A picture speaks a thousand words. So, imagine what a video can do. Video advertisement campaigns are rightly gaining the traction they deserve, and it is a good decision that you are thinking of video ads. Video ads have the potential to reach a wider set of audience and are effective in garnering clicks and impressions.
About 92% of B2B audiences consume online videos, and most buyers are driven to purchase via a convincing video ad. Video ads also facilitate better ad conversions, shareable content that is more informative and allows for effective storytelling, which is the lifeline of any marketing campaign.
So, if you are thinking of incorporating video ads into your marketing strategy, you are in the right place. In this article, we will tell you everything you need to know about successfully running video ads. Read on to know the best platforms to place your video ads and make the best use of them.
The Making of a Good Video Ad
Let’s first get the basics down. There are a few characteristics that are essential for any video ad to be able to capture the audience’s attention and reach the campaign goal.
Make sure your video ads possess all these qualities.
Great First Few Seconds
First few seconds into the video ad, and you will start feeling bored. Do not let this happen to your ads.
For instance, most viewers will skip a video ad the moment the option to skip appears. And people tend to lose interest pretty quickly, especially when an ad interrupts something that they are already into. So, pay extreme attention to the first 3 seconds of your ad and make it eye-catchy.
Invoke an Emotional Response
Video ads are usually shorter or the same duration as regular commercials. So unless your ad offers something really valuable, people are not going to like any fluff you show them. The best way to appeal to your audience is to strike a chord with their emotions. Make entertaining, inspiring, and informative ads that can evoke an emotional response from your viewers.
Focuses On the Target Audience
You will have to design your video ads for your target audience specifically. Make your ads relatable and factor in the target audience’s state of mind and stage of the marketing funnel to keep your viewers interested.
Mention a Clear Call to Action
Don’t try to be vague with your video ads. Include clear and concise instructions or guidance as to what you want your viewers to do. Encourage them with verbal cues and get your goal accomplished.
Optimal Ad Duration
There are ads that go the length of a short film and have been successful. And there are ads which last for just a few seconds and yet get the job done. Either way, you will have to ensure your ad doesn’t feel dragging on and communicating a clear message. Don’t make your ads longer than they should be.
Looks Good On Mobile
Make your ads look good on mobile devices as more than half the population using the Internet use mobile apps.
Apex Reach is a pioneer in video advertising. Don’t hesitate to talk with us about any of these tips or if you want us to take over your video marketing strategy. Contact us today.
Best Video Ad Platforms
There are several social media platforms and online portals that can be used to publish your ads. Each of these platforms will have its own guidelines, payment methods, placement techniques, and so on.
Here, we will list down the most popular ad platforms for video ads. We will also give pointers on the types of ad campaigns available and how to run your video ads on these platforms best
YouTube
You can’t really speak about online videos without YouTube being referenced at some point. Even if you are not going to use YouTube’s ad platform, you can still upload your video ads to your official YouTube channel and watch it grow and bring in more customers.
YouTube video ads can be integrated with your Google ads platform. It allows you to target viewers based on their Google search history and YouTube viewing behavior. So this way, you can easily reach out to people who have been searching for products and services that you will be able to offer.
Targeted ads are always a better bet than generic advertising. It allows for better engagement and conversions as the probability of a successful sale from a person who has already shown interest in your products is higher than a genetic viewer.
YouTube ads are also cheaper than Google search ads. On average, it costs $0.06 per click on YouTube. The major types of YouTube ads are.
True View Ads
True view ads are the standard type where payment is charged per view or click. You will have to pay for the ad if the viewer watches it for at least 30 seconds or when a call to action is completed.
You can set your ads to be skippable or non-skippable, and the cost will vary accordingly. Skippable ads must be between 12 seconds and 6 minutes in length, and non-skippable ads should be 15 to 20 seconds in length.
Based on the ad placement, true view ads can be
Video Discovery Ads
These are display ads placed on top of the YouTube search page results.
In-stream ads
These ads are shown before an actual video starts to play. In-stream ads can also be run across the Google Display Network.
Preroll ads
These ads must be between 15 to 20 seconds in length and can run somewhere during the middle of a video stream. These are non-skippable and usually appear on YouTube videos that are 10 minutes and longer.
Bumper ads
Bumper ads have the shortest duration of just seconds to deliver your message and play before an actual video starts playing.
Tips for Optimizing YouTube Ads
- Make use of Google ad analytics. Establish your metrics like views, branding, conversions, and so on. Do keep tracking them.
- Make use of custom thumbnail images for your video ads
- Create a call to action overlays with links to landing page URLs.
- Create YouTube end slates to increase traffic to your YouTube channel.
- Use negative remarketing to cut down on ad costs.
Facebook Video Ads
Facebook is known for running highly targeted campaigns. It allows you to use several data points to build an accurate user persona and design video ads to cater to your target audience.
Facebook has about 2.38 billion monthly active users. Chances are most of your target audience use Facebook to check out content from their favorite brands. The platform itself is more encouraging of video ads and helps drive more conversions.
Here are a few tips to make the best use of your Facebook video ads:
- Build custom audience profiles using Facebook APIs or the inbuilt custom audience feature. You can target audiences based on their geographical location, demographics information, purchase history, search history, and so on.
- Retarget followers and people who were previously interested in your page or video content.
- Execute a marketing funnel by sequencing your ads.
- Keep your ads precise and short. Be specific on the message you intend to deliver.
- Create a compelling story through your ads. And make sure your ad content is original.
- Plan to make your ads work even without the need for sound. About 85% of Facebook video ads are played on mute. Use closed captions on the video to give clearer instructions and information.
Always remember to include a text tagline at the end of your ad. It could be your brand name, the call to action text, or even a slogan.
Instagram Video Ads
Instagram is another platform that can give you a high level of customer engagement and conversions. Your video ads can be part of the explore section and stories. Instagram video ads are usually short-lasting for just a few seconds, with the maximum allowed duration being 60 seconds.
So, here are some ways to make those few seconds count:
- Make the first few seconds attention-grabbing.
- Add textual information as closed captions and dynamic text effects. As Instagram videos are muted by default, you will have to provide this information to deliver a concise message. You can also include links and tag relevant profiles to facilitate the desired call to action.
- Identify a problem statement and devise your video ads in a way as to provide a solution to the problem. This helps you connect with your target audience immediately and provide undeniable value to them.
- Make your video ads less like advertisements and more like original Instagram video content. This helps your video ads to blend into user feeds. Such ads capture user attention better. Users may want to avoid viewing ads that come off as sales. They will be more willing to engage and view an ad that offers some real entertainment or informational value to them.
- Instagram videos need to be taken in the right dimensions to appear properly on the platform. Stories and IGTV videos can fill up the entire screen. So, make your ads in a way to accommodate such aspect ratios. The recommended aspect ratio is 1:1.
- Choose and use custom thumbnails that are eye-catchy.
- Try to follow a consistent visual aesthetic on all your ads and content to promote your brand image.
- Create your video ads such that they look good when put on a loop. You can use distinct fade-in and fade-out graphics and music to make your ads pleasing.
In addition to Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, you could also try your hands on other platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Vimeo, and Snapchat. The trick is to understand the favorite platforms of your target audiences.
The Wrap Up
As you can see, video ads are the future. More than 50% of marketing professionals consider videos as the best content that drives the most ROI. So, make sure you fetch out the most of them. If this doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, reach out to Apex Reach, and we will help you craft the best video ads that not only perform well but also meet your goals.
