Last updated: October 1, 2026 · Will Cousin, VinScroll
Do dealers need to be on camera for video ads?
No. Inventory video ads can be built from the photos already on each VDP, with the year, model, price, and your store name on screen. A face helps in brand video, where shoppers decide whether they trust your store. In an ad that sells one specific unit, the car is the subject.
Why won't my staff get on video?
Plenty of people won't. Carsten, a vendor posting on DealerRefresh in August 2024, wrote: "Lots of people just don't want to be on video." A salesperson who will walk a customer around a car all day can freeze in front of a phone. When a video program depends on one volunteer, it stalls the week that person is busy, off, or gone.
What does a video ad look like with nobody on camera?
It is built from the unit's own photos, the ones already on its VDP. Camera movement over each photo, a short sequence, and on-screen text carry what a presenter would say. A typical per-unit ad includes:
- The unit's photos in order: front three-quarter, side, interior, details
- Year, make, model, trim, and miles as on-screen text
- The current price
- Your store's name and logo
- A link to that unit's VDP
Will shoppers watch a video ad if nobody is talking?
Ryan Everson, a dealer on DealerRefresh, wrote in July 2024 that "the majority of customers have their audio turned off." If most of your viewers have the sound off, a salesperson talking to the camera loses most of the message. On-screen text with the trim and price gets through either way, and so do the photos of the car.
When does a face on camera help?
In brand video. A walk through the service drive, the GM explaining how the store handles trade-ins, or a delivery with a happy buyer all sell the store rather than a unit. Those are worth filming when someone is willing, because they help a shopper decide whether to buy from you. They don't go stale when a car sells, so a few good ones can run for months.
Can one person film a video for every car?
Not on most lots. If a video takes 20 minutes to shoot and post, a 200-car lot is about 66 hours of work, and new arrivals and price changes add more every week. Photo-built ads skip the filming. The work then depends on the photos your lot porter or photo vendor already takes.
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Common questions
Will an ad without a person look cheap?
It can, if it is a flat slideshow with a robot voiceover. Camera movement, clean on-screen text, and your branding change that. Alex Snyder, founder of DealerRefresh, said of one vendor's videos in June 2026: "I like the camera movement. Makes a big difference on the believability factor."
Should salespeople still make personal videos?
Yes, for one-to-one follow-up. A quick video a salesperson texts to a shopper about a car they asked about is a different tool from paid ads, which reach in-market shoppers who haven't contacted you yet.
Does VinScroll need anyone from the store on camera?
No. Each unit's ad is built from the photos in your inventory feed. Onboarding takes about 15 minutes of the store's time, and nobody films anything.
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