Many businesses are looking to video ads to increase awareness about their business. Videos have become the go-to media for advertisers. Lately. However, in many cases, they end up failing miserably because of common mistakes that could be easily avoided. In this article, we’re going to explore the do’s and don’ts of video so you can get a leg up on the competition.
Do Provide Education through Your Ads
If you were planning on placing a few ads on YouTube, you have to make sure that you just don’t blatantly advertise your business without offering something. The most powerful YouTube ads are the ones that manage to educate their audience. According to data from a research Google did back in 2015, “how to” searches have shot up by 70%. What does that mean? Well, it means that more and more people are tuning in to YouTube for specific knowledge, not to be sold on some product.
For instance, a company that deals in lab equipment recently launched a series educating students on how to use their wares. Instead of blatantly advertising their business through bland ads, the company used tidbits of these videos as fodder for their advertising. Try to be educational and fun at the same time and try to vulgarize complex issues into simpler concepts with the use of professionally made animations.
Don’t Assume You Need a Huge Budget to Get Started
Video marketing is much more affordable than you may think, especially if your niche is underexploited. Many people might be intimidated by video marketing, but they really shouldn’t be. As long as you have a decent video to put up, test the waters and see how it works.
Some people are getting clicks for as low as 11 cents on their ads and spend less than $30 per day on their advertising campaigns, so you really have no excuses not to start. If you’re spending tens of thousands on Google search advertising, then it would be wise to set a little bit aside for video ads to see how it works.
Do Make Sure Your Site Info is Clearly Marked
While you shouldn’t go in expecting direct sales from your video ads, you should make sure that all your ads have a clear call to action. A call to action is a clear command for your viewers to perform an action, may it be visiting your website, channels or click to learn more and expand on a concept featured in the video.
For in-stream ads on video sites like YouTube, you can choose to include a link to your site or to a landing page featured on your channel. For thumbnails ads on top of YouTube search results, you can send visitors either to a specific video or your channel.
Don’t Skimp on Quality
The quality of your video will have a direct influence on how people see your brand. Therefore, it is absolutely essential that you only release a video ad if it is of the highest quality possible. You don’t have to go crazy on the budget either, there are plenty of video production companies out there that will create nice videos for a reasonable price. Make sure that the video doesn’t show bad lighting, haphazard backgrounds or bad audio.
A lot of people might use an old video as an ad to save on production costs for testing. Make sure that you don’t make the mistakes of using elements that are outdated in your videos. This could be as simple as adding an old email address that isn’t functional anymore, an old phone number or even an old logo if you had it redesigned.
If you feel you’re good enough, you could also go the DIY route. However, you have to know what you’re doing and it has to be suited for your particular niche. You could create a simple video editing software like Camtasia if you believe screen capture would be a good format for what you’re trying to accomplish. I’ve seen ads where it was nothing but a programmer explaining how a piece of software works. Look at what others are doing in your space and see what works for them, it’s the perfect way to pattern a model for your how-to videos.
Do Test Different Lengths
Many people may have their formulas when it comes to video length, however, it all depends on your niche and what you’re trying to achieve. In most cases, YouTube recommends that ads shouldn’t be more than 3 minutes long. If you feel this format works for you, you have to make sure, however, that you get your message across very fast as views drop significantly after 45 seconds.
However, in some cases, longer videos might do the trick. I remember a corporate events company who hired a professional video production company to make a video that featured feedback from some of the participants at their latest events. Viewers could then click through to a form they could fill on the company’s website, which drove conversions through the roof.
Don’t Confuse Your Audience with Elaborate Jargon
Your goal should be to appeal to the widest audience possible. The best way to alienate your audience is by using complicated jargon they might have trouble understanding. Keep it short, sweet, to the point, and simple so you can cast the widest net.
Also, if the ad’s point is simply to introduce your business and what they do, don’t make them too complicated either. Try not to include too much technical info about your business and stick to a few major points only so that you don’t end up confusing your audience.
Conclusion
If you manage to follow the few simple tips in this article, you should be able to start your advertising campaign on the right foot. Make sure that you do provide education to your audience without losing them. Also, make sure that you hire a professional company if you don’t have the savoir faire and expertise to do it yourself. And finally, try to keep your message as simple as possible so you can reach the widest audience possible.
