7 Tips for Creating Video Review Campaigns

Creating a video review campaign doesn’t have to be a chore.

These tips will help you broaden your reach, expand your influencer network, and manage communication across multiple platforms in your next campaign. Let’s explore some of the most effective strategies for marketing with video reviews.

Read on for seven ways you can make the most of video review campaigns.  

1) Promote your campaign across multiple platforms

Kicking off a new campaign, you need to spread the word. To encourage customers to create video reviews, you need to strategically share your requests across your media channels. 

While you’re aiming for a wide reach, you also want to ensure synchronicity between platforms. Using a unified hashtag helps. Whether it’s as simple as your brand name or coming up with something uniquely clever. 

Social media

Plan to post about your video review campaign across all of your social channels. Craft a variety of posts and schedule them out. This can encompass brief, fun explainer videos sharing the terms of a contest or giveaway, a series of text-based stories, and more. Include your branded hashtags.

Blog articles

Publish articles promoting existing videos. Spread the word about new campaigns like sweepstakes or raffles. Explain how users can submit their reviews. Your call to action should always be accompanied by clear instructions on how your audience can participate. 

Dedicated pages on your website

Dedicate a section of your site to showcase your best video reviews. This illuminates just how important they are to your brand. Prominently display instructions alongside submission forms for how your viewers can share their own experiences. Make it as easy as possible for your audience to participate. 

Email campaigns

Send targeted email campaigns to your existing customers and invite them to submit their feedback. We recommend personalizing the emails as much as you can. Don’t just stop at their name, reference things you appreciate in their videos. Emphasize the potential benefits of collaboration—like discounts, first access to new products, or other exclusive perks.

2) Use unique shopper video campaign hashtags

Campaign hashtags are a powerful way to boost social media engagement and build community as long as you leverage them the right way.

Create a fun, interactive social challenge for your followers. Whatever you come up with, make sure it aligns with your target audience, incorporate these posts throughout your publishing schedule, and ensure every post uses that hashtag. This will exponentially boost your reach.

As you gather user-generated content from your audience, repost it across your platforms alongside your hashtags. Remember to credit the creators. This not only builds engagement but also builds authenticity and trust. 

Partner with influencers who align with your brand values and boast a strong social presence. More on influencer marketing below, but for now—encourage them to create videos with your campaign hashtag. When users click the custom hashtag, they’ll see all of your brand's related posts. It amplifies reach.

3) Offer compelling incentives for reviewers

While your brand will still generate reviews without offering something in return, offering incentives is a worthwhile investment.

According to Harvard Business Review:

“Providing an incentive increases the number of reviews a company is likely to receive. Customers who receive an incentive are also more likely to write positive reviews, regardless of their experience with the product.”

Make sure to include a detailed and appropriate disclosure explaining any incentive. Here are compelling ways to incentivize your user base and increase participation.

Sponsored reviews

This is a simple quid pro quo. When you offer customers the opportunity to receive a sponsored product or service in exchange for their feedback, you’re providing extra motivation and something of value to them. Of course, it’s important to remember you want their honesty, so your terms must reflect this.

Coupons and discounts

Provide exclusive perks to customers who submit a video review. This rewards loyal users for their contributions. People feel connected with a brand when they create a video that gets noticed. Reinforcing their positive behavior with a discount strengthens the bond and makes them more likely to recommend the brand. 

Raffles and giveaways

Like the social media challenge, planning a raffle or giveaway is a fun, engaging way to connect with your customer base. When you host this type of campaign, you enter participants in a drawing for a chance to win a desirable prize. 

The prize should generate excitement. Examples include a free collection of your products or a free annual subscription to your service. This is another instance where your giveaway terms should be clear, visible, and thorough. 

4) Sponsor reviews from influencers

Influencer marketing is incredibly effective. According to Statista, the global influencer marketing market value stood at 16.4 billion U.S. dollars as of 2022, having more than doubled since 2019. 
Partnering with influencers as part of your next video review campaign is a wise way to generate more buzz and reach wider audiences. Consider the following best practices.

Ship free products

Once you connect with an influencer, give them access to your services and ship products for free. This allows them to experience your offerings and sets you up for success. Building influencer relationships thrives when we adopt a giving-before-receiving mindset.

Create unique coupon codes

As you forge new influencer relationships, create a unique coupon code for each of them. This allows them to share it with their audiences in videos. More importantly, it helps you track their impact on sales. 

Offer referral bonuses 

Similarly, a referral code or affiliate model is useful. Influencers earn a commission for driving sales or generating leads through their content. This helps you track the efficacy of the relationship. It also motivates the creator to promote your content. The more you sell, the more they earn.

5) Know what to look for in new influencers

Focus on connecting with the right people. As you’re reviewing and vetting options, ensure you’re considering their niche, style, and values. Look for people whose content and audience align with your brand’s image and goals. 

Get inspiration from your competitors. On top of your own research, it’s helpful to check out what influencers your competitors are using. It’s one of the fastest ways to identify the type of creator who works well for your brand.

6) Ask for product reviews with print media

Video is a digital medium, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use print media to spread the word and encourage users to leave reviews. Consider these tips for leveraging print media effectively.

Utilize QR codes

Place QR codes on product packaging and other print materials you send customers. People scan the codes and the link guides them to a review submission page with all the relevant details. Consider printing on colored paper for added visibility, it sets things apart from regular receipts.

Share clear instructions

Include a printed product insert that explicitly asks customers for their feedback. Use compelling calls to action to encourage your base. For example, “Share your experience” or “Tell us what you think!” Including custom campaign hashtags with the call to action helps people find other reviews, and encourages them to offer their take. 

Integrate testimonials in your print materials

Featuring positive reviews on your packaging and print media showcases the value of customer feedback. These snippets alongside product descriptions highlight all the help your brand offers. It also showcases the importance of customer voices to your brand. 

7) Use the right tools to automate your work

Vyrill is an AI-powered platform that helps businesses effectively manage and analyze user-generated video content.

Don’t rely on a random stack of solutions to manage your campaign. Instead, contact customers, users, and creators all from one centralized system—the Vyrill platform.  

Vyrill does all the heavy lifting, including collecting, organizing, and storing video reviews from various channels. This also means your videos are stored in one place, making it easier for you to access and leverage this content in your efforts. 

Finally, we help you identify influencers that fit your needs. This allows you to pinpoint collaboration opportunities quickly and efficiently. Gone are the days of endless searching, scrolling, and watching to find and network with the right people.

Keep these points in mind when you’re setting your brand up for success! Vyrill is here to help you start your next video review campaign. 

Recommended reading:

• 4 Reasons Why UGVC Needs to Be a Part of Your Marketing Strategy
• Are Video Reviews Really More Trustworthy Than Text Reviews?
• Video Reviews vs. Text Reviews: Does It Make a Difference?

About the Author

Katy boasts two decades in B2B technology & services, spearheading growth and brand evolution. A former Adobe marketing maven for 9 years, she’s since built growth teams for 5 tech startups that have all been acquired. With a stellar record in operational excellence and creating demand, she excels at leading successful cross-functional initiatives that enable companies to scale up.