With the rise of influencers, content creators, YouTubers, and streamers all over the internet, most people are familiar with unboxing videos from when these online personalities show off their newly purchased goods to their fans.
Viewers value these online personalities’ honest opinion on multiple items featured in their videos and are a big influence to their purchase decisions. That’s why as a brand owner, tapping on unboxing content created by influencers is a solid and low-cost marketing strategy for your small business.
Find out how you can jump in on the unboxing phenomenon in this helpful article.
What are Unboxing Videos and Why Are they Popular?
Unboxing videos are all about people opening boxes of items they’ve just purchased while capturing the unboxing experience and showing it off to the audience, featuring close-ups of the items with the owner using or wearing them while providing commentary.
They’re often YouTube videos watched by tens of millions of viewers from different demographics, ranging from children to people in their adolescent and adult years. According to Google Trends, statistics show that:
- One-fifth of consumers have watched an unboxing video at some point
- Overall views of unboxing videos increased by 57 percent in 2013
- The number of unboxing videos posted on YouTube grew by 50 percent in 2013
- 62 percent of people who watch unboxing videos are researching a product they’re considering buying
They’re hot in certain industries with the most popular unboxing videos include such as consumer electronics and tech products, fashion, beauty products, and new toys. According to Google’s reports, the five most popular YouTube unboxing influencers are: Ryan Toys Review, Unbox Therapy, Fun Toys Collector Disney Toys Review, Marques Brownlee, and Dope or Nope, 2 out of the top 3 being toy unboxing videos.
How Can Your Business Benefit From Unboxing Videos
Increase Visibility and Wider Audience Reach
Online influencers and product review videos are gaining more momentum in the present. In 2023 alone, US adults spend 46 minutes watching YouTube on average daily where most influencers upload their unboxing videos.
If you own an online store, you understand the impact that sheer volume has. The more exposure your business and products can get, the more people would buy from you. It works better if your product has a distinct packaging that makes the unboxing experience more memorable to your potential customers.
Having one famous influencer display your product to their fans can already widen your reach better than traditional advertising could.
Attract New Potential Customers
An unboxing video is a very powerful advertising strategy. Unlike traditional ads that occur in between programs, the new promotion technique create commercial content where the ad is the video itself but the sales pitch is subtle and entertaining.
Kids are reported to be avid consumers of these content and are easily persuaded by watching a fun and exciting unboxing video from child influencers such as Ryan Kaji of Ryan Toys Review. They’re more likely to ask their parents to buy the same products they feature, and many parents tend to buy what their kids ask for due to their ‘pester power’.
Adults are also seen to make significant purchases after watching an unboxing video from YouTube. In fact, 85% of Gen Z prefer familiar brands over unknown ones. An unboxing video helps your brand gain familiarity among your target market.
Create a Great First Impression
Customers want to know about the product they’re planning to buy, that’s why they search its details through the net and read customer reviews. An unboxing video provide for this need as a content creator shows off the product’s visuals, dimensions, and usage in detail. Sometimes, they even introduce the brand’s background.
Watching an exciting unboxing experience can also inspire the same positive emotions from the viewers. And unlike traditional marketing, a real person giving their reviews and comments on a product feels more genuine than the usual paid promotions, making them more likely to purchase your product.
Build Brand Loyalty
57% think a brand’s relationship with customers creates brand loyalty. A good unboxing experience from your brand gives the impression that you care about your customers and encourages them to become repeat buyers.
One of the best ways to give your customers a good unboxing experience is through an attractive packaging. You can add stickers, tissue paper and filler to build anticipation towards their long-awaited package. You can also add personal messages and extra gifts to add an element of surprise and personalization from your brand to your customers.
Invite Brand and Influencer Collaborations
Influencer marketing is very effective these days. 43% of internet users follow an influencer globally, which makes brand and influencer collaborations a strong advertising strategy. Businesses usually reach out to influencers for a paid promotion of their brand with a good product placement in their video.
Of course, it’s also important that the influencer give explicit disclosure about which products they’re making reviews for are material paid for connection. People want an organic video with an honest opinion rather than advertisers selling messages to purchase their products.
Unboxing Video Marketing Strategies for Your Small Business
Online video is a powerful marketing tool, and many businesses are now buying pre-roll video ads before unboxing videos on YouTube. If this cost is prohibitive for your small business, there are other ways you can benefit from unboxing videos such as:
Encourage customers to create unboxing videos – Encourage customers to upload their own unboxing videos on social media or to your website. Have the videos using a hashtag you select that’s related to your business.
Let employees show off your products – Video yourself or employees unboxing products that you sell and showing them off. Include plenty of close-ups and description.
Create a memorable unboxing experience for your products – An exciting unboxing makes your brand memorable to your customers and people tend to return businesses that offer them a good experience. You can provide your customers with a great unboxing experience with:
- Attractive packaging
- Tissue paper and filler
- Stickers, strings, and tape
- Surprise gifts and goodies
- Personal messages
Share unboxing videos of your products – Find unboxing videos that have been uploaded for products you sell. Share them on social media, in your marketing emails or on your website. You can even create a “playlist” of links to several unboxing videos of interest to your customers. (Note: Of course, you need to make sure they don’t mention competitors.)
Tap on influencers and paid promotion – Tap into existing influencers who are creating unboxing videos and have large followings and lots of popular videos. Send products for review to popular unboxing video stars in your industry.
Invite More Savvy Consumers to Your Business Through Unboxing Videos
Unboxing videos will continue to be popular as influencers and content creators rise through the entertainment industry. Customers look for genuine and honest reviews from people they trust. Start creating an out of the box marketing plan for your small business today.
