Introduction to video ads. Video ads are video clips that are typically less than a minute long. It is published during TV programs, on ...
Introduction to video ads.
Video ads are video clips that are typically less than a minute long. It is published during TV programs, on social media platforms and websites. "The purpose of a video ad is to sell something or explain a service or product. Attention, interest, desire and movement are key," says creative director David Murdico.
Super Bowl commercials like the Clydesdales or Puppy Monkey Baby are well-known, but with the rise of digital marketing , video ads can offer much more than a 30-second video shown on cable channels. Moreover, videos can contribute to your advertising strategy in many ways.
“I see video ads as compelling small-format examples that represent the best a company, product, or brand has to offer,” says marketer Kelly Woessner. No two video ads are the same. Your brand, goals, and audience influence the type of advertising you should do.
Different types of video ads.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to video ad campaigns. "A video ad is an ad that you pay to place. Once you've created a TV ad, you can wait for the right time to run it, or you can pay a channel to run it. Usually, most of the money goes into getting the ad aired," says Murdico.
Before creating a video ad, consider where it will run and the ad format that best suits your brand or product.
Whether on cable television or digital platforms like Hulu, a standard TV commercial is a familiar and iconic advertising format.
There is no simple way to buy TV spots. Brand awareness is often increased with interesting, memorable or catchy items. Digital ads.
More than five billion videos are watched on the internet every day. Thanks to YouTube and Google ads, your content can also appear in front of your potential customers. In pre-roll spots, viewers are shown your video before the content they select. For YouTube videos, creators can also run ads mid-roll when the content is longer than eight minutes. On platforms like Facebook, these ads are also called in-stream ads.
Thanks to display ads and retargeting, you can show your ads to your customers on different websites. This also allows you to show ads to viewers who have previously interacted with your ads. Constant exposure of your content to viewers helps increase brand awareness and recognition. Marketing with social media.
Another important component of video marketing is social media content. Ads on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok are great opportunities to promote a product or gain a following.
"I particularly admire Instagram because it's so visual. I think it's very effective, at least in my experience, because it makes me want to buy things. But it's important to remember that different people use different platforms," says Woessner.
Keep in mind that each social platform has its own unique video features, sizes, and content requirements. A vertical video on TikTok and a horizontal video ad on Facebook may use the same content or message, but you may need to shoot and edit them differently.“If your following is an influencer-influenced audience, or if your product will be successful on Facebook or Instagram thanks to certain influencers, you should include that in your marketing strategy,” says Murdico.
Influencers can also help you create original and impromptu native videos (content created within the social media app) promoting your product.
Creating video ads.
1. Research your target audience.
Before creating an online video ad, you need to gather some information.
"A brand already has a certain audience, so part of the marketer's job will be to do research. As you research who the existing audience is, you can learn who other fans might be. Think about who else you can bring into the equation," Woessner suggests.
When gathering information about your audience, think about who they are, who and what they like, what they value, and what types of advertising might interest them.
After understanding the audience, it's time to understand the brand. "One of the first questions I ask is 'What is your brand tone?'" Murdico said. "It shouldn't be too crazy or wacky, it shouldn't be too serious and formal either. A brand like Mercedes will be very different compared to Ax deodorant. They create a different effect," he says. Consider what tone the brand has and what images are used in its marketing activities. The type of product you market will greatly influence your brand tone. If it is a fitness product, the brand will most likely be energetic, positive and vibrant. If it is a financial service, it will be more serious and informative.
3. Design your advertising campaign.
Now is the time to get creative and brainstorm. Discover unique ways to show the value of your product. This is also an opportunity to determine what you want the video ad to accomplish.
"What is the customer's end goal? Do they want brand awareness? Do they want to sell a specific product? What is the end audience expected to do?" Murdico leads the way for the targeted effect with these questions.
Depending on your audience, you can tell a story, add some humor, share customer testimonials, or explain to people how the product works. Whatever you decide to do, it needs to create a genuine connection with your target audience. "Not every brand and not every product needs to appeal to everyone. A big part of marketing is empathy and a lot of imagination," says Woessner.
Take time to create sketches, generate ideas through free association, and collaborate with others. The best ideas sometimes take time to emerge. So don't rush your brainstorming sessions.
Consider how a single ad relates to an entire video ad campaign or content marketing strategy. Always double check whether your ideas fit the brand image. “You can then review the ideas and move forward with the most appealing approach,” Murdico says. “Eventually, you can narrow the options down to two or three general concepts and show them to the customer.”
4. Plan, shoot and edit your ad.
Once you've chosen a concept or idea for your ad, it's time to plan the shoot . Complete your script, prepare a shot list, and identify any footage you need to shoot, such as b-roll. If you plan to use the ad across media platforms, make sure your shots are versatile. Images you took in landscape mode may also need to be used in a vertical clip in Instagram stories.
On the day of the shoot, make sure you have a realistic plan and a schedule of what needs to be done. If you interviewed someone or featured actors in your video, get as many angles and different types of footage as possible. The more images you shoot, the more material you will have to work with. Once you have the right footage, edit all the content together using Adobe Premiere Pro. Remember that you can always edit your footage in different ways for different ads.
"We don't usually write different scripts for different video lengths. We go straight into post-production and say, 'This is 60 seconds but it needs to be 15 seconds.' So you just cut out anything that's not necessary," says Murdico.
Once the video creation process is complete, you can start your campaign. No matter where your video is published, your budget or ad spend determines how many people see it. If your ad is shown on TV, your budget determines when your video ad will run. Ad spend on digital platforms determines how many people your ad will be shown across channels.
“If you're creating a video for a specific product on social media, it should be a link to where the product can be purchased. The easier you make it for the person interested in the product or brand, the better,” says Woessner. This is especially true in large advertising campaigns. Make sure you have a dedicated landing page or website that provides more information for your target audience.
Track your ad campaign after it's published. The best way to create better videos is to evaluate how your past creations have performed. Review video views to see how many people saw your ad. To measure the effectiveness of your ad, consider conversion rates (the proportion of people who see your ad who click on it or buy a product). This way you can re-execute a successful strategy or make it even better in future ads.
When your ads are interesting and enjoyed, your audience will take action and this will be reflected in your metrics. Sometimes the best ads come from collaboration. “Collaboration is essential in art and life,” says Woessner. “We become better at what we do by working together, as well as by learning from our mistakes and successes.”
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