A Guide to Creating the Perfect Walk Around Video

Vehicle technology and safety is becoming intricately more complicated with every step towards the future we make. As a result, there has never been a greater need for user instructions that are relevant, helpful, and easy to understand.

Here at SnapCell, as we put together a guide to creating the perfect walk around video, we realized this is an essential part of video’s growing demand. After all, this need for better instructions is just one of the reasons ‘how to’, unboxing, and other video content based on walk arounds are so popular. But they also provide dealers with the perfect opportunity to engage with car shoppers in a personalized way.

When we traditionally think of a walk around video, we envision the classic five or seven-point vehicle tour. But it doesn’t need to be. Your walkaround video can be about any aspect of the vehicle’s technology, or any of its features in detail. In short – think about how you can make your walk around videos stand out from others your customers might see, or receive from your competitors.

After all, we’ve all been there. We get a piece of technology we expect to be simple – from a toaster to an iPhone, and then we have to operate it. The manual has vague instructions, often poorly translated, or with long words we don’t quite understand. Next thing, we turn to YouTube or the internet to try and make sense of it all. By pre-empting this and creating a walk around video, you cut out the middleman and keep things in-house.

As we work through a guide to creating the perfect walk around video, remember it can be about any aspect of the vehicle. One thing it most certainly isn’t, despite its name, is a guided tour around an entire dealership! We’d suggest keeping it to one area of focus – like using the audio features, performance, or the bodywork. All your video needs to be is short and relevant – which will enable it to educate and engage both your current and potential customers.

We’ve broken down a guide to creating the perfect walk around video into five parts.

Testing, testing

The two aspects people worry about most when shooting a video on their smartphone is sound and lighting. It can often be a cause for procrastination. Recording a test video of about 30 seconds will help relieve any fears you might have. It will show you all you need to know about your settings and setting before you shoot the full-length video.

In addition, this is where the SnapCell’s clever car sales app can really be of benefit. With our intuitive tools and built-in editing, we’ve made it simple and easy to create seamless videos with stop-start recording.

One thing to be aware of is shooting outside. Wind, sun, and shadows can all impact the quality of a video dramatically.

People STILL buy from people

It makes sense that if you want your video to feel personal, it will help to actually have people in it. When you think about a typical walk around video – they tend to be a person free zone. But, as this is a guide to creating the perfect car walk around video, we want you to think beyond what is typical.

As you demonstrate and talk through the subject of your vehicle, some off-camera narration is of course going to be necessary. However, you could consider having someone film you as you walk around the vehicle, or utilize a tripod or stand. These are widely available and inexpensive – and a test shot or two will give you an idea of your field of view. But an even better way to add some personality into your video is to top and tail it with an on-camera introduction and summary.

In your introduction, you want to clearly state who you are and your job title. This presses the point that you are an expert in your field, but it also helps viewers put a face to a name, no matter what the subject of the content. This automatically adds credibility to the video and helps instil and build trust. At the same time, by closing the video in person, you guarantee that for every customer watching, their connection with the dealership starts and ends with you – literally.

SnapCell again makes this easy. Flipping your camera view can be done in-app, and you only record when you hold your finger down. Create as many clips as you want, then stitch them all together in a seamless process for an engaging customer experience.

Make it easy to follow (and worth it)

If you’re making a ‘how-to’ walk around video, such as demonstrating equipment on a specific model of car, keep in mind that a significant part of your audience will be trying to follow along, performing the same steps you are as you go. Whether it’s saving radio pre-sets or something under the hood, give anyone watching the opportunity to keep up with you. The best way to do this is to pause for five seconds or so after making each point, or after each step in the process you’re demonstrating. This gives your audience time to take the information in, and to perform any actions themselves.

Without effective pauses or good pacing, someone watching your video may have to go over it several times. This not only causes frustration, but also limits its effectiveness and impacts their relationship with you and your brand. Which brings us to:

Brand it up, buttercup!

Making great videos that are educational and informative is of course vital in making your content relevant and popular with your audience. But, without effective branding, ultimately, you may not directly see the benefits. Your videos need to prominently introduce you and the dealership you represent. And they need to establish you as a source of reliable, trustworthy information.

This is partly achieved by simply producing good, consistent content. But it’s also inferred when you convey yourself confidently – that this is something you do day in, day out. This shouldn’t be too hard, after all, you are the expert – and you do!

A simple way of establishing who you are and which dealership you represent is to start your video with an exterior shot of the showroom. You can then reinforce this by ensuring that every staff member featured in the video introduces themselves and establishes their role and job title. Don’t be concerned about overusing your brand name. As long as its relevant and not forced, use it consistently and effectively throughout the video.

This includes incorporating it into your closing section or call to action (CTA). This can be done simply by directing viewers to your website, to visit the showroom in person, or to head to your social channels.

K.I.S.S…Keep it short and simple

The final stop as we work through a guide to creating the perfect walk around video is a tweak to the age-old acronym K.I.S.S – keep it short and simple, as we certainly don’t think you’re stupid!

One of the points we try to make about how easy it is to use the SnapCell app is that you don’t need to be a professional videographer. Short and simple is best – pretty much always! As society becomes more and more inundated with content, stimulus and information, our attention span is continuing to drop, as it becomes immune to anything that doesn’t hold our attention. To help keep your customers engaged, keep it concise. Try to communicate all your main points inside a minute to 90 seconds. SnapCell videos are capped at 90 seconds automatically to help improve engagement, and our stop-start recording makes it easy to edit out irrelevant material.

You may be thinking this is a tall order. You know your subject matter. You can probably talk for minutes about each feature. Great! If you have a lot of information to share or get across about a particular vehicle or topic, make a series of videos instead of a single lengthy one. Keep your subjects singular – so cover technology, safety, and performance features in separate videos.

Start Creating Engaging Walk Around Videos

Walk around videos are fantastic ways of communicating to individual customers or a wider audience in a personal way. They can also help boost SEO when incorporated into your website.

SnapCell is the ideal car sales app for walk around videos. Using SnapCell enables you to create personalized videos that can be sent via email or SMS in minutes. They’re a great way of building a personal connection as you follow up from an initial email or phone enquiry. They’re also a really effective way of following up a customer’s in-person visit to the showroom. If your dealership offers test drives at home, a video walk around is a great way of vetting customers and their interest. And if you don’t offer at home test drives, a walk around video might just give them reason to leave the house and visit the dealership!

Remember, however you use a walk around video – keep it personal. If making a video for an individual customer, review your notes and remind yourself of past conversations. Address any concerns raised openly and honestly, and focus on how you can provide a solution. If filming for a wider audience, keep in mind common questions and the key points you want to cover.

If you would like to know more about how SnapCell can transform your video and email marketing, and make it even easier to reach customers whilst boosting conversion, get in touch with a member of the team today.