What are video ads, and why are they so popular these days?
Video ads use the medium of video to promote your product, service, or brand, and display it to an audience, for a cost. Video ads have been very popular in recent years because it’s one of lowest cost, and most effective methods of communicating with an audience. For decades, video ads were limited to mostly larger businesses due to cost and complexity. This video ads help guide will assure that you get the most out of your video ads.
For decades video ads only ran on television or in movie theaters, and while the same basic concept applies today, two things have changed drastically: the number of platforms on which to show your video ad, and the price you’ll pay to do so.
While you can still display your video ads on television and movie theaters, there are now many, many more platforms. Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn are just the most popular of the new platforms. Along with this expanded availability, the advertising costs have also plummeted. More platforms and lower ad costs are certainly driving strong growth in the video ad space, but what makes these new video ads so desirable for businesses of all kinds is the expanded demographic targeting options.
What is "demographic targeting?"
Benefit #1: Match target and user demographics
Benefit #2: Match content to target demographic
Another important aspect of demographic data is being able to match visuals and language that best speaks to your own target demographic. Your setting, actors, script, music, and images should all reflect your target demographic’s needs and desires. When you match your message to the intended user, you drastically increase your ROI.
What are the costs for video advertising?
The amount of money you could potentially spend on video ads can vary greatly, but in general there are two expenditures associated with advertising: ad spend, and production cost.
Ad spend costs
Production costs
Production costs very greatly, depending upon the region you work in, the quality level you’re looking for, and the complexity of your video ad. While it’s very difficult to be precise here, we can say that Schnebly Hill has created very effective video ads for as low as $750, but our average cost for production is about $1750.
How to save money on production costs.
The best way to save money on production costs is to have a carefully planned production. Aside from this, you can also:
- use voice-over narration instead of on-screen talent
- use natural lighting
- use a smaller production crew
- use stock media for b-roll
- use royalty-free music
It is always a great idea to come up with a simple plan for what you want your video to look like when complete, find samples that are close to what you’re looking for, and collect three bids from reputable video production companies. If you’d like to get a competitive, no-hassle video production bid from Schnebly Hill, just let us know!
What is the best length for a video ad?
The most common length of a video ad is between 15 and 30 seconds. Why then are some ads several minutes long?
Some products and services are complex and take more time to explain. You can use a longer video, as long as you capture the viewer’s attention in the fist 5 seconds. When you open with an image and statement that grabs interest quickly, chances of audience retention increase.
How long does the whole process take?
Production time depends on sever variables. If you want to run a short and simple video of someone talking to a camera, it can easily be filmed in a day and edited in another. All ads vary in complexity, and some can take several days to shoot. If you have a project in mind, and you want to know what kind of time, planning, and budget it’s going to take, let us know and we can get you a free quote.
Who should I use for actors?
Most often, small businesses use employees, family members, or past customers as actors because of budget constraints. Whoever you use, try to find people who best match your target demographic. Make bullet points of your ideal customer, and send it out to everyone you know. Include things like:
- ideal age
- ideal gender
- ideal wardrobe / style characteristics
- ideal income range
- ideal socio-economic range
Chances are, if you don’t know someone who fits these characteristics, others in your network will. You can also incentivize participants, but we’ve found that many are interested because it will be fun, and they’ll get to appear in a commercial.
Legal considerations for actors:
When you do find someone to come on camera, be certain to get them to sign a release form so that they can’t come back later and deny you the right to publish that media. If you decide to use a professional actor, be aware that you may need to sign an agreement stating that you can only publish media that features them for a limited amount of time before you’ll be required to pay additional licensing fees. If you need a model release form, you’re welcome to use ours as a template. You can find ours here: Schnebly Hill Media Model Release From (Public)
Can I film my video ad myself?
Absolutely you can! If there’s a lot of light, most newer cell phone cameras can shoot good enough video. Many people shoot ads on their cell phones to achieve a “down to earth” tone. That being said, we recommend that you ALWAYS use professional equipment to capture sound, no matter your budget; bad audio quality is the #1 thing that can turn people off from an ad, or any video for that matter.
Where should I film my video ad?
Most small business who sell products will film at their own retail location, or at a small studio space. If you operate a home services business, you should probably film at a home. This could be your own home, or the home of an employee or current client. Ideally, you’d want the home style and price-range to best represent your ideal customer. Remember those target demographics!
What results can I expect from video ads?
Video advertising can be very effective, if planned carefully, placed on the right platform, and handled with trackable landing-pages (that’s a whole different subject. . .). Video ads allow you to get your product or service in front of a large number of people who are most likely to do business with you, for an affordable cost. Here’s an example of a small video ad we did for one of our clients, and the actual results.
Here are the specifics:
- 1 month run time
- 26,974 reach
- 1,452 clicks to client website
- $293.36 ad spend
If you’d like to learn more about the possibilities of video advertising for your business, let us know. We’d love to discuss your project and get you a competitive, no-hassle bid. Also remember, because Schnebly Hill handles digital marketing and production, we can handle the entire process, from to back. From planning and strategy, to production, editing, ad platforms, and trackable landing pages, we can handle it all for you. If you would like to see more of our work samples of video ads, you can see more on Schnebly Hill Media’s YouTube Page.
