With the rise of TikTok, more social media platforms (like Instagram) are moving towards favoring video content. Video content is king, making it more important than ever to include video ads in your marketing strategy.
But as video content is taking over social media platforms, it’s becoming more difficult to capture users’ attention. In a never-ending sea of content, how can you make sure that your video ads stand out? Read on to find our best practices for video ads to ensure that you meet (and possibly exceed) your engagement and conversion goals.
Capture Users’ Attention Right Away
If you’re wondering how to make video ads then this is one of the most important things to keep in mind – grab your audience’s attention right away. You have just a couple of seconds to engage with a user and get them interested in what you have to say. Otherwise, they’re scrolling right on by.
So how do you get a user to stop scrolling and watch your video ad? Start your video with an exciting shot. Whether that’s by using bright, colorful animation or a fast-paced shot, you want the video to catch their eye and hold their attention. Another option is to present a common problem that your product solves that will resonate with the viewer.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box too! Just because a hook has worked well for another brand doesn’t mean it’s the best route for you. Your brand has a unique story to tell, so the way that you capture users’ attention might need to be unique as well. While all successful brands might be different in how they do their ads, one common theme between all great video ad examples is that they start with a bang!
Consider Audio and Captions
Depending on the platform you plan to run your video ads on, users may be more likely to watch with the sound on or tend to lean more towards watching with sound off. Either way, it’s important to consider both the audio and the captions for your video.
Firstly, you should almost always include captions. There may be some examples where captions aren’t necessary, but typically captions are extremely important on most social media platforms.
You’ll also want to ensure that the audio mentions your brand. A surprising number of ads never actually mention the brand name. If a user is watching with sound on and you mention your brand name, they’ll not only see your brand but also hear it, making it more likely for them to recall your brand later. This is a helpful tactic in terms of increasing brand awareness and brand recognition.
Consider Your Audience
When considering how to make a good video ad, it’s important to remember who your ad is for. The target audience for your video is going to make a big difference in what information you include in the video, how the video is structured, what platform you run it on, etc. Essentially, you shouldn’t even start thinking about your video until you’ve determined your audience.
If you’re looking to acquire new customers, you may focus on a particular set of demographics and/or shared interests. You’ll want to tailor your video (both the visuals and the script) to the things that those users care about. Or you may be looking to attract one-time customers and turn them into repeat customers. In that case, your video needs to be different than the one trying to acquire new customers.
Partner with Creators
Answering the question of “what makes a good video ad?” can be tricky because it really depends on the industry and the goal of the video. One thing we’ve seen time and time again, though, is the success that comes with partnering with creators.
One of the biggest benefits of partnering with a creator is that they have a built-in audience that you’re guaranteed to get your product in front of. While users are more savvy to sponsored content than they were in the past, they still tend to trust that the creators they follow are only promoting products that they believe in themselves.
Plus, there’s a reason content creators are so successful in what they do – they know how to create content! If you feel like your video ads need a shakeup, working with a creator is a great way to approach things from a new perspective.
Fit Your Video to Each Platform
Each social media platform is different for a variety of reasons when it comes to video ads. First, the video ad specs vary between platforms. You’ll want to be sure that you’re filming/editing in a way that will cater to the sizes needed for each platform if you plan to use your video ad across platforms.
Additionally, you’ll want to consider the type of user on each platform and why they’re there. A user on YouTube is going to prefer a different ad than a user on Facebook, for example. While you can certainly use the same video ad across platforms, you may find that slightly tweaking the video (i.e. changing the length, editing the audio, etc.) to be tailored to the audience on a specific platform may be more beneficial.
Include a Call to Action
Last, but certainly not least, on the list of best practices for video ads is including a call to action. Tell your viewers what to do next. Do you want them to go to your website to shop? Then, make that extremely clear in your video ad! Like we said above, users have an endless amount of content at their fingertips, so unless you make it easy for them to take the action you want them to take, they’ll just keep scrolling.
Now that you know how to make video ads, it’s time to get started on your own! If you’ve got an idea but don’t really know how to execute it, then we would be happy to help. Our team of experts can turn your vision into reality and have your video ad up and running in no time. Send us a message or give us a call at 831-824-9660 to get started today!