How to make a 30 second launch video for your product
George · 3 min read
The short answer: a good launch video is around 30 seconds and does three things: says what the product is in the first seconds, shows it working, and ends with where to get it. Add captions so it works with the sound off, make one version for each shape you post in, and use the product itself, not stock footage. You no longer need a motion designer to make one.
A short video can explain your product faster than any paragraph, and it gives people something to share. Here is how to make one without turning it into a project of its own.
What to put in 30 seconds
A simple structure that works for most products:
- The hook, in the first two seconds. A question or a problem your users know: "Built something? Here is where you launch it." If the opening does not give a reason to keep watching, the rest does not matter.
- What it is, in one sentence. Name the product and say what it does in plain words.
- Show it working. Two or three moments from the real product, each one doing something. People believe what they see more than what you claim.
- What they get. The one or two outcomes that matter most to your user, not a list of features.
- Where to get it. Your name and address on screen at the end, long enough to read.
Cut everything else. If a scene does not move someone toward trying the product, it goes.
Make it work with the sound off
Many people watch videos in a feed without sound. Put the words on screen: captions for the voiceover, and the key lines large enough to read on a phone. A video that only makes sense with sound is half a video in a feed.
When you do use sound, a clear voiceover and quiet music under it work better than loud music alone. Keep the music low whenever someone is speaking.
The right size for each place
- 9:16, vertical, for Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube Shorts.
- 16:9, horizontal, for X, LinkedIn, YouTube and your website.
- 1:1, square, for feeds that crop to a square.
Do not just crop one version into another. Lay it out again for each shape, so nothing important falls off the edge. In a vertical video, also keep text away from the bottom of the frame, where apps put their own captions and buttons.
Use the real product
Show your actual interface, real data and real results. Polished stock footage looks like every other ad. Your own product, shown clearly and well lit, looks like something that exists and works. If you show other people's names, photos or content in your video, make sure you are allowed to.
Making it with AI
A year ago, a short motion video usually meant hiring a designer. Today, AI tools can write the script with you, generate a natural voiceover, animate interface elements and add captions. Founders now make launch videos in an afternoon by describing what they want and refining it.
A few tips if you go this way:
- Write the script yourself first. AI is good at polishing, but you know what your users care about.
- Check every claim on screen. A video is public; make sure each number and feature is true.
- Watch it on a phone with the sound off before you post it.
Where to use it
Post it on your launch day, pin it to your profile, add it to your landing page, and put it on your launch page. On ShipDesk you can add a YouTube or Loom link to your launch, and the video plays on your launch page right after your description, so visitors see the product moving before they click through.
The short version
- Keep it around 30 seconds: hook, what it is, show it, what they get, where to get it.
- Add captions so it works without sound.
- Make a version for each shape instead of cropping.
- Show the real product, and only claims that are true.
- AI tools make a good launch video possible without a designer.