Today’s Take on Infomercials

Infomercials, once strictly filler material found on late night TV, have experienced a renaissance of sorts as one of the most effective—and viral—methods to launch a new product in our always online world.

Traditionally a 30-minute, high-pressure sales pitch that enthusiastically demonstrated the amazing advantages of rotisserie ovens, classic rock compilation sets, workout equipment, even things that defy description … infomercials have evolved into effective, modern marketing pieces that boast some of today’s strongest creative work! Just take a look at Purple mattresses and the very funny, very viral Squatty Potty.

Writing an effective, informative (it is an INFOmercial after all) creative script requires in-depth knowledge of the product and its target market, an understanding of all the features and benefits, a competitive analysis and any pertinent historical information about the product or marketplace. Even if your finished infomercial is funny, it needs to deliver a message that resonates—and this background research is essential to writing a script that speaks to consumers in a meaningful way.

In the past, infomercials were limited by broadcast TV restrictions and were usually either long-form (28.5 minutes) or short form (60 seconds to 2 minutes). Today, infomercials—or more accurately informational product videos—that are delivered digitally (think Facebook video or Twitter video) can be any length. There are some things to keep in mind though, however you plan to distribute your infomercial:

• Clear and concise beats complicated. Even if your product is technically superior, explain those features in a very basic way and quickly move along to clearly demonstrating the benefits it brings to the user.
• Talk benefits more than features. People don’t buy features, they buy the benefits they will receive because of those features. No matter how your oven roasts perfectly juicy chicken, what really matters to a consumer is how that juicy chicken will taste and the praise it will win for the chef.
• Be enthusiastic! No matter the concept you choose for your infomercial it must be enthusiastic about your product. Enthusiasm helps the audience stay interested and engaged.
• Laugh all the way to the bank. Using humor can be very effective. However, humor is tricky to pull off and usually requires a talented scriptwriter and professional acting talent. Humor that doesn’t work will do NOTHING to help sell your product.
• Ask for the order! Call today! Order now! Click here! An important part of an infomercial is asking for the order. Usually more than once. Make it easy for an interested viewer to become a customer!

CONTACT SPI COLLECTIVE TODAY!! (See what I did there?) But seriously, if you have a product that could benefit from an info-filled, professionally written and produced—and possibly even quite funny—video, let’s talk.