In this day and age, competing for your consumer’s attention has become increasingly difficult due to diminishing attention spans and greater access to information. So how can you stand apart from the crowd and make your voice heard? Incorporating video advertising into your marketing strategy may just be the answer to all your woes.
Studies show that digital video ad spending increased from $13.2 billion to $22.1 billion from 2017 to 2021 in the United States. Further, video is one of the most engaging and influential forms of content. It can literally change how we make purchase decisions. 85% of millennials mentioned that they purchase after watching an advertising video.
In this guide, we will discuss the benefits of video marketing, the different types of video ads, and lastly tips for creating effective video content.
Importance of Video Marketing:
If you are searching for creative ways to stand out from your competitors in terms of marketing then videos are a great option. Not only does video marketing have great benefits but there has been a rapid shift from textual content to video content.
This is because video enables you as an advertiser to “say more with less” by constructing a story for your brand. Additionally, video marketing also provides you value in ways other mediums just can’t.
Further, such ads are ideal for attention-grabbing due to a healthy combination of narrative and visuals. Similarly, video advertising also helps you quickly move prospects from various stages of the funnel.
Most social media channels prioritize video content over other types of content thus it is crucial that your brand has a video presence. Some of the benefits of video marketing include:
1. Video Appeals to Shorter Attention Spans:
Research has shown that almost 85% of internet users in the US watched online video content monthly. Thus, video advertising is growing as consumers are more likely to watch a video as opposed to either reading a block of text or devoting 15 seconds to an image.
In addition, video ads have high engagement rates and time spent as compared to other ad types. Therefore, video advertisements are an easy and effective way of capturing your audience’s attention, standing out from the competition, and engaging customers.
2. Video Content Is More Readily Consumed:
You can show your content in visual form instead of expecting your target audience to read something. For instance, an online home design firm can use various video advertisements such as live-action explainer, 10-second branding video.
Moreover, just alluring pictures are not enough to grab your audience’s attention. Thus, a home design company can use video content to communicate how their designs and products can make the user’s life better and luxurious.
3. You Can Get More Across in Less Time:
Video advertisements can communicate more than a brand’s tagline. Not only can they advertise a sale, outline your brand’s value proposition, create a story but can also dig deeper into product details. Almost 73% of business videos are two minutes or under. However, the optimal length of a social media video advert is between 15 to 30 seconds.
This video length allows you to maintain a balance between creating a meaningful narrative and catering shorter attention span. For instance, HudaBeauty, a cosmetics brand is famous for creating 20 seconds videos on Instagram explaining their product usage along with useful tips and tricks linked to the beauty industry. Further, they also use Instagram’s reels to the brand’s advantage.
Types of Video Advertisements by Channel:
Although you may use a similar creative for multiple social media platforms, each channel will generate different results thus your video ad should be optimized for each platform. Ideally, your video campaign may include all or most of these formats. It is all about integrating all elements of your marketing strategy to achieve your holistic goals.
1. Native Video Advert:
Native video refers to the seamless incorporation of the branded message into existing content. It may consist of in-feed video ads. For instance, a native Facebook ad complements the voice and style of Facebook. Native video ads are among the fast-growing video ads. More than 8 billion native videos are being watched on Facebook daily, and many social media platforms are re-optimizing their algorithm to emphasize native ads. Such videos seem more like organic content than adverts and are usually longer than 30 seconds.
2. YouTube Video Ad:
Two main types of YouTube ads include TrueView and Pre-roll. TrueView ads are skippable while Pre-roll ads are non-skippable. Additionally, for TrueView ads, you only pay when a user watches more than 30 seconds of your video ad thus they are opt-in. Such ads are recommended for engagement and branding. Google states that brands with TrueView ads see a 500% increase in engagement with their YouTube content.
Moreover, these ads are low-risk since your views are from prospects that are likely to convert. TrueView ads are further divided into two types including in-stream and discovery. In-stream ads play before, during, or after a YouTube video and can be skipped after five seconds. Discovery ads appear on YouTube search result pages. Central Penn College and Grammarly regularly utilize TrueView ads.
Conversely, Pre-Roll ads are helpful for sales campaigns optimized for clicks. These ads can be frustrating for viewers since they are unskippable. Furthermore, such ads can be 20 seconds long.
3. Instagram And Facebook Video Ads:
Video ads on Facebook and Instagram videos are economical and cost-effective. Facebook counts a video view as anything longer than 3 seconds, you can optimize your video ads, which means you’ll only be charged once someone has viewed the ad for 15 seconds or 97% completion. Facebook and Instagram offer few different types of ad options. Ads can be placed where they appear in-stream in the other videos that users watch, in the news feeds of both platforms, or use paid stories to show the ad for the product or service. These ads can help target a broad audience on both platforms.
4. LinkedIn Video Ads:
LinkedIn video ads are distinctive and hold a unique position to cultivate leadership. In different industries, it helps build brand awareness. The targeted audience for LinkedIn video ads is more professional than, say, Facebook, or Instagram. Therefore, it’s a good match for B2B brands, or B2C brands targeting the intended professional consumer.
5. OTT:
OTT stands for “over-the-top” and refers to an additional service that people can use to stream video content on a TV in addition to their broadcast or cable package. This type of advertising format has become popular. Over the last seven years, OTT ad revenue has grown tremendously and that trend is expected to continue.
According to a report, 74% of American households subscribe to a video streaming service and 69% of households pay for more than one! That’s an extraordinarily huge potential reach for advertisers, and there are several different streaming services to choose from.
5 Tips for Creating Effective Video Content:
As stated above, video marketing is highly essential for your brand’s success. However, the ad format is not the only thing that matters. Your video content should be personalized, engaging among other things. Use the following tips to generate a video ad campaign that exceeds expectations.
1. Personalize Your Video Content:
While creating the video, evaluate how your target audience will be viewing it. Research has shown that more than half of consumers use mobile devices to view videos so mobile optimization should not even be a question. Further, lay a huge emphasis on aspect ratio since having a gorgeous creative just isn’t enough. Aspect ratio refers to the ratio of the height to the width of an image, video, or screen. Additionally, access your buyer personas and plan to produce content accordingly.
2. Keep it Engaging and Short:
Since 15 to 30 seconds is the sweet spot for a video advertisement, you should capture your viewer’s attention within the first 2 seconds. It is highly unlikely that a user will watch or engage with the video for more than 30 seconds so you should start your video with a bang.
3. Appeal to the viewer’s feelings:
In other words, humanize your video content by sharing a story about your brand. You may include behind-the-scenes (BTS) content or post about your team and much more. In addition, make your video content authentic along with incorporating emotional appeal in various types of video ads.
4. Shoot Video in 4K:
If you are creating videos in-house as opposed to animations, then consider filming in 4K. No one likes grainy, poor-quality videos. Such videos display flawlessly on all platforms and consumers see you as an expert due to high-quality production.
5. End with a Call-To-Action (CTA):
This is essential for every campaign whether it’s PPC, email- marketing, video advertising to name a few. It informs your user how to engage after viewing content. You may create a landing page that elaborates on your ad’s message, displays your products, or allows users to redeem a promo code.
Final Thoughts:
If you are struggling to create a compelling video marketing strategy, let an expert digital marketing firm like AdRush Digital take care of it for you. In addition to video advertising, we can also provide you assistance with Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Social Media Marketing, Email Marketing, Content Marketing, and Performance Marketing.
Schedule a FREE Consultation with AdRush today.