Video ads are a powerful way to reach your audience, but they also require careful planning and execution. How can you make sure your video ad stands out from the crowd and delivers your message effectively? Here are some tips to help you create a video ad that works.
Before you start filming, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your video ad. Do you want to raise awareness, generate leads, drive sales, or something else? Your goal will determine your video's length, tone, style, and call to action. For example, if you want to increase conversions, you might want to keep your video short, engaging, and focused on the benefits of your product or service.
Clear goal = clear video. Decide: awareness, leads, sales? Goal guides length, tone, style, call to action. Short & engaging for conversions, highlight benefits.
I feel that understanding the big picture is a key factor for what the brand/product wish to communicate to the target audience. After the initial ideation, and the budgets are in place, understand the modes of delivery/platforms. A script(story matters) can make or break the ad. Pre and Post production are equally important as the production itself in order to obtain a quality product. However, the idea is to ensure the messaging hits the right spot and resonates it with the intended audience. Hire people better than you and ensure the team is in harmony with the collective vision.
Keep your brand at the center of the message: Focus on your brand's personality, values, history, and mission, rather than just promoting a product. Integrate your logo in a natural way, on a product, for example, rather than simply overlaying it on the screen Grab the viewer's attention in the first few seconds of the video ad with a captivating hook Deliver your message with graphics, people, and text.Use visual storytelling to capture and maintain the viewer's attention Be descriptive about the video in the ad headline and text. Include a CTA that tells the viewer what to do after watching the video ad
By the time you reach the production stage, it is crucial to have a clear plan regarding what you intend to produce. I have experienced situations where a 30-second TV commercial was cut down to just 6 seconds, which was far from ideal. Despite objections to such drastic reductions, they still occur, with poor results / ROI. Therefore, if you are uncertain about your goal, it is advisable not to commence production. Knowing your objective beforehand helps in avoiding inefficient use of resources and ensures that the final output aligns with the intended message and strategy.
To ensure your video ad stands out, focus on a compelling narrative that resonates with your target audience, evoking emotions and telling a memorable story. Incorporate visually engaging elements, utilizing high-quality production techniques, vibrant visuals, and impactful sound design to capture and maintain viewer attention. Lastly, optimize for different platforms, ensuring your ad is tailored to the specific viewing behaviors and preferences of your audience on various channels, from social media to streaming service
You also need to know who you are talking to and what they care about. Your video ad should speak to their needs, pain points, interests, and emotions. You can use tools like buyer personas, market research, and customer feedback to understand your audience better. Then, you can tailor your video's content, language, and visuals to appeal to them and make them take action.
Craft ads that resonate: *Who are you reaching? Understand their wants, worries & dreams. *Speak their language: Address their needs & pain points authentically. *Connect emotionally: Use visuals & stories to grab attention & spark action. *Tailor every element: From content to visuals, it should resonate with them. Action! Guide viewers towards the next step clearly & compellingly.
A video that is not tailored to your audience represents a missed opportunity. Meticulous planning and strategic preparation are essential to gain the right insights for targeting your audience effectively. Before initiating production, conducting thorough research and analysis helps in understanding the audience's preferences and behaviors. This foundational work enables your creative team to develop a compelling storyline that resonates with the audience. It's crucial to align the narrative with distinct, carefully chosen assets that not only engage but also appeal to the specific interests and needs of your target demographic.
Besides creating a compelling and catchy video ad with a great hook..to me, the most integral thing in ensuring success is figuring out and really understanding your potential client. You need to know their pain points, their likes and dislikes. In fact, I recommend creating your buyer persona before even embarking on your creative/ad concept. When you understand your audience...you will be able to produce the ad that will grab their attention because you have taken the time to understand them.
Different platforms have different specifications and best practices for video ads. You need to know where you are going to run your video ad and how to optimize it for that platform. For example, some platforms require vertical or square videos, some have limits on the video duration, and some have auto-play or mute options. You should also consider how your video will fit into the user's experience and how to capture their attention in the first few seconds.
When using different platforms, it's important to adjust your settings accordingly. For a national TV campaign, consider the timing and days for airing. TV allows for a longer duration to engage viewers compared to a 6-second online pre-roll ad, offering more opportunity for detailed storytelling and deeper audience engagement. Tailor your strategy to suit the specific platform and audience attention spans for maximum impact.
A good video ad tells a compelling story that connects with the viewer and delivers your message. You need to have a clear structure for your video that includes a hook, a problem, a solution, and a call to action. You should also use elements like characters, conflict, emotion, and humor to make your story more engaging and memorable. A good story will keep your viewer interested and motivated to learn more or buy from you.
Here are the story points that i consider *Hook viewers in seconds, present a relatable problem. *Showcase your solution as the answer, evoke emotion. *End with a clear call to action, leave them wanting more.
Your budget will affect the quality and quantity of your video production. You need to know how much you can spend on your video ad and how to allocate it wisely. You should consider the costs of equipment, talent, location, editing, music, and distribution. You should also look for ways to save money without compromising your video's effectiveness. For example, you can use stock footage, animation, or user-generated content to create your video.
Finally, you need to know how to measure the success of your video ad. You should define the key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your goal and track them regularly. Some common KPIs for video ads are views, watch time, click-through rate, conversion rate, and return on ad spend. You should also use tools like analytics, surveys, and feedback to evaluate your video's performance and identify areas for improvement.
Measuring video ad success is key. Define KPIs aligned with your goal (brand awareness, leads, sales). Track metrics like views, watch time, clicks, conversions, & ROI. Use analytics, surveys & feedback to learn & improve. 645 characters
Testing...testing. It is always a good idea to produce multiple versions of ads to see which ones perform the best. Once you have some data, you then can put more ad dollars behind the best performing ad to leverage reach.