Promo video
Also called promotional video, brand video, promo
What is a promo video?
A promo video, short for promotional video, is a short marketing video made to promote a business, product, service, offer or event. It aims to grab attention, show why the thing is worth caring about and get viewers to act: visit, buy, book or sign up. Most promo videos run between 15 seconds and two minutes.
Promo videos cover a wide range: a launch teaser, a seasonal sale, an event trailer, a brand video for the homepage or a product spotlight for social ads. They usually mix footage or pictures, on-screen text, music and a voiceover, and close with a clear call to action.
The term overlaps with explainer videos and product demo videos. The difference is emphasis: a promo is about attention and desire, an explainer about understanding, a demo about showing how something works.
Why a promo video matters
Video tends to hold attention better than a static image in feeds, and a promo video can show the product, the people and the offer at once. That makes it a strong format for launches, ads and the top of a marketing funnel.
A good promo video is also reusable. One edit can be resized for feeds, Stories and YouTube, cut into shorter ads and placed on landing pages.
How to make a promo video
- Pick one goal and one audience: a launch for existing customers, or an offer for new ones.
- Write a short script: hook, problem or desire, what you offer, proof, call to action.
- Use your real product, place and people wherever you can.
- Keep it in your brand colors and fonts, with captions for silent viewing.
- Make versions in the sizes you need: 16:9, 1:1 and 9:16.
- End with one specific action and where to do it.
Promo video example
Crumb & Co launches a weekend brunch. The 30-second promo opens on a pancake stack being drizzled (hook), shows the room filling up, lists three dishes as on-screen text, flashes one short customer quote, and ends on "Brunch, Saturdays and Sundays from 9. Book a table at crumbandco.example."
Promo video FAQ
How long should a promo video be?
For social feeds and ads, 15 to 60 seconds. For a homepage or launch video, up to about two minutes. The shorter the attention window, the shorter the promo.
What should a promo video include?
A hook, a clear reason to care, a look at the product or offer, some proof (a review, a number from your own records, a customer), and a single call to action.
Related terms
An explainer video is a short video that explains what a product, service or idea is, the problem it solves and how it works.
A product demo video shows a product being used to explain its main features and how it solves a problem, so buyers can see it before they buy.
Video marketing is using video to promote a business, explain its products and build an audience across social media, websites, email and ads.
A call to action (CTA) tells people exactly what to do next, such as Shop now, Book a class or Save this post. It turns attention into action.
Ad creative is the visible part of an ad: the image, video, headline and text people actually see, as opposed to targeting and budget.
A video script is the written plan for a video: what is said, what appears on screen and in what order, scene by scene.