Video Ad How-To Tips
The worth of video ads is becoming fairly common knowledge. Two basic aspects of the process, one at the beginning and one at the end, are worth thinking about: (1) What to do when you’re planning to make one, and (2) how to measure the effectiveness when you’re done.
Find some videos that have kept your attention and analyze why you were glued to your monitor.
Some are so whacky you can’t believe someone would act like that, and you hang around out of fascination. (See used car commercials, hot tub ads, some stereo store ads, etc on TV.) Some are professionally slick or show graphics that are compelling.
Some combine the two in imaginative ways. Many may have seen the Honda ad in which a hundred different everyday objects were lined up like dominoes then knocked over for half an hour. Most people wouldn’t be able to take their eyes off the show until the end. (There are 30 sec versions, as well.)
Heidi Cohen has some more excellent suggestions in a recent ClickZ column. Some of her main points, with my elaboration are:
1. Allow for a variety of players. Not everyone uses Windows Media Player. Macs and Linux may comprise smaller markets, but they are composed significantly of very graphically and/or techno-savvy users.
2. Incorporate adjacent ad units. Video and other ad forms on the same page make for a winning combinations.
3. Encourage interaction. This is incredibly important. Internet users are no longer satisfied simply to read. They want the page, even video ads, to contain elements they can operate. Toyota, for example, is running a series of car ads that allow users to select which sub-type of new model they are interested in. The ad content changes with their choice, just as you would expect from a tutorial or other kind of web content. Ads can teach, entertain, and sell all at the same time.
4. Add viral functionality. Good video ads, like any other kind, are recommended. Social networking only adds to that phenomenon. Make it easy for your creativity to be known to others and watch your sales soar.
For just one example of a video ad that we’re kind of fond of, Joel Comm’s video touting AC’s new Affiliate Manager course, see the post below.
We’ll cover the topic of measuring their effectiveness soon.