How to Create Video Ads that Drive Conversions

• Updated on: 2018-02-28
• Read original article here

There’s no doubt about it: when it comes to getting the word out about your solutions, video ads work. And there’s plenty of data to back this up — marketers who use video see nearly 50 percent faster revenue growth than those who don’t, according to research by Vidyard. As the Executive Producer of our video production department, I’ve helped plenty of clients get the word out to IT buyers about their products and services through video ad campaigns. I’ve seen what works — and what doesn’t. To help you create video ads that capture your audience’s attention and drive measurable results, I’ve compiled a list of the five most important things you need to know. Enjoy!

When people are served a pre-roll video ad, they instinctively look for the “skip” button (we all do it) so they can get to the content they initially selected. That’s why you have to hook their attention and reveal your brand in the first five-seconds. This achieves two goals:   1. It helps get your message across before the viewer has a chance to skip   2. It increases the likelihood they’ll continue to watch, and engage more deeply For a little inspiration, check out this genius ad by Geico.

Did you know 90% of IT pros find detailed specs helpful, but only 51% of marketers are providing them? If you are tasked with creating an in-depth product walkthrough video, or want to attract IT buyers further along in the sales cycle, you have some freedoms to throw the proverbial kitchen sink into your video. Go nuts with product specifics and call outs — it’s what IT buyers want! However, this won’t work for every video, so you’ll want to consider your own goals, too. For example, if the goal of your campaign is to grow brand recognition, it’s more important to showcase your brand’s personality. In other words, feel free to leave out the nitty gritty product details. After all, you wouldn’t want to watch a Super Bowl car commercial get into specifics about brake pedal ratios… would you? In this video we created for Lifesize, we touched on IT pros’ pain points with collaboration tools and how Lifesize can help:

Here at Spiceworks, a significant part of our mission is to keep things honest, authentic, and personable. We find the brands who are most successful are those who also keep it genuine, and aren’t afraid to infuse a sense of humor into their marketing efforts. IT pros (like the rest of the world) love to laugh, and video offers you a unique opportunity to appeal to the head and heart of your viewer. If you’re able to elicit a chuckle, you’re more likely to drive clicks and conversions, too. This video we created for Cisco promotes their product’s limited lifetime warranty in a humorous way:

Earlier I mentioned it’s important to introduce your brand early and include plenty of product specs — but I’d like to add a caveat: don’t make it all about you. IT pros are looking to solve very specific and often highly complex challenges. When you’re introducing a solution, do it in the context of addressing one of your audience’s key pain points. Additionally, you want your audience to finish the video having learned something. Ideally, they’ll have learned just enough to whet their appetite, quickly consume more of your content, and make their way down the funnel. (Check out some of the educational and helpful videos we’ve made for other clients in our Video Marketing Manual.)

People have grown accustomed to videos with high production value. When you combine sleek and appealing visuals with a captivating storyline that showcases your brand’s personality and teaches the audience something new, you’ve got video ad gold. Psst! One more pro tip: Lots of folks are digesting video content while at the office or in public spaces, and without headphones or speakers. Make sure to use text in a thoughtful way whether it be subtitles, lower thirds or fun text on screen to help get your point across. For proof you don’t need sound to get your message across, mute your speakers and watch this video we created for MicroAge: Making your videos entertaining, educational, and relevant while also snagging viewers’ attention in the first few seconds requires a careful balancing act — but plenty of brands have gotten it right. It just takes a little [or a lot] of creativity. As Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg said [regarding video], “Creativity has never been so important.” Now take this new knowledge out into the world to create video magic! If you have any questions for me, please feel free to drop them in the comments below. Need help creating a video masterpiece for IT buyers? Want to start reaching IT pros through highly targeted video ads? We can help!