The power of video ads

Imagine your company has launched a unique new product, offers special services or is looking for new employees. Before the launch, you have spent days or weeks gathering informative content, creating a script, and producing a high-quality video. Then the time finally comes and the excitement builds: The content is about to be released on YouTube, on your website and on your social media channels. How will your target groups react to it?

Getting information quickly and easily with the help of videos is all the rage; a development that you can certainly also observe in yourself. If you actively work with video marketing as a company, it is crucial that the video you produce reaches the right people so that they can find out more.

But what if, despite your efforts, the target group simply seems to overlook your video? What can you do to spread your message effectively and attract the attention of potential customers or applicants? How can you get on their radar faster? Video advertising on social media is the keyword here.

Why are video ads on social media so important?

Let’s be honest, our attention span in everyday life is getting shorter and shorter. It is much easier for us to consume visual content. Countless new videos are uploaded to social media channels such as YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook every minute. In the crowded feeds and stories of social media, masses of content are competing for the limited attention of users. How are you supposed to ensure that your video doesn’t get lost and perhaps only have 70 views after a few months? Without a strategy for distributing videos on social media platforms, it is difficult to attract attention.

So if your video does not “accidentally” become a viral hit, the organic reach is often quickly exhausted. There can be various reasons for this, for example

• You do not regularly publish videos and other content for your target group and are therefore not noticed by the algorithm;
• Your target group is too unspecific;
• Your video has no added value or is not prepared attractively enough;
• You have only published the video once and perhaps not at the right time.

Without the right video marketing strategy, even great social media videos can get lost in the flood of information. Placing video ads ensures that your videos are present in the desired target group.

Advertising on social media in practice

Think about your own social media usage: you scroll through your personal or business channel and linger on topics that interest you. Most of the content in your feeds or stories comes from channels you follow or people you are connected to. However, you will also come across video advertising time and again, which – if it is well made – will grab your attention. Perhaps it’s a short clip that clearly demonstrates the benefits of a company, a teaser video or an entertaining animation that introduces the latest services. No matter what form you encounter: With a good video ad, you linger and watch the video.
Have you ever wondered whether you would have even become aware of the company or product without this social media ad? Probably not. And now you might even share it with your friends or colleagues. This shows how powerful video ads are – they add another important component to a company’s marketing mix.

The right approach to video ads

Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn offer various opportunities to present your videos to target groups. By placing targeted advertisements, you can ensure in advance that your content ends up exactly where your potential customers, partners or applicants are active.

However, before you invest in video sponsorship, it is important to define a clear objective. Do you want to increase brand awareness, find new employees, generate more leads or promote the sale of your products? Determine who you want to reach with your video ads and tailor your content to the interests and requirements of the target group. In addition, the selection of suitable social media platforms is crucial, as different target groups may have different preferences.

Targeting and ongoing analysis

Targeting allows you to ensure that your videos reach the right people and that your message is communicated effectively. There are different selection criteria depending on the social media channel. For B2B, these are in particular industry, company, position, location and for B2C, for example, interests, age, gender, radius – particularly important for local campaigns – or groups. As a rule, the channels offer the option – similar to Google Adwords – of defining different ad texts and headlines for the video. Make use of all the options here and work with different wording to see what works best with your target group. This allows you to identify certain trends after the first video ad and further optimize the campaign.
With YouTube, for example, you can also analyze how long the video was watched and when people dropped out. This gives you an indication of how interesting your video is. After all, a well-made and appealing video is crucial for attracting and retaining the attention of viewers.

What makes a good social media video?

Whether video ads or organic social media videos, the general rule is that they must always be tailored to the respective target groups and channels. There are a few basic points you can use as a guide:

• The social media video should be short and concise so as not to overtax the viewer’s attention and increase the likelihood that it will be watched to the end.
• Only a fraction of a second decides whether we continue watching a video. Therefore, the design – in terms of image, sound, subtitles, etc. – is crucial in order to leave a lasting impression with your video ad. Visually appealing elements such as high-quality graphics, animations and music can help to enhance the impact of the video and increase viewer attention.
• The social media video should convey a clear message and offer added value for the target group. Whether informative tutorials, entertaining stories or inspiring behind-the-scenes insights – the most important thing is that the video is relevant and appealing to your target group.
• Create the right context for your video ad with descriptive texts, add a call to action (CTA) and, depending on the channel, hashtags or channel-specific tags.

Social media videos – and video ads in particular – are an extremely effective way for B2B and B2C companies to reach their target groups and convince them with appealing content. However, to achieve sustainable success, a clear strategy for the development and distribution of targeted video advertising is essential. As an agency, we often experience a lack of resources or experience in implementing such projects on a day-to-day basis. Get a sparring partner on board who is familiar with these issues and take a shortcut to make such projects fly faster. Get in touch with us today. Together, we’ll analyze your target audience and produce high-quality content. This way, you can ensure that your videos have the desired effect and present your company successfully.