Have you ever used actors in your videos? If so...

Since nobody bit yet, I'll assume that there aren't many folks that have gone through the trouble of hiring this out.

I want to say that in a lot of product categories (and I would almost say "most"), the slightly raw nature of making your own video to sell stuff on the net is the best way to go with some caveats. The reason is that the web is still new (Yes, in 30 years we will be looking back to these times in wistful, reminiscent ways) and it still has the wild, wild west feel where most folks want to be shielded from the polished, insincere commercials in other media. What better way to spend time online than on a page that has someone trying hard to convince you with words and not with a professional stage or background (if, of course, you're in the market for something and ready to be 'sold' to)? What worse way than with an actor that isn't even the site owner? (This isn't bad 100% of the time - there are some times that an actor is useful of course. I'm talking GENERALLY.)

The caveat is, of course, is that the pendulum cannot swing towards "raw" too much. Something too scrappy makes it hard to take one seriously. The reason why is because if the person doing the selling doesn't take the time to appear to 'care', then why should the customer? Why should the customer think that the product would be any good if the selling video isn't?

Have you ever gone to a site that was selling specifically "how to" stuff where the sales video is so dad-gum polished that it kind of scares you out of a buying decision because it makes you feel that you won't be able to pull off learning the how-to stuff because you've illogically connected the how-to product to the sales video (and the apparent difficulty in making said video)? Some Stampernet stuff comes to mind.

OR ... you viewed the video and instead thinking of purchasing, you instead were thinking more of the video - whether you're really wowed and impressed with it or you've come to the verdict that the product seller was full of him/herself and just showing off? (In other words, the video proved itself to be a distraction?) Hmmm?

The take-away is this: Imagine yourself as a customer for the product you're trying to sell. Look at other sales pages. Kind of keep within the "culture" at first (that is, don't re-invent the wheel), but if your page cannot get above the din of the noise of sameness amongst all the other pages trying to sell the same type of product, then break out and try something out of the ordinary. (That is, test. You might even want to try the actor. But there are so many other things to test before going that route. Again, it really depends on the product type.)

Just Imagine yourself buying the product. What would you want to see?

Yep I've used a professional TV actor for my own stuff a few times and it's been well worth it, so much that we've teamed up to create sales videos for others.

Anyone can go on camera but very few can deliver the message comfortably and professionally.

I would say to give it a go yourself first, before you hire someone to do it for you.. you could be a real natural at it