Do you know that 90% of consumers rely on online product reviews before making a purchase? 

A convincing product review can persuade more audiences to buy your recommendations. The more audience you get to view your video, the more likely you will earn affiliate sales. 

Here are some of the reasons why video reviews are popular among buyers:

• Neutral review that covers the pros & cons of the product 
• Video reviews highlight the products better than articles & pictures
• Buyers want to visualize how the product is used in actual-world conditions

So in this article, we’ll show you how some of our top affiliate marketers at Involve are killing their affiliate sales through convincing product video reviews and how you can too!

The Fundamentals of a Good Video Review

You’ve seen some good product reviews before. The good thing is to create a quality video review of your own; you don’t need expensive camera gear or a team to make it happen. Here is all you need to know to start creating quality video reviews as a beginner:

Essential Video Gear & Background Setup

You don’t need to buy expensive video cameras unless you take videos for a living. Nowadays, most smartphones (the ones that you have in your pocket right now) are more than enough to get your first few videos published. However, you still need to buy some essential camera gear on top of the camera phone itself. 

Here are the 3 minimum video gears that you’ll need:

• A video camera or smartphone
• Some form of lighting
• A small tripod

If you’re filming at home and have the luxury of extra space, find a location where you can set up a dedicated filming space. It’s ideal because you don’t have to move your equipment anywhere, saving you time and eliminating any friction (or excuses) to shoot your content.

As for your video background, avoid shooting with a blank wall against your back. Instead, angle yourself so that there is space behind you to give your viewers a sense of depth. 

Last but not least, include some decor in the background to make your videos visually pleasing, but don’t go overboard, as the main focus of your videos is about you and the product you’re reviewing.

Scripting Your Videos

Is scripting your videos necessary? We don’t think so, and through our experience, video content creators generally fall into 2 camps:

1. People who only need a bullet list & can improvise the details
2. People who need a script where they’ll read it verbatim as on camera

There’s no right or wrong, but you can try improving first from bullet points. Then, if that doesn’t work for you, try writing a full script. 

This way, you’ll ensure that your video has all the points you want to cover.

Excellent, now that you got your script, here is where the rubber meets the road:

Shooting Your Videos

Alright, you got your video background all set up & your script ready. Now, it’s lights, camera, ACTION!

• Lighting: You can purchase cheap video lights online & angle them roughly 45 degrees to your face (not directly perpendicular). This will cast a slight shadow across your nose & eye sockets, creating a sense of depth in otherwise flat footage. But what if you can’t buy a video light? No worries! The next best option is to shoot next to a window. 

• Angle: The camera should be positioned at eye level for regular talking head-style videos. You can also play around with different tips to keep your video engaging. 

So you’ve got a rough idea of how to get good lighting and the perfect angle for your video. Then, it’s time to get started on making your video unforgettable!

Here’s an example of how Elly Awesome, a YouTube tech reviewer, incorporates some of the shots that make her vlog microphone review video stand out:

• Audio: Here is a part that you can’t skip. Audio is arguably more important than video. Viewers can tolerate not-so-ideal footage, but most people can’t tolerate bad audio. So we recommend you purchase an external microphone (either a shotgun or lavalier mic). The good news is that you can get a decent mic for cheap online nowadays, such as the Boya BY-MM1 (most bang for the buck) or the Rode Video Micro.

Excellent, now you got your raw footage, the next course of action is editing:

Editing Your Videos

Video editing can be overwhelming for a beginner, and it’s easy to get lost in the rabbit hole with all the nitty-gritty advice you hear online. 

We’re here to help you guide through this complicated process and the first order of business to get your video editing mentality on the right track.

Don’t stress about fancy editing, transitions, or special effects. Those are nice, but they don’t equate to affiliate sales.

So as a beginner, all you need to be concerned about is trimming excess footage & pauses so you don’t waste your viewers’ time. Ultimately, the message/story that you want to convey is what will get you more affiliate sales.

If you’re recording using a smartphone, there are tons of free video editing apps like iMovie, InShot, and CapCut that are easy to use without even needing a computer!

However, if you prefer to edit on a computer, we recommend trying free software first, such as Clipchamp (easy) or Davinci Resolve (for more advanced users).

Once you’ve mastered basic trim editing. Next, you can include some creative elements to bump up your video quality:

Add Trending Music To Your Instagram Reels

Add Smooth Transitions:

Adding Strong CTA

Last but not least, add a strong call-to-action (CTA) at the end of your videos to encourage more viewers to click on your Involve affiliate links.

Whew! That was an excellent overview of a videography course!

Examples of Great Video Reviews

Now don’t sweat the details, and let’s get some inspiration from fellow video content creators:

Tech Reviewer: Fazli Halim 

Fazli Halim is a Malaysian tech reviewer specializing in discussing the latest smartphones & tech gadgets. 

What makes his reviews excellent (& profitable):

• He documents his views on the smartphone & uses it in a way that people can find relatable.
• He talks to the camera as if he’s talking to a friend. His audience feels very connected with him.
• He replies to most of his comments to keep his community engaged.
• Attractive headline & thumbnails that grabs people’s attention.

He understands that people use smartphones to take photos & upload them on social media. So he imagines what the average buyer will do with their cameras & document precisely. Taking pictures of food & local tourist destinations:

At the end of Fazli’s video, he encourages his audience to click on his links which are located in the YouTube description box:

So when his viewers are interested in the item & click on his Involve links & make a purchase, Fazli will earn an affiliate commission. 

The easiest way to look at your video feedback is to scroll through the comments:

These are just a few positive responses, indicating that his product review was successful. Fazli is very engaging and helpful, and he knows how to convince his audience.

To get people to click on his videos in the first place, Fazli designs catchy headlines & thumbnails: 

These captivating and ludicrous headlines have effectively attracted more individuals to watch his product review in a matter of time.

Alright, that’s for tech products. But do you know that the finance offers are one of the highest-paid niches on Involve? So let’s see how to promote finance products:

Personal Finance: Millennial Finance

Millennial Finance is a YouTube channel run by two brothers (Edly & Emir) who share their journey to help people understand their finances. We like their videos because they don’t use any fancy gear or editing. Instead, they deliver straight-up educational value in their videos. They only use a mic, good lighting (by shooting next to a window or on their balcony), and dress presentably.

In one of their best videos, Emir talks about credit cards, a topic that interests many young people. He thoroughly explained what is a credit card, how to use it, and its benefits & pitfalls to avoid to prevent from being in debt.

It is a heavy topic, especially for someone who has never used a credit card before. Therefore,  Emir added chapters to his video using timestamps to help the audience revisit certain parts of his credit card explanation.

Excellent topic & content indeed. So much so that Millennial Finance’s video got over 35,000 views! That kind of traffic makes it easy for Emir to promote his Involve affiliate link.

Great! Thus far, we have covered the tech & finance niche. But what if you can’t pick out a niche? Can you still earn with Involve? 

Absolutely! Let’s take a look at our following example who don’t have a clear niche but still killing its affiliate sales:

No Niche Product Reviewer: Masilla Isa

Massila is a content creator with 105K subscribers who creates random product reviews on YouTube. Although Massila has no clear niche, her audience loves her because she has a likable & funny personality.

What makes her affiliate sales successful are:

1. Masilla provides an unbiased review, an engaging presentation, & suitable video for all ages.
2. She is passionate about letting her audience experience the product with her virtually.
3. She has a good sense of humor, making people want to see more videos from her.

Not only that, she represents her audience by creating good content with a vibrant and engaging theme. So, if you don’t have a niche, you can try something similar like this first, and it will eventually help you figure out which topic you want to focus on more.

She also receives an overwhelming response from her audience because of her honest product reviews. Most people are attracted to a natural product review, and her product review has this quality.

These are some good responses she received because people will want to try the product themselves. Thus, her affiliate link helps her earn a commission and allows her audience to get their first-hand experience of the product!

Summary

Now, let’s go over what we talked about earlier in terms of how you can improve your product review video:

• Niche Down: You don’t necessarily need a niche to make good affiliate sales, but it sure would help to define you as you’re starting up 

• Your Gear Don’t Define You: You can start recording with just a smartphone, good lighting & small tripod to support your video quality.

• What Matters Most Is Your Story: Do a bit of a case study to help you to understand better.

We hope that this article will help you develop excellent video review content & gain more affiliate sales!

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