube videos with step-by-step instructions that teach consumers how to recreate looks from the Oscars' red carpet, such as a low wrapped ponytail. It is also important to note that by posting the videos to its Pinterest page, Redken is able to repurpose content from its branded YouTube page, which helps the company increase the reach of the content.
The Website Tutorial
Brand: Toys "R" Us
Although Toys "R" Us doesn't feature videos for all of its products, the retailer does offer videos for certain items. What's more, Toys "R" Us enables customers to upload their own product images and videos to share with other shoppers. All featured videos can easily be found on product pages in the 'more images' section. Plus, the videos play directly on the product page, rather than directing shoppers somewhere else, which can cause friction in the online shopping experience.
The YouTube Lesson
Brand: Urban Decay
Perhaps the most popular place to share product demonstrations is a brand's YouTube page. In fact, beauty retailer Urban Decay features so many product demonstrations on YouTube that "UD Tutorials" is a featured playlist on the retailer's page.
The Email Explanation
Brand: Seventh Generation
There are many ways retailers can feature product tutorials within their emails. From including YouTube screenshots to offering step-by-step instructions, retailers can get creative to capture their subscribers' attention. Seventh Generation, for instance, leveraged the subject line 'Baby Wipe Hacks for the House' to demonstrate the different ways consumers can leverage its baby wipe product. Although a different approach then the aforementioned retailers, subscribers are quickly informed about three different ways they can leverage baby wipes as soon as they open the retailer's email - which may be just enough information for them to seek out the product on their next trip to the store.
With a little time and energy, brands of all types and sizes can instruct their shoppers on how to best use their products, which can increase conversion and long-term engagement.
