How to Create a Video Advertising Strategy for Increased Conversion Rates
Here's all the info you need to put a killer video ad strategy together and supercharge your conversion rates.
Updated April 7, 2024.
For marketing professionals and business owners, there's a clear winner in the digital marketing arena: video advertising. Its impact is undeniable, with online video ad spend reaching nearly $75 billion in 2022. Video advertising excels in engaging audiences and telling compelling stories, making it an invaluable strategy for every brand.
Meet the expert
Jameela Ghann is a seasoned online store owner with over a decade of eCommerce experience. Apart from running Alora Boutique, she's also the marketing manager for Fera Product Reviews.
» Be prepared. Get your hands on the ultimate marketing plan template for 2024.
What is video advertising exactly?
Video advertising is a form of digital advertising that uses videos to promote products, services, or messages to a target audience. It typically occurs on various online platforms, such as websites, social media, streaming services, and video-sharing platforms like YouTube.
Video ads can vary in length and style, from short, attention-grabbing clips to longer, more informative videos. For example, this YouTube short shows quick customer testimonial blasts, making it fast-paced and engaging. The point is to carry across core information in a digestible timeframe.
In comparison, we also offer longer-form video content like our Mayple Academy Events that can be anything from 30-90 minutes.
The goal of video advertising is clear: grab your audience's attention and deliver a powerful message through visually captivating and emotionally resonant content. This versatile tool can help you achieve multiple objectives, from boosting brand visibility and driving website traffic to increasing sales.
1. Set clear objectives
As with anything, failing to plan is planning to fail. Define your goals, whether it's brand awareness, lead generation, or sales. But it's not enough to simply say, "I want to increase brand awareness." You need to be specific and measurable. For example, do you want to increase website traffic by 10%? Double your social media followers? Get 100 new leads per month?
If your goal is to increase brand awareness, you might create a video ad that showcases your brand's personality and values. If your goal is to drive traffic to your website, you might create a video ad that highlights a new product or service offering.
Once you have specific and measurable goals, you can develop a plan to achieve them. This plan should include specific tactics and strategies, plus a timeline for when you expect to achieve each goal.
2. Know your audience
Understanding your target audience includes knowing their:
- Demographics (age, gender, location, and income)
- Psychographics (values, interests, and lifestyle)
- Behavior (what content they engage with)
Where and how do you gather this data? Free sources for demographic data include Google Analytics, Facebook Insights, Instagram Insights, LinkedIn Analytics, and email platforms. To understand your audience's values, interests, and lifestyle, you can use social media listening tools and analytics, market research, and your website.
Why is this important?
Knowing your target audience inside and out allows you to create video ads that resonate with them and drive the desired conversions. For example, if your target audience is young millennials who are interested in sustainability, you might create a video ad that highlights your brand's eco-friendly practices, like this one from IKEA.
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3. Choose the right platform
What platforms does your target audience use to watch videos? Once you know where they are, you can choose the right platforms to distribute your video ads. This can include:
- YouTube: 90% of marketers use YouTube for video ads. YouTube TrueView ads are a popular option, allowing viewers to skip the ad after a few seconds.
- Facebook: Facebook is another social media platform with a large user base. Facebook video ads can be displayed in feeds, stories, and on Instagram.
- Instagram: Instagram is a visually-focused platform, making it ideal for video ads that promote fashion, lifestyle, and other visually appealing products and services.
- TikTok: A social media platform known for its short-form videos, has a rapidly growing user base, especially among Gen Z users.
When creating video ads for different platforms, keep these tips in mind:
- Tailor your video format to the platform: Vertical video is ideal for mobile, while square or landscape video is better for websites and YouTube.
- Keep your videos short and to the point: Social media users have short attention spans, so keep your video ads under 60 seconds. For trending styles and longer explanations, you can create longer videos for YouTube.
- Add captions for accessibility and engagement: Captions on videos, particularly on platforms with muted autoplay like Facebook and Instagram, ensure accessibility for viewers with hearing impairments and those who prefer silent browsing.
- Make sure your videos are mobile-friendly: Many people watch videos on their smartphones, so optimize them for mobile devices.
- Create eye-catching thumbnails and video titles: This will help your videos stand out and boost clicks. Draw inspiration from top-performing videos on each platform. For example, you can browse what's trending on your chosen platforms for inspiration.
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4. Use the power of storytelling
Storytelling is a powerful tool that can be used to create engaging video ads that resonate with your target audience and drive results. Here's why:
- Emotional connection: Stories evoke emotions, which can help to strengthen the bond between your brand and your audience. This can lead to increased engagement and brand loyalty.
- Memorability: Well-crafted stories are more likely to be remembered than traditional ads. Your message will likely stick with viewers after they watch your ad.
- Simplified messages: Stories can simplify complex information and make it more relatable and understandable for viewers. This is especially important for products or services that are technical or difficult to explain.
- Seamless calls to action: Stories can be used to naturally incorporate calls to action (CTAs) into your ad. This can increase the chances of viewers converting, such as visiting your website or making a purchase.
Pro tip: Hire a YouTube channel manager to help you tell a cohesive story and grow your presence on YT.
5. A/B test and refine your videos
It's also important to continuously refine your video ad strategy to ensure optimal success. This includes adjusting your targeting, messaging, creative elements, and distribution channels. Here's how:
- A/B test your video elements: Experiment with different thumbnails, captions, CTAs, and video lengths to see what resonates best with your audience. You can use A/B testing tools to create and track the performance of different variations.
- Analyze your video data: Pay attention to key data points like click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate, and view-through rate (VTR) to gauge the effectiveness of your video ads.
- Replicate successful campaigns: Once you've identified what's working, replicate those strategies in future videos. This will help you to produce high-performing video ads consistently.
- Calculate your ROI: Compare your production and promotion costs to the revenue generated by your video ads to calculate your ROI. This data can help you to allocate your budget more effectively.
Remember to optimize your long-form videos for SEO. This includes conducting keyword research, using relevant search terms in your video titles, descriptions, and tags, adding closed captions to your videos, and submitting video sitemaps to search engines.
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Promote your video ads
Social media giants
Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok offer powerful targeting options that allow you to reach your target audience with precision. You can target users based on their demographics, interests, and behaviors. This way, your video ads are seen by the people who are most likely to be interested in what you offer, increasing conversions.
Alternative platforms
In addition to social media, there are many other platforms where you can promote your video ads. Vimeo is a popular platform for hosting and promoting video content.
Email marketing
Email marketing is a great way to reach your subscribers with engaging video content. You can incorporate videos into your email campaigns to educate, entertain, and persuade your subscribers. This can help you to increase brand awareness, generate leads, and drive sales.
Influencer collaboration
Partnering with niche influencers is a great way to expand the reach of your video ads. Influencers have a loyal following of people who trust their recommendations. By collaborating with influencers, you can get your video ads in front of a new audience likely to be interested in your products or services.
» Want to dabble in influencer marketing? Use these influencer tools to find the best fit.
Keys to successful video advertising
Video advertising is a powerful tool, but it's important to know your audience, set clear objectives, create engaging content, prioritize user experience, and stay adaptable to the evolving landscape.
By following these principles, you can create video ads that achieve your marketing goals. Want to jump on this advertising trend? If you feel some extra guidance will be welcome, a vetted video advertising specialist is at your fingertips.
