8 Tips and Tricks for Making a Good Video Ad

Many different kinds of video ads have been around for a long time now, and 85% of marketers have been using them in their video marketing campaigns. But how successful are these video ad campaigns? Very! According to Oberlo, 66% of video marketers found an increase in their qualified yearly leads. Sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? It truly is! And the best part is that anyone can get into digital video advertising without much hassle. You can make a professional video studio setup on any budget nowadays, so even if you’re tight on funds, you can begin recording quickly.

But now we come to the real challenge — how to make a good video ad. Well, that’s why we’re here! We’ve prepared seven tips for all the new video advertisers out there that will help you make a killer ad. So let’s cut to the chase and get right into it!

8 Tips to Follow to Create a Killer Video Ad

Making an effective video ad might seem challenging, especially for beginners, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are eight tips that will help you create a killer video ad regardless of your experience!

1. Make the Most of Your First Few Seconds

Grabbing your consumers’ attention is becoming harder by the day. The reason is that nowadays, our lives are so fast-paced that people’s attention spans have been reducing gradually. The latest findings show that an average person’s attention span is now eight seconds. That’s even less than that of a goldfish!

That is why it’s more vital than ever to grab your audience’s attention immediately. In other words, make your first few seconds count! But how do you do that? By creating a compelling hook, of course. 

Here are a few tips on how to reel potential customers in within the first five seconds of your ad:

• Introduce a problem and offer a solution.
• Surprise them.
• Begin a story.
• Ask a question.

If you successfully manage to intrigue your target audience within the first 5–10 seconds, you will see a drastic increase in your ad’s success.

2. Short But Sweet Is the Way to Go

Being brief and concise is a virtue, but it’s not just our opinion. According to Extreme Reach, at the end of 2019, 66% of online video ads were 30 seconds or lower. On top of that, a survey by Invespcro shows that 46% of respondents believe the optimal length of a video ad is under 15 seconds, while only 35% voted in favor of the 15–30-second bracket.

So should you keep your ad as short as possible? We believe you should, though going up to 30 seconds should be OK too. And if you’re worried that your ads won’t have enough screen time to be memorable, don’t. Short-form video advertising is a tried and tested digital marketing strategy that many businesses have found success with. Here’s an example of how even the shortest ads can pack quite a punch:

So don’t be afraid to keep your ads short but sweet!

3. Help Your Audience, Don’t Sell a Product

The best way to earn someone’s trust is to help them, wouldn’t you agree? Indeed it is! Instead of zeroing in on selling a product with your ad, you should focus on helping your users. But what do we mean by that? It’s pretty straightforward.

By shifting your focus toward solving a particular problem your audience may have with one of your products or services, you will be more likely to turn them into a paying customer. After all, when people search for things online, they usually look for a solution to a predicament they have. And if your brand shows up as their knight in shining armor, don’t you think they’d consider making a purchase?

4. Personalize Your Videos

Long gone are the days when businesses could focus solely on their products. Customers no longer only care about making a transaction anymore; they want to feel appreciated. But how do you do that? The answer is simple — by personalizing your videos!

Making personalized video ads in your campaign will help your brand’s message resonate with your viewers. Personalized content is an excellent way to get closer to your audience as it can help you get rid of the guise of a cold, corporate entity.

According to a recent study, 92% of marketers are already using personalization to skyrocket their engagement! We’re sure you don’t want to let your competitors overtake you, do you?

5. Tell a Story

Nowadays, we live in a world oversaturated with advertisements. That is why many brands have been shifting their gaze toward a more story-driven approach to advertising. A survey found that 71% of businesses noticed their most popular advertisements were storytelling ads. But what are these ads like?

When we talk about video storytelling in advertising, what we mean is that your ad should have a plot with a beginning, a center-point, and an end, just like a movie would. It also has to be convincing and relatable if you want it to be memorable.

But how do you do that in such a short time of a video ad? There is no single answer to that question, so, instead, we’ll give you a few tips:

• Be imaginative.
• Make it dynamic.
• Appeal to viewers’ emotions .

These three points are cornerstones to every effective video ad. But we think it’s best we give an example too, so here’s one:

As you can see, this ad has it all — emotions, dynamics, and anticipation. So don’t be afraid to experiment! After all, trial and error are the best learning tools out there.

6. Emphasize Your Brand’s Strengths

One of the vital things you must aim to achieve with your video ads is to showcase your brand’s strengths. After all, the goal is to promote your business, so you have to make sure you present it adequately.

The best way to do so is by doing the following few things:

• Ask yourself why your users should be interested in your brand and address that.
• Emphasize why your brand is better than your competitors.
• Share any notable achievements or success stories.

If you address all of these points, you’ll be on the right track toward creating a successful video ad! And remember — people buy brands, not products, so this step is essential.

7. Be Funny

Laughter is a surefire way to get someone’s attention, which is why it’s particularly useful in advertising. If you’ve ever seen a funny ad, you’re likely already aware of just how memorable they are. And what does an ad that people remember do? Generate sales — that’s right!

“Humor is mankind’s greatest blessing.”

Mark Twain

So don’t be reluctant to include humor in your video marketing strategy. Some people fret about trying to be funny in the corporate world because of the preconceived notion that humor is unprofessional. We have to say that such a point of view is incredibly outdated. Quite the contrary — if you don’t use humor, it will be detrimental to your ad’s performance.

Don’t believe us? Here’s an example of a hilarious video ad by Dollar Shave Club that single-handedly got their business off the ground:

As you can see, there is no better way to engage your viewers than by making them chuckle, so stop living in the past and unleash your inner comedian!

8. Include a CTA at the End

Last but not least, you have to make sure you include a call to action! We cannot emphasize it enough, but omitting it could ruin your entire ad. But why is that?

The purpose of every video ad is to encourage users to act upon your ad’s message. And what better way is there to achieve that than by asking them? Yeah, it’s that simple!

There are multiple ways you can do that, such as:

• Filming the CTA yourself
• Including it in the written form at the end of the ad
• Making a graphic CTA and including it at the end

Preferably, you will include your CTA at the end of your ad, but you can also put it in a pre-roll or mid-roll position. Overall, that will purely depend on your preferences and needs. Oh, and if you’re interested in looking into some compelling CTA examples, you can check out our article on the best CTAs for videos to learn more.

Now Go Launch Your Video Advertising Campaign!

Now you’re armed with everything you need to make a compelling and engaging video ad. So get out there and take advantage of everything video content marketing has to offer. Good luck with your next campaign!

Until next time!