Dabbling in the world of video ads? It can certainly be a lucrative way to promote your business, especially on certain social media platforms, for example. However, you may see your return on investment (ROI) not be as high as you like if you can’t grab your intended audience’s attention. 

These days, our attention spans are notoriously short. So, you only have a second or two to really grab attention. Sometimes you’ll also find that the total ad duration is limited as well, so there’s a lot you have to do in a really short amount of time.

There are many ways you can grab attention quickly in your video ads. I’ll walk you through some of the tactics I’ve used in the past that have been the most effective:

Strong Hook

You should lead your video ad with a strong hook. But what is a strong hook, I hear you say? Well, this is really anything that captures the attention of the user. This could be a bold statement, an eyebrow-raising statistic, or a provocative question.

You could also look to specifically address a core pain point of your target audience, and explain how you can help. The first seconds of your ad are considered one of, if not the most important, aspects. If you can’t get enough people to stop scrolling to watch, the ad will not be effective.

Benefits > Features

Now is not really the time for technical specifications or features of your product/ service. Instead, focus on the benefits you can provide, i.e. what customers get out of purchasing from your business. 

What you are offering should improve the viewer’s life in some way, so focus on promoting those aspects. For example, a residential cleaner should focus on promoting the time they give back to their customers because they don’t have to spend it cleaning.

Keep Tone Conversational

To grab attention fast, you shouldn’t look to get too technical in your wording. The tone should remain as conversational as possible. The degree of conversational tone will obviously depend on your target audience, though.

No matter who you’re targeting, you should use direct and simple language. Talk to the viewer directly, using “you” and “your”, as this helps to make the video ad seem a little more personal (and less like you’re trying to pitch them something).

Ensure Cohesive Messaging & Social Proof

Any messaging throughout the ad (whether it be text, voiceover, or visuals) should be consistent. All messaging should be working towards a common goal, and should tell a story to encourage the end goal of the ad (i.e. sign up, request a quote, make a purchase, etc.).

On top of this, you should look to add social proof into your messaging. Aspects like ratings, expert endorsements, and testimonials are great ways to show potential customers that you are a trustworthy business. 

Video ads are a great way to engage with your potential customers and offer something a little different to standard text ads. If you’re looking for assistance with your copywriting for video ads, I’m here to lend a helping hand🤗