The Ultimate Guide to Unboxing Videos for YouTube: Tips, Tricks, and Best Practices

Unboxing videos: the thrilling spectacle that keeps YouTube audiences hooked, eagerly awaiting the next moment of surprise and discovery. Ready to step into the limelight and captivate your own audience? Look no further! This electrifying guide is your ticket to unboxing stardom. We're about to unwrap the secrets of creating irresistible unboxing content that leaves your viewers on the edge of their seats, craving more. From understanding the allure of unboxing to mastering the art of planning and filming, consider us your unboxing mentor.

And here's a pro-tip to truly dazzle your audience: let Ghost's free shoppable video platform elevate your game, transforming those jaw-dropping reveals into an interactive shopping extravaganza that lives on your website. No more passive viewers – get ready to turn every unboxing into a shopping spree. Let's unbox greatness together!

Understanding the Unboxing Video Phenomenon

What are Unboxing Videos?

Unboxing videos are a popular genre of content on YouTube where creators film themselves opening and unpacking various products. From cosmetics and tech devices to games and toys, unboxing videos provide an in-depth look at the packaging and contents of products. The YouTuber goes through the process of opening the packaging, revealing the contents, and showcasing the product, often with a commentary on each item.

Unboxing videos have become a staple in the YouTube community, with many creators dedicating entire channels to this genre. Some of the most popular unboxing channels (like Ryan's World above) have millions of subscribers and views, making it a lucrative niche for content creators.

Why are Unboxing Videos Popular?

Unboxing videos have become increasingly popular in recent years, and for good reason. For many viewers, unboxing videos satisfy their curiosity and desire to see what's inside a package, especially if it's a product they're interested in buying. These videos provide an honest and upfront review of the product, which helps potential buyers make an informed decision.

Another reason for the popularity of unboxing videos is the emotional connection viewers feel while watching them. Unboxing a new item, whether it's a phone, a game, or a toy, can be an exciting experience. Unboxing videos allow viewers to experience that excitement vicariously, even if the product isn't theirs.

Additionally, unboxing videos can be a form of entertainment. Many creators add their own personality and humor to their videos, making them engaging and enjoyable to watch.

The Impact of Unboxing Videos on Marketing

Unboxing videos have had a significant impact on marketing and advertising. Many companies now send their products to popular YouTubers for unboxing and review, as it provides exposure to a large audience and can influence purchasing decisions.

However, the authenticity of unboxing videos has been called into question, as some creators may receive compensation or free products in exchange for a positive review. This has led to increased scrutiny and regulations surrounding sponsored content on YouTube.

Despite these concerns, unboxing videos remain a popular and influential genre on YouTube, providing viewers with an entertaining and informative look at various products.

Planning Your Unboxing Video

Choosing the Right Product to Unbox

The first step in planning your unboxing video is to select the right product. Choose a product that interests you and is relevant to your target audience. Make sure the product is something that you can showcase and speak about in an engaging way. For example, if you are a beauty influencer, you may want to unbox and review the latest makeup products on the market. Alternatively, if you are a tech enthusiast, you may want to unbox and review the latest gadgets and electronics.

It is also important to consider the popularity of the product. If the product is highly anticipated or in high demand, your unboxing video is more likely to receive views and engagement from your audience.

Setting Goals for Your Video

Before starting your unboxing video, set goals for what you want to achieve with the video. Do you want to promote the product or provide an unbiased review? Do you want to entertain your audience or educate them? Understanding your goals will help you create a more focused and effective video.

For example, if your goal is to promote the product, you may want to highlight its unique features and benefits. On the other hand, if your goal is to provide an unbiased review, you may want to provide a detailed analysis of the product's pros and cons.

Researching Your Target Audience

As with any content creation, it is important to know your audience. Researching your target audience will give insight into what type of content they enjoy watching and their preferences. This will help you tailor your unboxing video to meet their needs and interests.

For instance, if your target audience is primarily young adults, you may want to incorporate humor and pop culture references into your video. Alternatively, if your target audience is primarily professionals, you may want to focus on the product's practical uses and benefits for their daily lives.

By understanding your target audience, you can create a more engaging and relevant unboxing video that resonates with your viewers.

Preparing for Your Unboxing Video Shoot

Unboxing videos have been a popular trend on YouTube for several years now. They give viewers an in-depth look at products and allow them to see what they're getting before they make a purchase. If you're interested in creating your own unboxing video, here are some tips to help you prepare for your shoot.

Gathering the Necessary Equipment

Before you start filming, you'll need to gather the necessary equipment. Depending on your budget, you might need a camera, lighting equipment, a microphone, and a tripod. However, if you're new to unboxing videos, you can also start with a smartphone camera or webcam. These devices can produce high-quality videos without breaking the bank.

If you decide to invest in professional equipment, there are many options available. A DSLR camera, for example, can produce stunning visuals, while a shotgun microphone can capture clear audio. Lighting equipment is also important, especially if you're filming in a dimly lit room. Softbox lights are a popular choice among YouTubers, as they provide even lighting without creating harsh shadows.

Setting Up Your Filming Space

The next step is to set up your filming space. Find an area with good lighting and minimal distractions. You might want to consider adding a backdrop or props that are relevant to the product or your channel's branding. This will help create a cohesive look for your video and make it more visually appealing.

When choosing a filming space, it's important to think about the product you're unboxing. For example, if you're unboxing a beauty product, you might want to film in a well-lit bathroom or vanity area. If you're unboxing a new gaming console, you might want to film in a room with a TV and gaming setup.

Make sure to test the lighting and camera angles before you start filming. You want to make sure that everything looks good on camera and that you're comfortable with the setup.

Creating a Shot List and Script

Create a shot list that outlines the items you want to showcase, camera angles, and any additional commentary you want to make. This will ensure that you cover all the important aspects of the unboxing. You may also want to prepare a script for any commentary you plan to make during the video.

It's important to strike a balance between being informative and entertaining. While viewers want to learn about the product, they also want to be entertained. Consider adding some humor or personal anecdotes to your commentary to keep viewers engaged.

Overall, creating an unboxing video can be a fun and rewarding experience. With the right equipment, setup, and preparation, you can create a high-quality video that will keep viewers coming back for more.

Filming Your Unboxing Video

Unboxing videos have become increasingly popular on social media platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. They provide viewers with an opportunity to see a product being opened and used for the first time, giving them an idea of what to expect if they were to purchase it themselves.

Camera Angles and Techniques

When filming an unboxing video, it's important to experiment with camera angles and techniques to make the video engaging and interesting. Try different shots, such as close-ups of the product, shots of the packaging, and shots of your reactions. These different angles will help to keep the video visually interesting and engaging.

Another technique to consider is using slow-motion shots. This can be particularly effective when unboxing products that have a lot of detail or movement, such as a new tech gadget or a piece of jewelry.

Tips for Capturing High-Quality Footage

To capture high-quality footage, ensure that you have good lighting and sound quality. Natural light is always best, so try filming near a window or outside if possible. If you are filming indoors, consider investing in some studio lights to ensure that the product is well-lit and the colors are accurate.

Check to ensure that the camera is in focus and the product is well-lit. Test the audio levels and make sure the sound is clear and audible. You don't want your viewers to struggle to hear what you're saying, as this will make the video less engaging. You can also use any video editing software for beginners to enhance the footage and fix any issues with colors or sound.

Engaging with Your Audience During the Unboxing

Lastly, engage with your audience during the video. Ask for their opinions or feedback on the product, and respond to any comments or questions they leave. Engaging with your audience will make them feel connected to you and your content.

Remember to have fun, experiment, and be creative with your content! Unboxing videos can be a great way to connect with your audience and showcase your personality and style.

Best YouTube Unboxing Channels

Now that we've given you the lay of the land when it comes to creating your own unboxing videos, let's talk about some of the best unboxing video creators on YouTube. Before we share them with you, a word of advice: Take and leave what you want from any of these unboxing superstars. Ultimately each of these creators has managed to garner an audience by being consistent and finding their own unique voice and point of view. Copy and pasting what any one of them has done is unlikely to boost your brand or business.

Also keep in mind there is a difference between unboxing videos generated by creators, versus brands. A branded unboxing video will likely be a fair bit more straightforward, while creators will put their own personal spin on the experience, from structure and graphics to tone (critical? fangirl? comparison?) and what they comment on. We've mostly focused on some of the top unboxing channels below, but we're also including a few branded examples to inspire you as well.

Marques Brownlee

One of the most popular tech reviewers on YouTube, Marques Brownlee is known for his straight shooting reviews of both the unboxing and product experience for nearly every major tech release out there, including from brands like Apple, Google, and Tesla. Admittedly, one of the secrets to Brownlee's success is being an early adopter - he's been dropping videos on YouTube (including unboxing videos) since 2008!

But there are a few tips you can pick up from Brownlee's approach, including:

• Know your core: Brownlee pays attention to the comments section and says he only reviews products he knows his audience will dig
• Timeliness: Many of Brownlee's reviews are first to market, often within a day of release
• Be honest: Brownlee isn't sucking up the tech companies he reviews, no matter how much exclusive access they give him. Many of his reviews are critical, building trust with his audience.

Lavinia Rusanda

Beauty vloggers are pretty much synonymous with unboxing - and often, the experience is more about the products themselves over the unboxing experience. But in the case of Lavinia Rusanda, her unboxing videos usually go soup to nuts walking you through opening the package, who it's from, and what she knows about the brand and products along the way.

What to take away:

• PR or bought: With over 100k subscribers, Rusanda has no shortage of PR products sent her way, and she does a fair job of disclosing what's been sent and when she's doing PR-driven unboxing versus self-bought hauls.
• Show and tell: Generally speaking, beauty lovers will want to see you use the products and not just showcase the unboxing - do a bit of both!

Unbox Therapy

Back to tech for a moment, Canadian Lewis Hilsenteger is primarily focused on unboxing the coolest and most hyped gadgets on the planet...for the most part. He also does some fun additional series like "Does It Suck?" where he takes gadgets that are maybe less prestigious or have built up some viral hype, and assesses whether they're actually worth parting with your cold hard cash.

What to take away:

• Add music: A lot of YouTubers tend to stick with just straight speaking when doing unboxing, but music can help add some flow and momentum to your unboxing videos. Look for royalty free or stock music online.
• Make it light: Your review doesn't have to be so cut and dry as just "here's the product". On Unbox Therapy, they make fun of little errors or hiccups during the shoot instead of editing them out.
• Have a live camera: There are tons of different cameras at work with every shoot Unbox Therapy undertakes. There's your typical overhead and head on shots, as well as some post-unboxing 'glamour' shots up close of products. But there's also a camera that zooms in live during the shoot to 'react' to what's being spoken about.

Shipping Things

This account stands out in that it's sort of, kind of, a B2B unboxing channel. Their primary focus is really on the actual technical breakdown of the unboxing experience, right down to the mailing label, dimensions, and packaging materials breakdown. That being said - any consumer can tune in and still get plenty of insight on what to expect when purchasing products from some of the best-known and buzziest ecommerce and DTC brands out there. On top of that, newer ecommerce players can also get the lowdown on logistics and key terms they need to learn when diving into the world of packaging and shipping.

Here's what to learn from Shipping Things:

• No detail is too small: Shipping Things gets really into the weeds on how products are *packaged* specifically. Even if that's not your focus, know that someone seeking out an unboxing video might be happy to get the fine details from you as well.
• Organize your collections: As a primarily unboxing-focused channel, Shipping Things does a great job of packaging up (pun intended!) their videos into helpful playlists and collections that make it easy for anyone to find what they're looking for.
• Have fun: Even though Shipping Things is something of a B2B channel, they do a great job of having fun with their content, starting every video off with an oversized mailbox to retrieve their packages.
• Consider different angles: Many videos from Shipping Things have two unique angles - head one, and overhead, giving viewers a 360 degree, immersive view of the unboxing experience.

Xbox

This last example is on here for a reason: Because it's an Xbox unboxing video...on the Xbox channel! Long story short, yes, as a brand, you can upload unboxing videos to your own channel. Many brands will leverage influencers to help spread the word about their content, but there's no reason why you can't share your own unboxing, particularly if you have internal influencers such as a Founder/Creator that's actively involved in representing your brand. Or you can curate a collection of unboxing videos built with influencers, as well as your own creations.

What to learn from Xbox:

• Get technical: Why would someone watch Apple or Xbox unbox their own product? Cause they can give the most detailed technical breakdown of things.
• Go behind the scenes: On a similar note, explain the why behind the what - you're uniquely positioned to share why your unboxing experience was designed in the way it was.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as you perfect your unboxing videos on YouTube, why not take advantage of Ghost's free shoppable video platform? By transforming your engaging unboxings into interactive video shopping experiences, you'll not only captivate your audience but also provide them with a seamless way to shop the products they love. After all, there's nothing more satisfying than watching an unboxing and being able to effortlessly click and buy. Happy unboxing, and even happier shopping!