The average person is predicted to spend 100 minutes per day watching online videos and, in 2022, it is expected to make up more than 82% of all consumer internet traffic. If it’s not yet clear, this means that video has huge potential for your business. Whether through free content or paid advertisement, ad creative can improve your reach, engagement and conversion rate — there is good reason that over 60% of businesses use video as a marketing tool.
The difficult part is making it happen. In such a competitive space, it can be hard to get your paid ads seen — and engaged with — by the right people. The good news is that we’re here to help improve your paid ad creative to make it more effective for your business goals.
- Master The Technical Specifications
This one might seem obvious but, in order to create effective paid ad creative, you need an ad that will both run and look good on the platform it’s intended for. Ensure your video is the right file type (mp4 or .mov, for example), the right length (TikTok allows ads between 5-60 seconds), the right size (Facebook requires videos to be under 4GB), the right resolution and the right ratio.
Vertical videos, minimal text and multiple images can help make your ad more accessible and engaging for users, in particular those on mobile devices.
Remember: your ad placement should inform the design. The content you would make for an In-Feed Ad on TikTok, would (and should!) be different to a Branded Hashtag Challenge.
- Be Authentic
No hard sells, just authentic expression and connection. In 2022, people are looking to connect with brands and businesses through shared experiences that push the boundaries of what we understand to be an advert.
TikTok is a great example of this; brands are considered members of TikTok, not just advertisers, and are encouraged to act like it. Indeed, 7/10 users say that TikTok ads are actually enjoyable. Factor this into your process when working on your paid ad creative.
- Call to Action
Find a middle-ground in which your ad creative is authentic, but grabs attention fast and has a clear call-to-action (CTA). Whether it’s to purchase a product or download an app, users should feel compelled to take action.
“92% of users around the world have taken an action after watching a TikTok.”
Marketing Science Global Time Well Spent, Kantar (2021).
- Engage with TikTok Trends
For TikTok, in particular, it is important that you engage with trends. Use memes, trending sounds and challenges to promote your brand — but don’t forget to be authentic.
Both Ryanair (14.3M likes and 1.6M followers) and Duolingo (85.4M likes and 4.5M followers) have mastered this. Through brand personification, humour, and an awareness of current trends, both businesses manage to create engaging ad creative that sells.
Remember, TikTok has a huge cultural impact: content is often posted across all major social channels, far beyond the platform itself, with “internet trends” now defining much of what we understand to be the mainstream.
You can utilise the built-in filters and editing tools to create content fast — or utilise more professional cameras and tools for a higher-quality ad. Both types of content have the ability to succeed.
- Responds to Feedback & Analytics
The work doesn’t end as soon as the ad is live. Whether it’s what your customers tell you, or what the numbers show, listen to them. Through feedback and the advanced analytics that social media platforms offer, you will know what’s going well with your ad (and what’s not), and you can update your paid ad strategies in response. Whether it’s when and where to run your campaign, or the style of ad altogether, adjust and adapt and you will improve your results.
- Optimise Website Landing Pages
Finally, turn your attention from the ad itself and ensure that, when a potential customer clicks on your ad, your website will also convert. It should be simple for them to download, purchase or enquire about your service.
Written for Business Cutter by Aura Ads, an ecommerce video ad service designed for D2C eCommerce brands.
