Video advertising is fast becoming one of the most popular means of advertising, in line with the phenomenal growth that consumer video content has witnessed over the past few years. This presence of video on social media platforms is prolific, with Instagram’s allowance of short videos, the steadfast growth of Snapchat and the addition of live videos and similar features on Facebook.
A study conducted by Cisco predicts that 80 percent of all Internet traffic in 2019 will be toward video content – up from just 64 percent in 2014. The fact is, people love video and they spend almost two hours a day watching it. This is clearly going to shape the way companies interact with their consumers and target audiences. With this in mind, it comes as no surprise that marketers are increasingly moving toward digital video advertising.
In fact, according to the IAB Freewheel report, online video advert views have been growing at the rate of 32 percent each year due to the multi-screening devices, the variety of material consumers can watch online, and the increasing availability of video adverts in both long and short-form, uploaded and live, and on-demand and downloadable videos. Brands are encouraged to explore a variety of formats within the realm of digital advertising to build an engaging, emotional and informative relationship with consumers.
From my experience of working with brands in the advertising industry, here are a few simple tips to creating video adverts that will not only be watched by the masses, but also develop a meaningful influence on the brand’s desired audience.
Be conscious: Identify and evaluate the appropriate platform for maximum ROI. The advertising agency should measure the ideal means through which the message should be conveyed to the right audience and present the content accordingly. Cheap is not necessarily effective.
Be relevant: Whether you are in the process of creating the content or placing it in online spaces, brands and their advertising agencies must ensure that the content is relevant to the consumer. Irrelevant pop-up adverts are declining and consumers are more likely to engage with the advert if it is related to their demographics, locations, what they are reading at the moment and general interests – in a nutshell, the advert needs to be in the right context. Native, contextually relevant and premium environment are a must.
Be creative: To ensure that the advert is viewed far and wide, brands should create content that stands out while effectively positioning the brand as desired. The video can be creative, while being thoughtful, funny and/or informative – as long as the message is short, distinctive, impactful and clear. Create dedicated content for online.
Be mobile: Consumers can access videos anywhere, whether they are on their desktops or tablets, but increasingly on smartphones and other portable devices. By allowing the content to be accessible on a variety of technological vehicles, this allows for more points of interaction between the brand and consumer. Users are spending between 3 to 4 hours a day watching their mobile screens.
Be considerate: Some adverts automatically play when a page is opened and this can often act as a disturbance. This is an unwanted consumer experience that can cause brand apathy due to a lack of genuine interest or engagement with the advert. Video adverts that are silent until prompted are ideal for consumers in public spaces, permitting time to plug in headphones or walking into another room to view the content. Skippability is key to user experience.
