5 Essential eCommerce Holiday Videos Every Retailer Should Create

Discover five must-have eCommerce videos for holiday sales—gift guides, product demos, countdowns, and more to engage customers and boost conversions.

The holiday season is quickly approaching. Are you prepared? To make the most of this high-sales period, it’s crucial to capture your customers’ attention and boost engagement within a crowded digital marketplace. One of the most effective ways to stand out is through video content. Videos are dynamic, easy to consume, and convey information more powerfully than text alone. From holiday gift guides to unboxing experiences, eCommerce holiday videos can help you connect with customers and drive conversions.

In this blog, we’ll unwrap five essential eCommerce holiday videos every retailer should be creating. With these, you can maximize the holiday season by engaging viewers, building trust, and turning them into loyal buyers across multiple channels.

1. Holiday Gift Guide Videos

During the holidays, it’s common to feel overwhelmed in search of the perfect gift. This is where Holiday Gift Guide Videos come in. These holiday videos offer curated product suggestions for specific categories or personas, such as “Gifts for Him,” “Gifts Under $50,” or even more specific interests like “Top 10 Holiday Gifts for Gadget Lovers.” Not only do these videos provide inspiration, but they also simplify the decision-making process for the buyer.

By showcasing a range of products across various price points and interests, gift guides serve as a practical and personalized shopping experience. When done well, they can dramatically reduce buyer indecision and guide customers to a purchase.

Purpose: Help customers discover gift ideas by showcasing products curated for different categories or personas.

Tips: 

• Incorporate shoppable links: Use interactive video tools or embed links directly into the video, allowing viewers to click and shop immediately. 
• Segment by persona: Consider creating multiple personalized gift guide videos based on specific customer types. For example, separate videos for “Gifts for Kids” or “Gifts for Teens” can cater to different segments of your audience. The more targeted the content, the more likely you are to convert.
• Video length matters: Aim for videos between 1-2 minutes. Since gift guides showcase multiple products rather than focusing deeply on just one, you’ll want to deliver value quickly so you don’t overwhelm the viewer.

Example: Mary Kay released its Holiday Gift Guide video to promote its newest holiday releases, including limited edition products and bundles. At one minute and 21 seconds, this video is the perfect length to keep viewers engaged. Plus, all of the products are linked in the video’s description, so buyers can easily purchase from the video. 

2. eCommerce Product Videos

One of the most effective video types in eCommerce is the Product Demonstration Video. During the holiday rush, customers often look for assurance that the items they’re considering are worth the investment. A clear, engaging demo video can make all the difference, showing potential buyers exactly how the product works and how it can fit into their lifestyle.

Product videos for eCommerce are especially impactful for high-demand items during key shopping periods like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. These videos can also highlight functional and emotional benefits—why it’s a great gift and why it stands out compared to competitors.

Purpose: Highlight key features and benefits of best-selling products, showing how they solve a problem or enhance a lifestyle.

Tips: 

• Focus on solving problems: Explain how the product can make the user’s life easier or better. Highlight unique features and emphasize benefits that resonate with your target audience. 
• Show, don’t just tell: Ensure the video includes real-life usage scenarios, highlighting how the product functions in everyday settings.
• Highlight on multiple platforms: Consider where the video will be published. Instagram and TikTok thrive on short, to-the-point content, while YouTube allows for more in-depth demonstrations.

Example: A product video for eCommerce from KitchenAid, “Explore the KitchenAid 13 Cup Food Processor with Dicing Kit,” demonstrates the key features of the food processor, including its powerful capabilities, ease of use, and versatility in chopping, shredding, slicing, kneading, and more. To make the video even more effective, it could conclude with a direct link to purchase, placed at the end or as an overlay during the demo.

3. Customer Testimonial or User-Generated Content Videos

Trust is a key driver of eCommerce conversions, and what better way to build trust than by showcasing Customer Testimonial Videos or User-Generated Content (UGC)? Featuring real customers talking about their positive experiences with your brand can significantly enhance credibility and influence purchase decisions. UGC adds authenticity, as viewers are more likely to trust reviews and recommendations from people like them.

Purpose: Build trust by showcasing real customers talking about their favorite purchases or sharing holiday experiences with your brand.

Tips:

• Leverage social media for UGC: Collect UGC from platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Encourage your customers to tag your brand in their purchases, which you can later use for a holiday-themed montage.
• Incorporate real reviews: Use snippets of customer reviews to support video content. You can pair text-based reviews with user-submitted clips for added authenticity.
• Focus on diversity: Make sure the testimonials represent a variety of demographics and customer types. This makes the video more relatable to a broader audience.

Example: Glossier’s “#GetReadyWithMe” video series showcases real Glossier customers talking about their experience with the brand and products. The video series includes a variety of demographics and customer types, each promoting the brand in a casual and easily digestible format. For the holiday season, Glossier could promote a holiday version of its #GetReadyWithMe series, featuring their newest product releases.

4. Limited-Time Offer Countdown Videos

The holiday season is synonymous with sales, and Countdown Videos are a great way to create urgency and drive conversions. Whether you’re promoting a 48-hour flash sale, a Black Friday deal, or an end-of-year clearance event, countdown videos tap into the psychology of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out).

Dynamic countdown timers, combined with limited-time offers, encourage viewers to act quickly. This type of video is especially effective in the weeks leading up to the holidays, when customers are more likely to purchase gifts under time pressure.

Tips:

• High-energy visuals: Use bold colors, fast cuts, and upbeat music to capture attention and build excitement. A sense of urgency can be visually represented by flashing sale percentages, animated countdown timers, and brief product showcases.
• Highlight exclusivity: Make sure the video emphasizes the scarcity of the deal, such as “Exclusive to Email Subscribers” or “Only Available for the Next 24 Hours.”
• Dynamic countdown graphics: Use a video creation platform like the SundaySky Enterprise Video Platform to incorporate countdown clocks, driving home the time-sensitive nature of the promotion.

Example: This holiday video from Uber Eats includes eye-catching details with bold text, visuals, and a strong call to action (e.g., “Don’t miss the festival deals on all your holiday essentials on Uber Eats!”). For a social media holiday video, this clip is the perfect video to make a potential buyer act quickly. 

5. Holiday Packaging and Unboxing Experience Videos

Packaging plays a significant role in holiday shopping, and Unboxing Videos have become a phenomenon in eCommerce. Customers love to see how their purchases will arrive, especially when wrapped in festive, holiday-themed packaging. Unboxing videos also create a sense of anticipation and excitement, adding an emotional layer to the shopping experience.

Featuring influencers or brand ambassadors sharing their holiday unboxing experiences can amplify your message across social platforms, while also providing customers a sneak peek at the care you put into holiday orders.

Tips: 

• Collaborate with influencers: Partner with influencers who align with your brand’s values and aesthetic to share their unboxing experiences. Their large following can help you reach new audiences.
• Highlight festive packaging: Show any holiday-themed details such as special wrapping or custom notes that convey your brand’s identity.
• Encourage customers to share their own unboxing: Create a holiday hashtag to encourage more UGC and community engagement.

Example: 

Charlotte Tilbury nailed the holiday season with this UGC unboxing of its 2024 holiday advent calendar. The video highlights the beautiful packaging and immersive unboxing experience, all while introducing the new product releases.

Embrace Video: The Gift that Keeps on Giving 

The power of video in eCommerce cannot be overstated, especially during the holiday season. By incorporating these five essential types of holiday videos—Holiday Gift Guides, Product Demonstrations, Customer Testimonials, Countdown Videos, and Unboxing Experiences—your brand can enhance customer engagement, build trust, and ultimately drive conversions.

Holiday videos don’t just sell products; they tell stories, create excitement, and foster connections with your audience. As you plan your content strategy for the upcoming holiday season, evaluate which of these video types you can implement to enhance your brand’s presence.

With the right mix of creativity, storytelling, and strategic execution, you can elevate your holiday sales while delivering memorable experiences that keep customers coming back long after the season ends. 
For more eCommerce holiday video inspiration, discover how SelectBlinds, a fast-growing direct-to-consumer retailer, is using SundaySky to create eCommerce product videos that communicate their product portfolio and the ease of buying online and self-installation.