How to Make Dropshipping Video Ads Without Any Inventory

We all know that videos are what people want today. On top of plain texts and image posts, more people enjoy short-form videos when checking out their favorite social media channels. But is it the same with ads? Based on a survey, video ads drive more clicks than image ads. Videos are better for marketing your dropshipping store because they’re more dynamic and engaging than static posts. Moreover, if your video ads are interesting enough, you can hold the attention of your target audience for a longer period.

So, if you’re going to make ads for your dropshipping business, invest in creating ad content in video format. There’s one problem, though. Since you’re following a dropshipping business model, you don’t have any products on hand. How can you make dropshipping video ads if you can’t take the actual photos and videos of your items? 

Tips on Creating Dropshipping Video Ads Even Without the Actual Products

While it may seem impossible, there are still several ways on how to make dropshipping video ads without any inventory. If you’re lost and don’t know what to do, here are some tips on how you can create your dropshipping video ads:

1. Make a photo slideshow video of your dropshipping products.

The easiest dropshipping video ad you can make is a photo slideshow video of your products. A photo slideshow video is simply a montage or collection of photos with background music. 

Here’s an example:

 Most often, dropshipping suppliers provide product photos from different angles. Grab those photos and create a photo slideshow video out of them. 

If you don’t want your video to look too generic, you can unleash your creativity. Pick a nice font and state the product benefits in your video, then apply some cool transition effects. 

Just take a look at the following video:

If you have noticed, the video only utilizes product photos. However, adding a flair of creativity makes the footage look more original and more appealing to the audience.

2. Edit the existing product videos of your dropshipping supplier.

Dropshipping suppliers usually allow their dropshippers to use their photos and videos—even without altering them. However, if every dropshipper does this, your dropshipping video ads will all look the same. 

If you want your dropshipping video ads to stand out, edit the product videos of your dropshipping supplier. To make the video unique, add your brand elements, such as logo, color palette, and typography style. You can also remove parts from the video that you deem not helpful for your dropshipping video ads so its storyboard will be different from its original video source. Another way to recreate your dropshipping supplier’s video is to write an original script and do a voiceover. 

3. Collect your customer testimonials and turn them into a single video.

Even if you don’t have any products on hand, you can still make dropshipping video ads by gathering customer testimonials from your e-commerce store. Showcasing positive testimonials helps boost the credibility of your dropshipping store, leading to increased sales.

If you’re looking for video testimonial ideas, watch the following examples: 

(Note: Not all cited examples are from a dropshipping store. However, we opted to share the following video testimonials so you can draw more inspiration when creating your very own dropshipping video ads regarding content narratives, formatting, and style.)

Example #1. The slideshow video testimonial

In this video testimonial, the seller created an attention-grabbing video by presenting the product first, followed by a slideshow of her customers’ written testimonials, and ended with a CTA to buy the product. And it’s great to see how the video’s visual elements are in sync with the music beat.

Example #2. Reading client reviews

This example presents another cool way of creating a video testimonial. Instead of producing a simple slideshow video, you can raise the bar by reading your customer testimonials and showing your face! Although faceless videos are okay, letting your customers hear your voice and see your face adds a more personalized touch and builds stronger relationships among your audience.

Example #3. Ask your customers to create a video testimonial

While all the above examples are excellent for your dropshipping video ad, nothing beats getting an actual video testimonial from your customers.

Here’s an example:

Compared to written testimonials, a video testimonial featuring your customers is harder to fake and exudes greater authenticity. To make it easier for your customers to create a video testimonial, you can send them the following guide questions:

• Can you introduce yourself? State your name, age, and occupation, if possible.
• What product did you buy from us? How did you find out about our product?
• What do you like about our product? What’s the best thing about our product that you like?
• Which aspects of our product or service do you think need improvement?
• Would you recommend our product to others?

4. Purchase customized video ads from your dropshipping supplier

Dropshipping suppliers always provide generic photos and videos for their dropshippers to use. But then again, it’s hard to stand out if your visual assets are the same as everyone else. However, some dropshipping suppliers offer customized product photography and video services. Even if you don’t buy a sample product from them, you can still have unique photos and videos for your dropshipping store.

Sup Dropshipping offers a brand-building service. And under this service, we offer product photography and video creation. With the help of our professional photography team, we can provide you with unique and high-quality photos and videos that meet your requirements.

5. Feature your customer’s unboxing video

Before purchasing a product, most customers watch unboxing videos to see if they are really worth buying. In fact, unboxing videos are among the top 5 most influential forms of content. So, take this opportunity to ask your customers if you can feature their unboxing videos in your dropshipping video ads.

But should you compensate your customers for using their unboxing videos? Some customers are kind enough to let you use their unboxing videos for free as long as you ask permission, while some are already satisfied that you credit them for their work or link back to their blog/vlog. On the other hand, some ask for freebies or discounts for their next purchase, while others want to receive monetary compensation.

6. Show behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage

Perhaps you’re already familiar with BTS footage of most e-commerce sellers. They take video shots of themselves packaging and shipping their customers’ orders while integrating a short narrative of their day. However, as a dropshipper, you can’t do this because your dropshipping supplier is the one responsible for packaging and shipment.

So, what kind of BTS footage can you make for your dropshipping video ad? Here are some ideas:

• Film yourself browsing your laptop or PC and accepting orders from your store. Ensure you record a close-up view of your laptop screen, then create a narrative on how you process your customers’ orders.
• Record yourself on a vacation while processing your customers’ orders. State how you conveniently manage your dropshipping business even when you’re not at home.
• Film yourself on how you respond to customer queries or complaints. Discuss the common concerns of your customers and mention how you handle them.

At the end of your BTS video, you can showcase the products from your dropshipping store and invite your audience to check out your shop.

7. Make product comparison videos

Another attractive dropshipping video ad you can create is a product comparison video. For example, you’re selling two types of earphones in your dropshipping store. To help your customers decide which earphones they should buy, highlight the pros and cons of each product by doing a voiceover and animating the photos and text in the video. By doing product comparison videos, your customers can gauge which product actually suits their needs and budget.

8. Showcase the versatility of your dropshipping products

You might think that you can’t showcase something you don’t have. However, there are still ways how to present the versatility and usefulness of your dropshipping products by doing any of the following methods:

• Gather stock photos or videos from your dropshipping supplier or curate user-generated content showcasing how they use your products. Compile all these visual assets and turn them into a single video.
• Create educational video content about your product. Let’s say you want to highlight the different uses of your tote bag product and demonstrate its suitability as a shopping bag, a beach bag, or a work bag. You can look for photos or videos from stock websites, such as Pixabay or Pexels, exhibiting the product’s intended use. For instance, find a stock video of someone carrying a tote bag in the supermarket, beach, or office and include this footage when editing your video.

9. Create a promotional video

Does your dropshipping store have an upcoming sale? Then, create a promotional video ad! A promotional video ad can be anything about your shop’s available discount prices, freebies, vouchers, or time-limited offers.

Here’s an example:

When creating promotional videos, you can combine photos of your products, sale icons, an eye-catching typeface, and appropriate music.

10. Make a frequently asked question (FAQ) video

You can also promote your dropshipping products by making a FAQ video. For example, you’re selling dining chairs, and people have many questions about them, such as size, quantity, features, construction, quality, etc. You can take this opportunity to film yourself and answer their concerns and misconceptions about your products to encourage them to buy. 

Video Editing Tools to Quickly Create Dropshipping Video Ads

You don’t need to be an expert video editor to create dropshipping video ads. Several video editing tools are user-friendly, even among newbies, such as the following:

1. Canva

From just an image editing tool, Canva has evolved into an everything online graphic design platform. Canva now allows you to create and edit simple videos for free. The tool consists of a growing database of short-form video/reel templates that you can use for promoting your dropshipping store. The video editing process is as simple as changing the template’s text, visual elements, and audio. 

2. VEED

VEED has a vibe similar to Canva, so it’s pretty easy to use. However, this web-based tool only focuses on video editing. As such, it offers more in-depth video templates and includes more advanced video editing effects. VEED is also free, but if you want to unlock more of its premium features, purchase their subscription plans.

3. CapCut

CapCut is a real video editing app that’s for free. It’s like a simplified version of big video editing apps like Adobe Premiere, Final Cut, and Davinci. So, imagine the video effects you can make with CapCut, and you can save your videos without a watermark. This video editing tool also made its waves when TikTok became popular since it’s also owned by TikTok’s mother company, ByteDance. 

Conclusion

Video marketing is one of the best ways to promote your dropshipping store. Even though you don’t have any products in hand, it is still possible to make dropshipping video ads that help grab the attention of your target customers. If you’re stuck on what kind of video ads you can make, simply follow all the tips mentioned in this article.

However, please note that when creating dropshipping video ads, it is important to remember that having a visually appealing video isn’t enough. You must also create a compelling offer and write a persuasive ad copy to encourage your customers to buy.

Here at Sup Dropshipping, we strategically utilize our skills and more than a decade of experience to help our dropshippers gain more sales for their business. If you want to learn more about our dropshipping solutions, contact us today!