We’ve already seen YouTube debut its “Bumper Ad” format, in which video marketers develop six-second ad spots that play immediately before a monetized YouTube video. However, there are a variety of other applications in which videos coming in at 10 seconds or less are also useful, especially with the rise of Snapchat and the influence its “Stories” feature has had on other social media sites and apps.
Advertisers are increasingly using these short videos as a way to quickly convey their brand and introduce a single benefit to their audience. Because the time is so much shorter, viewers are less likely to skip these advertisements, which means advertisers can, in some cases, actually get more value out of a 10-second-or-less ad than a standard 30- or 60-second ad.
So how exactly can video marketers maximize the effectiveness of these extra-short ads? Here are a few tips.
Think of an extra-short video in the same way you think of an “elevator speech”
People in the business world are constantly encouraged to create an “elevator speech” or pitch that describes them and their idea, business or product in a short, conversational way to quickly get that idea across to potentially helpful connection.
The same idea behind the elevator speech is behind the use of these extra-short video ads. When customers have short attention spans or are likely to tune out an advertiser after a short amount of time, that advertiser needs to figure out how to convey the brand and its inherent qualities and benefits quickly and efficiently.
Therefore, businesses using this short ad format should consider a single benefit of their business they can focus on, and the most effective way to introduce that benefit in a way that is consistent with the brand’s personality and style.
Keep it genuine
Many of the most effective extra-short ads are purposefully designed to appear unrefined or off the cuff. On Snapchat, for example, a branded story might simply be shot with a smartphone to look similar in style to a standard user’s story, but still have a branded component.
Because these ads are most often used on social platforms, the videos that fall on the shorter end of this 10-second spectrum are most effective when they feel “real.” This means using real people, little scripted content and capturing a “slice of life.”
Videos that fall closer to 10 seconds have a bit more room to prioritize production value.
Know how best they’ll work for your company
While a lot of the companies using these shorter ad formats are B2C businesses, there are plenty of ways B2B companies can benefit as well.
B2B marketers might consider using the video format to not just showcase a product or service, but also to promote their brand by showing some snaps of everyday office life, behind-the-scenes footage or teasers of upcoming products.
Whatever approach you use, it should be sensible for your kind of company and the general tone of your brand’s advertising efforts.
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Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.
