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Videos are everywhere. Users expect their visual and auditory senses to be delighted in all aspects of their digital lives from online shopping, to chatting with friends and networking with colleagues.
But with so many different platforms and use cases, how can brands get video campaigns right on all of them?
Video-recognition technology from VidMob analysed the visual elements of millions of ads using AI and machine learning technology – from the colours used, to the facial expressions on the models.
The video analytics platform then compared these results with the performance metrics for each campaign to determine which techniques had the greatest effect on consumers.
Whilst some creative strategies perform well across all platforms – such as contrasting colours for text and background, introducing the brand in the first two seconds and visualising stats – individual nuances and differences also exist between them.
PMW has broken down the five top tips from VidMob’s research that will make your video marketing campaigns perform better on Snapchat, Google and LinkedIn.
Snapchat
Feature your brand or product at the very beginning of the video
Ads that featured the brand in the first two seconds had a 64% higher view time compared with brands that introduced themselves after two seconds.
Opening an ad with a celebrity endorser saw a higher swipe rate by 17% relative to the industry average, and saw a 25% higher user view time.
Similarly, ads that opened on the product saw a 14% higher swipe rate. Placing the call-to-action at the beginning of the video saw 8% higher Average Screen Time.
Primary visuals should pop or have a high contrast
The lead image should stand out. It should have a high visual contrast with the background image, either by using contrasting colours, differences in brightness, or both.
For brand campaigns on Snapchat, ads with high contrast had more than double the Average Screen Time than ads with low amounts of contrast. Again, the data shows that it doesn’t pay to be subtle. Make your brand presence bright and bold.
Use text sparingly
When text takes up less than 5% of the screen area, view time was 85% higher and swipe rate jumped 13% relative to ads where text took up more than 5% of the visual field. When consuming content quickly, viewers are likely more drawn to visual based content versus text-centric.
This insight is also in line with consumption trends on comparable video platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram’s Reels, where creators are increasingly overlaying their videos with transcripts of their speech.
CPG ads with outdoor settings perform better than ads set indoors
Outdoor ads had a 25% higher view time and a 12% higher swipe rate. This was a surprising development considering most CPG items are intended for indoor use, but it underscores the importance of compelling visuals, even if the context might seem a little off.
Sound on!
VidMob’s study found that videos that have the sound on have a view time that is 250% (or 3.5 times) higher than videos with the sound off.
Vidmob specifically set out to measure the ROAS in creative campaigns on Google. It analysed 630K campaigns, 5M video ads, and 3.2T impressions to identify key visual elements and creative strategies.
Use talent
Ads with talent (models, creators or celebrities) resulted in a 70% lift in ROAS above VidMob benchmarks.
Show emotion
When showing talent, positive emotions were most effective, resulting in an 83% lift in ROAS, followed by more negative emotions such as fear and disgust.
Show the device for app demos
When showing an in-app demo, ads that displayed the outline of a mobile phone or electronic device led to a 48% lift in ROAS.
On-screen messaging
Videos that included messaging on-screen in addition to a voiceover led to a 100% lift in ROAS above the benchmark.
Feature brand first
Brands that included their logo within the first two seconds saw a 139% lift in ROAS over the average. However, only 32% of content had the brand’s logo in the first two seconds.
The research for LinkedIn identified the key creative strategies for better performing video across the entire funnel. The tips fit into three sections of the funnel: the top (awareness), the middle (consideration) and the bottom (conversion).
Get the video duration right
Video drives results across the entire funnel when the correct duration is used. For middle of the funnel consideration, shorter form videos have the best engagement, while videos of all lengths up to 30 seconds perform well in both awareness and conversion (+13% lift in click through rate with 15 to 30 second duration).
Branding
Your brand’s logo or name should be present across the funnel, including at conversion stages where VidMob has seen +17% lift in CTR when featuring brand logos in the opening 2 seconds.
Visualise stats
Numbers, percentages and costs can be incorporated into creative to prove value. Data and stats that emphasise the brand’s competitive advantage, expertise in the field, or support key value props help drive business results.
Messaging
Copy can be used to drive view-through and clicks. While there are nuances across the funnel, introducing key messaging prominently with contrasting colours works well for views and clicks.
Humanity
Don’t ignore the emotional benefit of a personal storyline. On-screen talent should be acting in a style true to the brand. Test product interactions, testimonial styles and footage of the types of people who would use your products/services. These prove effective for viewers.
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