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Due to the breakneck rise of video based content on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, businesses have begun to seize the opportunity to leverage this growing medium for more visibility, increased market relevance and drive conversions.
But recognizing this rise and acting on the opportunity effectively are two very different things; creating a well-crafted video ad that speaks directly to your target audience will be the most powerful tool you need for that desired increase in awareness and sales.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the essentials of creating a successful video ad that will convert cold traffic into customers.
Before you start crafting your video ad, it’s essential to understand who you’re trying to reach with your message. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out our article that walks through how to do effective competitor research; this will provide the solid foundation you need to write for your target audience.
When it comes to understanding your audience in this specific context, one of the most important things to consider is how they are consuming videos. Through your competitor research, pay particular attention to the videos they are producing. Watch them, write down helpful notes to inform your own video efforts and start to brainstorm how to implement what is working for others into your own campaign.
Especially consider the tone of the video, the visual style, the length, how direct or passive the voice of the video is, how the video sets itself apart from others in the marketplace, what music is being used; this information will inform how you present your product in the video ad; if the audience responds best to short, snappy messages then make sure your video reflects that approach.
Be sure not to copy what a competitor is doing (and NEVER plagiarize); research is only ever a means of education for what is working for others that you can then interpolate in your own way. Remember, you want to stand out to your audience and not just be one of a thousand indistinguishable voices in a crowd. Understanding your audience through competitor research will help you more than simply replicating what others are already doing ever could.
People have limited attention spans these days, especially when it comes to scrolling through social media. Think about how fast we move through content on a timeline! So it’s important that you capture your audience’s attention quickly with the right visuals or words before they scroll away in seconds flat. This is where having a hook that’s impossible to ignore will drive that audience engagement and conversion.
Remember, a key reason behind the rise of video ads lies in their ability to communicate ideas or products effectively in a crazy short amount of time. A great shot of the product in use, a killer hook highlighting your audience’s pain point or an engaging unique first few seconds can be the difference between a click and a scroll. Think about those first five seconds as much as you can and how best you can utilize them to capture your audience’s attention.
With that in mind, we recommend keeping video lengths short (under 30 seconds) and making sure your hook ties back in with the overall message of your product or service. If the target stops scrolling to watch but doesn’t come away with an interest to either learn more or a desire for the product, your video will simply be resigned to the graveyard of failed attempts to draw the audience in.
When it comes to the content of the video, keep things as simple as possible; avoid complex stories or technical details that may confuse viewers and lose their interest instead of engaging them further. Keep the storytelling simple. Focus on telling a story that captures viewers’ imagination and keeps them engaged until the end of the video.
The goal should always be to inspire action from viewers without overwhelming them with too much information at once. Staying under 30 seconds should naturally help, but don’t then be tempted to over-stuff your video with as much as possible. Less really can be more!
As part of your audience research, a very important factor to make note of are the pain points of your target. What does your audience find themselves in need of, and how does your product or offer resolve that problem for them? Rather than just promote features and benefits of your product or service, tell a bigger story about how it can make life better for your customers with those pain points in mind.
A lot of decisions are made emotionally and not just logically, so show examples of success stories using visuals and interviews rather than relying solely on facts and figures. If you do need stats to back up claims you make about your offering, be sure to include those too but don’t feel that your video needs to be an infomercial!
Given most videos are watched on mobile devices these days, it’s important that all files used are optimized so they can easily upload on cell phones. A video might look incredible in a 4k format, but if the file size is causing any compression issues or lag time then that could frustrate your audience and drive them away without giving them a good chance to see your product or offer!
Consult each platform’s best practice guide for uploading videos to make sure your video will be usable and high enough quality while remaining mechanically efficient. Here are a few useful resources for some of the most popular platforms to get you started:
Once you finally post your video ad, don’t sit back and think the work is done! Understanding how your audience is interacting with your videos (and how successful they are in generating leads or sales) will prove to be a vital part of continued success for your ad performance.
Using analytics tools (such as Google Analytics, Facebook Insights or TikTok Business depending which platforms you choose) will allow you to measure user engagement over time with your video ads to show which parts work best and what needs improving. This data is invaluable in driving insights into what resonates most with audiences and makes continual optimization efforts that much easier down the road.
Never think of your videos as stagnant, but always seek changes to improve audience reach, engagement and conversions. The industry around you will continually be finding ways to innovate and stay ahead, which means you will need to as well!
If you’re struggling to come up with ideas or plans for your offer or product to break into the video ad game, or have other questions about how to carry out an effective marketing campaign to progress your business efforts, let’s talk!
Schedule a personal one-on-one strategy session today and see how AdClass can take your marketing to the next level.
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