Elements of Video Advertising: Tips and Tricks
Whether you’re creating video ads from scratch or using assets created for other mediums to edit for online video advertising, there are a number of tricks you can use to optimize your ads online.
Here are the essential elements of video advertising with some short video ads examples so that you can start creating more effective video ads.
Tip #1: Make the most of the first 5 seconds
Your ads can be a 6-second, 15-second, or 30-second spot, and you’ll still want to use the first 5 seconds to the fullest. Think of it as putting your ending first. Your ad may be skippable after the first few seconds, so it’s best to assume that the audience will not see more than those first few seconds of your ad.
- The first thing your viewer sees in the advertisement is your brand If there is no other take away from the ad, at a minimum you’ll gain brand awareness on a subconscious level simply by showing your logo or mentioning your brand in the first 3 seconds.
- Fit as much of your message as you can in the first 5 seconds. If possible, use it to convince the audience to keep watching past that timeframe.
Tide’s “Old Spice” spoof is a great example of not only capturing your attention in the first 5 seconds. It’s also a great example of getting your brand in front of the audience in a creative way.
Tip #2: Maintain audience attention with visual storytelling
Once you’ve captured your audience’s attention with those first crucial seconds, you’ll need to make sure you maintain that attention, especially if you have a 15 or 30-second online video advertising spot. Your video should have a beginning, middle, and end.
Keep it compelling, relatable, and make sure it feels native. Your audience gets bombarded by online video advertising daily. While your video should still be a high-quality product, the less flashy and more relatable, the more eyes you will keep on your video.
Ask yourself what one problem am I solving for my audience, and why will it matter to them?
Lamborghini’s “True Christmas Story” ad is a brilliant example of this that tells the story of a boy and his dad building a 3D printed Lamborghini, creating an emotional response with the viewer.
Tip #3: Use consistent design and aesthetics
You should consider your online video ad an extension of the landing page or website you’re driving traffic to. When designing any motion graphics for your video, use the same colors and fonts as your website and brand as a whole. Consistent colors and fonts in your online video ads create a seamless brand experience.
Tip #4 Optimize for sound off
It’s safe to assume that most viewers will see your ad with the sound turned off, so you need to get your message across with no narration. You can use simple subtitles to accomplish this, or more advanced type overlays and motion graphics with an abbreviated message so that viewers can read it quickly.
We recommend using sentence case whenever possible and avoiding all-caps. Sentence case is easier to read because it creates an identifiable shape for each word as opposed to every word appearing as a rectangle.
Intel’s “#more than a laptop” video ad is an excellent example of not only using an engaging soundtrack but also optimizing for sound off. Note the subtitles throughout the entire video, and callouts of specific words through the use of motion graphics.
Tip #5: Choose music that matches the tone of your ad
While you need to optimize your online video advertising for sound-off viewing, don’t ignore viewers who will view it with the sound.
The feel of your ad’s message should set the tone for what style of music to use. For example, your ad may have a somber message asking the viewer for donations to help the homeless that a slower, more dramatic, soundtrack would help convey.
Or it may be an ad for an exciting, new adrenaline-fueled product that is best supported by a high-energy soundtrack. There are plenty of stock music houses online where you can purchase royalty-free clips of different lengths, searchable by genre, mood, and even by instrument.
Tip #6: Include a clear and concise call to action
As with display ads, your online video advertising should have a clear and concise call to action. There are many ways to accomplish this:
- A voiceover in the ad can convey the action you want the viewer to take. But don’t rely only on this method—remember, the sound may be off.
- Use text overlays to encourage the viewer to take the specific action you want them to take.
- Add a button graphic, similar to the buttons commonly used in display ads.
The beauty of these different elements of video advertising is that you can combine and use them in multiple ways. We highly recommend creating a few different versions and testing them to determine which method works best for your creative. This will help you ultimately drive more user engagements and higher conversion volume with increased ROI.
Tip #7 Make sure your video ads are mobile friendly
Don’t forget that a large number of users will see your ad on mobile. Again, this means the sound will likely be off by default. More importantly, the screen size they will view the video on will be smaller. Use typography that displays larger fonts so that they are easier to read in the smaller sized mobile video ad.
Tip #8: Covering larger specs is essential
When creating your online video advertising, make sure you’re aware of the specs you’ll need for various formats. Set up your video file with the largest dimensions that you’ll need and create your original ad in that size.
Then when it’s time to convert your ad for smaller dimensions, you’re assured to have a crisp video. It’s easy to “res it down,” but if you try to “res it up” you’re guaranteed to end up with a blurry video and will have to spend precious time rebuilding it at the larger size.
Additionally, if you intend to use your online video advertising in a vertical aspect ratio (such as an Instagram story ad), your original design must keep all the important actions and text towards the middle of the frame. You’ll save yourself time in the long run by not having to do a major overhaul to the overall layout of the visual messaging in the video.
Tip #9: Perform A/B testing
As with anything in digital marketing, there is no single road to success, especially when it comes to your online video advertising and mobile video ads. Make sure you do a good amount of A/B testing.
This could include testing different online video advertising lengths, different text, CTAs, or even swapping out some visuals for others. See which types of tailored content resonate the best with your target audience.
Learn more about how you can create highly personalized online video advertising in our blog post. You can also get in touch with us today to discover how we help brands drive highly effective online video advertising that drives conversions with maximum ROI.
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