Pre-Roll, Mid-Roll, Post-Roll: Which Ad Placement is Best?

Advertisements are the backbone of the marketing industry. Radio, television, billboards, newspapers, those pre-, pre- trailers at the movie theaters: anything you can see, read, or hear is embedded with an advertisement. I’m sure you’ve noticed your social media over the years gradually filling with ads. But with so many ad placement options, what is the most effective choice for your company and for your social video campaign?

We all know that video marketing is the key to any good campaign, but the next step is how you show off all that hard work. Where do you put that video advertisement so you get the most bang for your buck? Pre-roll ads like Youtube, mid-roll like Facebook or even post-roll – each have their benefits as well as their pitfalls.

The Oldie but a Goodie

Pre-roll is the forefather of digital video advertisements. It is a tried and true model of video ad placement. Running an advertisement before the desired content is the practical course of action, as the audience is still engaged and interested in the forthcoming content. Pre-roll ad placement accesses consumers while they’re still willing to sit through an advertisement. With this strategy, there is a higher chance the advertisement will be watched at least for a few seconds, if not in its entirety.

In a recent study by IPG Media Lab and YuMe, pre-roll video ad formats were found to resonate better with mobile users compared to mid-roll and outstream executions. Only 17% of participants claimed that pre-roll ads interrupt the user experience.

One of the larger benefits that pre-roll advertising brings is its ability to build brand awareness. Showcasing the brand or the product before the actual content means that the consumer is still locked in and curious, making them open to advertisements from brands unknown to them.

YuMe found that “pre-roll ads are extremely effective across several metrics, including brand association, brand engagement, brand favorability and intent to purchase.”

Youtube is a great example of a platform that is extremely adept at using pre-roll ads for the companies and brands advertising on their site. The use of this form of ad placement has brought YouTube, its parent company Google, and the advertisers themselves a great deal of revenue. But with the ability to skip through the advertisement after only five seconds, based on the Truview method, does pre-roll placement allow for the most viewership or revenue?

According to Local Solutions, “Brands that created ads and video that were viewed for less than one second still saw increased ad recall, brand awareness and even purchase consideration.” So even if the TruView Method allows for the viewer to skip an ad after only five seconds, that small amount of time is still more than enough to increase brand awareness and even direct revenue from purchases .

When Pre-Roll Doesn’t Work

However, pre-roll ad placement is incompatible with the Facebook newsfeed algorithm. That is a hard hit on both Facebook and the advertisers who want to take advantage of the social platform’s far reaching network and popularity. While pre-roll videos might be the least disruptive, they don’t exactly inspire people scrolling through Facebook to stop and watch an ad, before getting a glimpse of the actual video content.

The Newcomer

Now, it’s clear that a pre-roll ad is perfect for platforms like Youtube. But, due to Facebook’s timeline setup, it has been as struggle for the platform’s executives to figure out how to monetize the popular videos on the site. Facebook is a passive discovery mechanism, which means the news feed would be full of pre-roll ads and not the video itself. With a side full of advertisements autoplaying all at once, it becomes impossible to keep users invested in the site’s content. So, do you change the format of the platform or do you change the ad placement?

Enter mid-roll placement: the solution to Facebook’s problem. But is it truly lucrative enough to justify its usage?

Local Solutions writes that “[by] many measurements mid-roll advertising can offer some pretty solid returns. Mid-roll ads enjoy a higher completion rate than both pre- and post-roll ads. Viewers have already watched some of the video content; if they make it to a mid-roll ad, it means they have remained engaged through roughly half of the video. Because such a large chunk of video remains, they are more willing to be patient.”

Engagement is what keeps a viewer patient enough to sit through a fifteen second ad that has just disrupted their video. However, many people have protested the mid-roll ad due to inelegant placement – advertisements cutting abruptly into the video, or breaking the flow of a conversation. Since implementing mid-roll advertisements, Facebook has already doctored the formula to make users happier and less caught off guard by the advertisements.

Previously, videos had to be only ninety seconds long to qualify for an ad break, and the ad could be inserted as soon as twenty seconds into a video. Facebook heard the cry of the annoyed public and has now transitioned to using a three-minute minimum on videos with a mid-roll ad break.

Mid-Roll and Audience Engagement

One other problem with mid-roll ads is that an audience member may decide that they don’t want to watch the video anymore, meaning they never make it to the advertisement. Recode argues that “the problem is that the mid-rolls, people don’t tend to get to or they switch off as soon as they go to and just move onto the next thing.”

While mid-roll ad placement fixes the problem for Facebook’s newsfeed algorithm, would it still work for other websites and social platforms? More importantly, is it worth it for brands and companies to spend money on an ad no one might even watch?

The Underdog

It seems counterintuitive to put your ad after the main content, but surprisingly, post-roll ad placement can go a long way. However, you have to use this placement strategically. Post-roll works best in some very specific circumstances. For instance, this ad placement works great as a call-to-action following branded content. If you want to stir the fire within your audience, to make them truly feel the call- to- action, then post-roll is the best option.

If you want to make sure your post-roll ad is a success, there are a few techniques you can try. For example, adding music to the end of a video that transitions into your post-roll ad will keep the audience engaged for those extra few seconds. Keeping that interest flowing is key to the post-roll placement. That being said, since it does require such specific circumstances, post-roll may not be the go-to placement for most content.

The Decision

Each of these video ad placements have their benefits and their pitfalls. Ad placement is a personalized choice and the decision should be made based on the content and feel of each advertisement.

Pre-roll is a great form of ad placement for increased brand awareness, purchase consideration and ad recall as a whole. It is an ad-placement that uses audience engagement with the yet to be viewed desired content, to their advantage, and in turn is a proven method of lucrative video advertising.

Mid-roll ad placement is right for for an advertisement if the platform has a more passive discovery mechanism, like Facebook. Mid-roll ad placement also has a higher completion rate than pre-roll or post-roll, which makes it a good choice for any company who wants, or even needs the audience to watch the whole ad. That means your viewers will get the most out of what the brand or company has put into the ad.

Last but not least is post-roll. Post-roll is the best option if you have a call-to-action within the advertisement. If you really want to make your audience feel that immediate response, then post-roll is the the best placement for the advertisement.

While each ad placement has some specific strategies that are most compatible with the format, there is no one size fits all method. What works for one ad campaign may not work for another, and it is up to the marketers to understand the best placement for each advertisement and each brand.

And, ultimately, ad placements are most effective when the video itself is well-made and optimized for its specific distribution platform. In our current attention economy, viewers are overstimulated, making it even more difficult to engage an audience in your content – no matter how it’s placed. So before you rush to distribution, set your ad up for success with a skilled video team that can deliver a compelling story.

Updated on February 12, 2020.

Maya Mandell, Video Production and Marketing at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

3 Crucial Tips For Working With A Video Production Company

There are so many factors that go into finding a video production company to create your marketing content. Whether it’s a corporate video, demo reel, branded documentary or your wedding, most people have a long list of things that they want delivered.

But, there are three crucial tips to prioritize when working with a video production company. If you feel overwhelmed with the amount of decisions you need to make, turn to these tips when planning, hiring and going through the production process. Doing so will make the overall process run more smoothly on both ends, and your overall finished product will be the best it can possibly be.

Have a clear vision

Having a distinct vision for your video, and communicating that vision clearly, might be the most vital task you have as a video project manager. When you initially speak with your production team, they will ask you a lot of questions. Knowing exactly what you want is very helpful, unlike vague input such as, “we want a three minute video.” A three minute video sounds great, but what else?

When you’re brainstorming ideas for your video content, you should have a clear vision of what you want and what you don’t want. That clear vision includes knowing your audience. What do you want your audience to gain from your video? Who do you want to connect with? What is your brand’s voice? Letting your video production company know these important details will set both of you up for success, as partners.

Be open to ideas, we know video!

Yes, having a clear vision is important, but it is just as important to be open to new ideas. Hopefully you hire a video production company that has some experience under their belt, so let them know what you want, but also be open to their suggestions since this isn’t their first go around. Every video production company should be happy to work with you if you aren’t exactly sure what you want in some areas. A successful creative partnership is the ultimate goal of a video production collaboration. They are in this with you, to help you, and guide you in the right direction. Your production team can help you brainstorm some of the best ideas and ways to implement them. They have most likely had countless experiences creating videos, so trust their experience and point of view.

Understand your video production budget and timeline

Two of the key factors in creating a successful video campaign are to understand your budget and timeline. Be familiar with what you’re working with! Unless you have a background in film or video production, the average person most likely has little knowledge on how video production budgets work and the details that go into the timeline. Here are a few helpful pointers: Give your video production company plenty of notice. The more time, the better.

Once you’ve done your research and found the seemingly perfect video production team, form your vision and go ahead and reach out to them. From the moment you reach out, they will be brainstorming the best ways to give you what you want. If you are dealing with short notice, you can’t expect as great of an outcome. Being rushed is never fun, so having plenty of time will ease the stress on both ends, and will allow the video team plenty of time to dive into their resources.

More costs more

This may sound like common sense, but you’d be surprised. A lot of the time, clients who are not as familiar with the video process will meet with a video company and throw out all of their grandiose, unrealistic ideas on the table. It’s great to dream big, but you have to be in touch with your budget. When you are making a video, everything costs money: the gas to get to the set, the equipment, the lighting, the props, the extra set of hands, etc. We can help you with this, but always be thinking about where your funds will be best spent. There are a lot of creative ways to twist your ideas around to make the most of your budget. This is where having a creative video production team is very beneficial. If they are familiar with your vision and budget, they will do their best to create what you want with your budget in mind.

Summary

We hope by reading this, your next video production endeavor is the best yet. The important points we covered are crucial and make a large difference on the overall process. Keeping the key points in mind will reduce stress and increase the value of your finished product. Once you have the finished product in your hands, it doesn’t stop there. Be sure to map out a marketing plan for the best publicity of your video. Put that video to it’s best use!

Updated January 24, 2020

Madison Edwards, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

Short Video vs. Long Video: Optimizing Video Length

Updated on February 12, 2020.

Video marketers often have to ask themselves, “how long should our video be?” Everyone wants the answer to be simple and concise, but that’s just plain bad advice. Instead, the answer to this question depends heavily the content, viewing platform and purpose. In the end, these are just a few of the many factors contribute to the length of videos, which makes choosing between a short or long video challenging. Here, we’ve outlined the best times and places to use short vs. long video to ensure you get it just right.

Short Videos

Because 5% of viewers will stop watching videos after one minute and 60% of viewers drop off after two minutes, short videos can boost the amount of people who actually get to the end of your video. Short videos are ideal for social media, like Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat because users are usually scrolling quickly and their time is at a premium. These videos have higher retention rates, making it more likely to capture the viewer’s attention – and for longer.

With at least 55% of videos viewed on mobile devices running under 5 minutes, short video is ideal for smartphone users. For instance, if you know that your intended audience – say, millennials – will most likely watch your video on their phone, you’ll want to keep your videos short so they’ll finish them. Use brief videos to relay a quick message, focusing concisely on just one or two concepts.

Shareable Content

Short videos are optimal for creating shareable content intended for social media engagement. According to Single Grain, 92% of mobile users share videos, so focus on producing pieces that are entertaining, relatable and interesting. Tease your audience with something that piques their curiosity, leaving them eager for more. This helps to help create brand awareness and encourages users to distribute your videos.

Android’s “Friends Furever” is an excellent example of shareable content in the form of a short video. In just one minute, Android hooks the viewer’s attention with adorable animal friends. The brand nailed it by creating shareable content that quickly went viral, receiving a staggering 29 million views on YouTube. Though the touching content is unrelated to technology, it flashes a short message and the Android logo at the end. This boosts brand awareness as it rockets across the Internet. Viewers were encouraged to share this video because it appeals to emotions all humans share and connect through.

Explainer Videos

Short videos work great for an easy-to-explain product or service. In this case, it is not necessary to drag an explainer out. Keeping explainer videos concise allows you to compete effectively for all those short attention spans.

This Visually video is a great short explainer. In under 90 seconds, the short animation uses aesthetically pleasing animated graphics to quickly capture the viewer’s attention, and keep it through the very end. It’s effective because is efficiently relays the purpose and goal of the company in an easy-to-understand format. A few descriptive words with big fonts effectively outline Visually services. You shouldn’t need more than 90 seconds to explain your product or service – any longer and you’ve lost your viewer.

How-To’s

A short video is ideal if you’re interested in creating How-To videos. The How-To format shows the viewer how to accomplish a task or reach some sort of goal.

Saveur Magazine’s “How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds” aptly accomplishes its mission in one quick minute. They use the title to immediately let the viewer know that it will be a short, concise video. The chef successfully offers a useful kitchen hack in a way that draws the viewer in. The point is to ask little of the viewer’s time to get them willing to invest in your content.

Product Demos

If you want to demonstrate your product in video form, short videos are your best bet. People’s time is valuable; these days, folks are looking for a quick learn. As a marketer, your challenge is to engage your viewer, spark their curiosity, and persuade them to make a purchase. By showcasing how your product would specifically benefit the customer, the decision to invest becomes clear. The faster this is achieved, the better. You want to impress and influence your audience in a snap.

Apple’s product demos always rise above the rest, often due to gorgeous video and captivating graphics. The product demo for the iPhone 7 is proof that effective demos can be comprehensive, yet intriguing in just over two minutes. The tech giant is able to convey a lot of information about the new product, while featuring iPhone users employing new features and its operating system. The demo is effective because viewers can “see” various tools, like the new camera. The video has over 24 million views on YouTube. Clearly, Apple hit a home run here, inciting curiosity and drawing in a wide audience primed to learn what the newcomer can do.

Long Videos

Since “long” is a relative term, we’ll define long videos as exceeding three minutes. For the average, busy individual, videos longer than three minutes are a small investment of time. You need to make clear that your video is worth taking the time to watch in full. Ask yourself, what would guarantee that my audience will find my video important and interesting enough to watch all the way through? For long videos, you want to lock in your viewers’ attention and hold it.

Since it is more difficult to retain your viewer’s attention for longer videos, it is critical that you focus on the content of the video. You should create long videos for complex ideas that need a lot of explaining. If you want to provide a lot of information with the intent to entertain or persuade, consider lengthening your video. This will allow you to go more in depth with your topic and explain with attention to detail.

Inspirational Content and Emotional Storytelling

Extending the length of your video is smart when it comes to producing inspirational content and emotional stories. For this type of video, you want to flesh out the background and story to create a full understanding of the situation. With more time, you can build the content and really pull at your audience’s heartstrings, making them emotionally attached to your idea. If your intention is to inspire, you can utilize added minutes to expand on your story to enhance the experience and connect to viewers.

Green Buzz Agency’s “Ocean’s Call” serves as an excellent example of longer inspirational content. In twelve minutes, the video fully explains Claire’s background and story. The length is effective because the video was shown at an event, where people were seated and attentive. The viewer is able to move through a background story and a turning point in Claire’s life. The video shows passion, love, and generosity. These are strong cues that are developed throughout the video and encourages the viewer to feel inspired by Claire’s will and strength.

Documentary Videos

The best documentaries have some length. This is because they are nonfictional stories that are usually told in full. They often are created to share a story, educate, and persuade. Good documentaries feel real, intimate and are well composed. It takes time to fully develop a story that includes all the important details and facts. Documentaries can range from a few minutes, to a few hours, to a few episodes. Determine your documentary length by assessing what is important to include and how long to expand on each detail. Don’t rush through your story, but don’t drag it out to unnecessary lengths. Find that sweet spot of length that adequately covers all your information.

Square’s documentary “Yassin Falafel” tells a moving story in just over eight minutes. The content is socially relevant – a Syrian refugee pursuing the American dream – and follows the entrepreneur’s life in the U.S. This Webby award winning documentary would have felt rushed if it was any shorter, or it may have been forced to exclude crucial details.

Data-Heavy Video

Videos that are data-driven should usually be a bit longer. When making claims, especially scientific ones, it is important that they are supported by quantitative facts. Viewers who are uneducated about your topic benefit from in-depth explanations that make your points clear and give you credibility.

“Network Earth” exemplifies a longer video that is data-heavy and fact driven. It describes some of Earth’s environmental networks and the effect of climate change on those networks and species across the globe. The video visualizes the very real, massive consequences of climate change. At five minutes in length, the video displays research in a manner that is easy to understand by a general audience.

Summary

When creating videos, it is important to take length into consideration to optimize quality and effective storytelling. Determine length by categorizing the video and paying attention to your target audience and context of distribution. A video’s length affects its impact, so be sure to get the most out of your minutes.

Emily Herman contributed to this post.

360 Video: A Round View For A Round World

360-video is rapidly evolving and gaining popularity. A video technique that gives the viewer an in-action feel, 360-video is great for real estate showings, travel content, documentaries, concerts, professional sports and more.

At its simplest form, 360-video allows brands to insert their viewers into an experience. It gives you the feeling that you are right there, or looking over the shoulder of the scene as it unfolds. Anyone can learn the technique to make a 360-video, but not everyone uses the format most effectively.

Core Message

Before deciding to make a 360-video for your brand or company, ask yourself these three questions:

1. Why am I using 360-video format? Do you want to increase viewer engagement, message retention, or expand your creation possibilities? Then 360-video might be a good marketing strategy. However, keep in mind that the technique is fairly new and will take longer to film, edit, and master.

2. What’s the desired impact? Whether it is to showcase products, promote destinations, or otherwise bring your audience into your world, 360-video is a great way to make your audience feel inspired and ready to take action.

3. What visuals do I want? 360-video gives the viewer the sense they are really in the world of the video. That means you’ll want to use the format to take your viewer on an experience. For example, if you are going to show a promotional video for an African safari, a 360-video could be a great option to immerse your audience in the experience.

Target Audience

As far as video production, marketing, advertising, or writing goes, you need to know your target market. Take the time to really consider if 360-video is a logical method to successfully reach them. Keep in mind that the format has not been around long, relative to other videography techniques, so you have a higher chance of catching the attention of a trendy, tech savvy young adult. It is important to be familiar with your different social media platforms to ensure that your audience is there. Outside of social media, conferences are a great place to debut a 360-video. Conference attendees are open to out-of-the-box experiences, and may be more willing to explore new media.

This REI campaign exemplifies a successful use of 360 video. Their campaign was aimed to target multicultural millennials. What better way to catch millennials’ attention than to use hip 360-video? REI documented eight artists working on installations in the three cities with the goal of making the outdoors more accessible to young urbanites. The 360-video format allows the viewer to experience the art first hand, over the shoulders of the artists at work. Viewers also have the ability to scroll to view different angles of the project, which they wouldn’t have access to with the traditional narrative of video marketing content.

Visual Strengths

Before diving into a 360-video project, you should know the format’s visual strengths. If your content will not meet the needs of the 360-video, it is likely that you will produce a lifeless, anti-climatic, video campaign that is more effort than it’s worth. Yes, it will be a 360-video, but will it deliver the message effectively?

If there is a singular point of action and no reason to explore other angles, it is probably not suited for 360-video. If your content will require a lot of movement and a lot of cuts, it will probably not make a good 360-video. However, if you want to give people the feeling that they’re there and let them see the whole scene, that is good 360-video potential.

Let’s take a look at another effective example. Expedia created a 360-video to entice viewers to vacation to Australia. The monologue and the scenery of the video work well with the 360-video style that brings the viewer the action, adventure, and the “in the moment” feeling. See how Expedia successfully uses 360-video to engage their audience and excite them about a trip to the land down under:

The world is constantly finding new ways to engage consumers. 360-video is a current technique that can pave the way for a memorable brand experience, and keep your message at the top of the consumer’s mind. The format can ultimately increase your viewer’s engagement, click through rate, and shareability of your content. While 360-video is certainly not for every brand, it can produce significant results when used optimally.

Updated on February 10, 2020.

Madison Edwards, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

3 Video Styles to Bring to Your Marketing Plan

Did you know that 59% of executives agree that users are more likely to engage with video than text on a topic of their interest? Or that 52% of marketers believe that video is effective for brand awareness? Needless to say, the opportunities in video marketing are booming. If you aren’t already considering a video marketing plan for your business, now is the time to start.

But where should you begin when planning your video marketing strategy? Explore these themes in your organization, which are proven to make an impact on your consumer:

1. Success stories

2. Tutorials and Explanations

3. User-Generated Content

Success Stories

One of the best ways to promote your business, product, or whatever it may be is through telling your success stories. You can use a paragraph of words to explain why your business is the best, but a video brings the content to life and holds the viewer’s attention more than a written summary. People also tend to value and trust other customer’s opinions more than the brand’s written words.

A great example of this is from Airbnb, a company that has a full video marketing campaign on Youtube. Airbnb’s Youtube channel focuses on showing real stories of people highlighting their trips and stays in Airbnb accommodations. This is a great strategy to reel in someone who is looking to use Airbnb for the first time. Seeing all of the success stories Airbnb has produced will give the viewers the confidence in the brand to turn to them for the next adventure.

Tutorials and Explainers

Another great way to implement video into your marketing plan is to explain or show the “how to” aspect of a product or a new feature using a video tutorial. A quality example of this format comes from Apple, demonstrating what their new iPad Pro has to offer.

Apple presented viewers with an informative text exploring the new iPad Pro and supplemented the text with videos. These videos come to life and highlight the features of the new iPad technology as the viewer scrolls down the page. The videos are intriguing, showing the iPad’s variety of uses to demonstrate the product’s flexibility. People often prefer to learn by being shown how to do something, instead of reading a manual. For that reason, this marketing campaign would not be nearly as efficient without the videos alongside the text.

User-Generated Video Content

User-generated content is beneficial because it helps to develop a brand community by giving customers a platform to share their stories. A customer will feel more connected to the brand if they feel as if they can contribute to the company’s message.

For a great example, check out Target’s video marketing integration. Target curated user-generated content to raise awareness for their corporate responsibility. The company created a video marketing plan to reach out to high school seniors, encouraging them to share videos receiving their college acceptance letters. Target then compiled video content with the best reactions, pulling on America’s heartstrings.

The video ends with this statement: “Every kid deserves this moment. Great schools can get them here.” Not only did Target forge an emotional connection with its customers, but it was also able to subtly advertise its advocacy for accessible education and its donations to K-12 school systems. This video marketing plan contributed to Target’s goal of donating one billion dollars to education by 2015.

Video has become the way people build connection. Whether it is to promote your business, newest campaign, or recent invention, videos are a great tool to implement into your marketing plan. Videos are easier to follow, draw more attention to your page, and pull the viewer in more than a chunk of text.

Video brings curiosity, trust and confidence to your viewer like no other form of advertisement. While video is convenient and efficient for the consumer, video marketing plans also provide marketers with an attractive, versatile and shareable medium to reach their audiences. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get filming.

Updated on February 7, 2020

Madison Edwards, Marketing and Communication at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

The Psychology Behind Video Consumers

The average attention span for consumers is only 8.25 seconds of video, according to Adage. If you want an effective video, that means you need to capitalize on this brief time span. To hook your viewers instantly, first understand the psychology behind video consumers. Then, you can implement strategies that capture and intrigue.

Read on to learn how marketers apply knowledge of consumer psychology to video marketing with techniques that lead consumers to identify with ideas, provoke emotion and drive attitudes and behavior.

Psychology Principles In Marketing

There are a number of psychology principles that will aid in your understanding of how the minds of consumers operate. Here are two effective examples with easy-to-implement strategies.

The Verbatim Effect

The verbatim effect conveys that people tend to primarily remember the general essence of what you publish as opposed to distinct facts or specifics. Therefore, you shouldn’t obsess over a detailed script that overloads your viewer with information. Instead, focus on perfecting video headlines, titles, captions, descriptions and opening/closing shots. Include as much information in these labels as possible, while still being concise. You want to ensure that the takeaway from your video is clear and that the main message is memorable.

Facebook does a good job at emphasizing a clear takeaway in a video about groups. The title for the video is intriguing and summarizes the video while prompting action. The narration is simple but relatable. The opening and closing shots are bookend titles and questions that are succinct but effective. Though viewers might not remember the specific groups that characters in the video joined, the message is memorable: use Facebook to find others with common interests and to find groups to share these with.

The Principle of Social Proof

The principle of social proof occurs when consumers follow actions of those that they like, admire or trust. On blogs and articles, social sharing and follow buttons are key to encouraging individuals to influence their network. A display of an accurate number of shares, comments and views may cause site visitors to follow suit, promoting distribution and further discussion. You may want to consider showcasing your video on a platform where these metrics are visible.

Facebook is also a great platform to encourage your viewers to share photos with their followers. This makes it easier for content to go viral. For example, The Late Late Show with James Corden shares episodes on their Facebook page, which shows the number of likes, comments and shares. Adele’s Carpool Karaoke has currently been shared over 31,000 times and has over 17,000 comments on Facebook. These large numbers make the video appear popular and well-liked, making it more likely for other viewers to watch and share a laugh with friends.

Find What Makes People Tick

Because videos are useful for producing emotional cues—even more so than photos—video marketers should tell a story in a way that reaches consumers’ hearts and minds. Tell stories that are comprehensive and appeal to a broad range of senses.

For some people, your advertisements are persuasive through their presentation of logical, easy to follow facts. But for many other consumers, videos are more powerful when they trigger subliminal cues and evoke particular emotional reactions. Make your video more memorable by utilizing features like locations, audio, and lighting that will appeal to the target audience. Adjust the factors of the video to fit your customer’s needs and wants, such as design, technical aspects, colors, etc.

Other than the design of the video, your overarching narrative themes will produce emotional responses. Pay attention to detail to ensure that certain feelings are internalized after watching your video.

A successful example of persuading through peripheral route is Buzzfeed and Purina’s Puppyhood video which uses cues that appeal to the average dog owner. The video’s backgrounds are familiar to the target audience, as the owner is seen in his home and at locations that other dog owners may frequent, including the pet shop and the park. Viewers can relate to a normal home life with a dog accompanying an owner’s typical daily tasks. Typical puppy mishaps, like destroying household items and making a mess, will resonate with dog owners. The video evokes empathy using relatable comedy.

Furthermore, build direct and personal relationships with your audience. Add an emotional human touch to effectively appeal to pathos (emotions) and logos (logic), turning viewers into paying customers.

RELATED: How To Make A Video

Target emotional soft spots for your viewers. For example, cute animal videos tend to be successful even if they have nothing to do with the product. A heart-warming Green Buzz video that targets emotions is the Love Has No Labels campaign for Ad Council, spreading acceptance and cherishing love in all forms.

Dove’s Real Beauty campaign is another example of persuasion by appealing to ethics and emotional connection. Dove presents stories about embracing natural beauty and encouraging confidence among women. This campaign successfully revived the brand by altering perceptions and the definition of beauty.

Summary

Incorporating knowledge of the psychology behind consumers into video marketing is a foolproof way to reach the target market and increase ROI. Determine what makes people tick, be authentic, and appeal to emotions.

Updated on February 12, 2020.

Sophia Gribbs, Marketing at Green Buzz Agency. Emily Herman contributed to this post.

How To Make A Video

Green Buzz Agency Breaks Down the Three Phases of Production:

Updated on February 14, 2020.

Many professionals find the production process to be challenging and confusing. Green Buzz Agency’s Bryce Spivey and Andrew Parkison provide insight into the three stages of production and how effective the overall production process can be if you start off on the right foot.

Pre-Production

Pre-production is the most important phase in creating a successful video.

“Planning is the key to every video.”

This phase is used to establish the objective of the video. It’s for asking questions like: Why are we making this video? What do we want this video to do for us? Pre-production is a time for discovering the purpose of your video and the style you want to take. It sets the tone for production and post-production, as well.

Production

Production is a fast paced day. You need to make sure you gather the footage you need to create the most compelling video possible. It’s important to remember that set up and travel take up more time than you expect it to. Between setting up the equipment and preparing the talent, people often overlook how quickly the day passes. But, the better your pre-production planning, the better the day will flow.

Post-Production

All video elements come together in post-production. Editors take the footage from the production phase and look for the clips that reflect your company and the message you want to share. The editors will then put together a rough cut of the clips and send it to you, the client.

“Editing is all about options.”

After the rough cut is approved, the editors get to work. They add elements like music, sound effects, and — sometimes — graphics that further reflect your company’s message.

Summary

Overall, good planning is the key to making a successful video. With a strong pre-production process, you can ensure that your production day runs smoothly and that you have gathered the best footage for your video.

RELATED: VIDEO PRODUCTION TIPS

Branded Film Marketing

Updated on February 12, 2020.

Featured image from YouTube.

Car chases and explosions aren’t just for the silver screen anymore. Brands are creating their own short films as a marketing tool. And, it’s working. Branded films have been on the rise over the past few years. Brands are able to use short film to reach their audiences in a creative, entertaining, and subtle way.

What Are Branded Films?

Branded films are short videos made by brands that are used as a marketing tool. They can range in run time from five minutes to half an hour. They are entertainment focused, but can be either fiction or documentary. Above all else, they are content driven, and need to be relatable and authentic in order to appeal to the audience.

Many branded films have high-quality production value. Some are even directed by big-name directors, like Wes Anderson.

The goal of branded film is the same as any marketing tactic: increasing brand awareness, engaging audiences, and influencing customer purchasing. But, the branded film is rooted in the depth of a plot. The brand is like a secondary character in these short films — a part of the story, but not the center.

Examples of Effective Branded Films

“Two Bellmen,” Marriott

This branded film by Marriott is successful in engaging and entertaining its viewers. The visuals, sound, and camera movements are compelling, and the fictional story is rich in comedy. The high-quality production value in this film is absolutely crucial to its success. The level of quality affects how the film is received by its audience. A higher quality film tells the audience the piece is about more than a purchasing incentive. It’s no wonder Marriott was able to create three installments in this series.

The short is branded very subtly. Yes, it is about a hotel, but it’s not about the Marriott brand hotels. The film focuses more on brand association rather than sale. “Two Bellmen” is incredibly accessible as well. It is available on YouTube and the brand website, which makes it more shareable.

“Backwater,” MINI

“Backwater” is a truly innovative branded film. Not only does it have all the crucial elements of a successful branded film, but it was created using cutting-edge 360-video technology. The story is already engaging, but the use of 360-video creates an immersive experience for the viewer.

The brand may seem more present in this video compared to others, like Prada’s “Castello Cavalcanti” above, but its presence makes sense. The car featured in the film mirrors the idea of brand-as-character. The brand and product are displayed in a way that benefits the plot and doesn’t annoy the viewer.

Why Branded Film?

Branded film can be a great tool to reach millennial audiences. Generally, millennials do not trust traditional advertising and don’t want to be feel manipulated. Branded films are entertaining and engaging, which makes them appeal more to millennial consumers. Even if millennials aren’t your target audience, branded film can be relatable to a wide range of viewers.

Branded shorts are inherently shareable. Many of the films are posted on YouTube and Vimeo, and can be shared through social media. This can result in branded films going viral, as seen with the “Pay It Forward” short film. These films can encourage increased brand awareness and purchase intent as well. In fact, an Intel study measuring brand film engagement of four of their videos found an 8 to 12 percent increase in both.

What’s Next For Branded Film?

Branded film marketing is likely to grow in the coming years, as both a marketing tool and artistic endeavor. As a marketing tool, branded films tend to “outsmart” traditional online advertisements. Viewers can easily click out of ads, skip ads, or ignore television commercials. Branded films are the content audiences want to watch, all while being indirectly influenced by a company’s message.

Actually, branded films are now becoming eligible for awards. In 2016, the Brand Film Festival began sponsored by Campaign US and PRWeek. The festival recognizes and celebrates outstanding fiction and documentary branded films.

This year’s Brand Film Festival is in New York City on May 4, 2017.

Katie Murray, Marketing and Communications at Green Buzz Agency.

Emily Herman contributed to this post.

How to Make Your Corporate Video Stand Out

Updated on February 14, 2020.

When you think of corporate video, what comes to mind? The CEO being interviewed at their desk? An employee and a client shaking hands? A long shot down the office space? It’s been done before, and it’s all we ever see. Making videos just like this is not what’s going to make you stand out in the crowd. You’ll need to take a different perspective to create a unique corporate video.

What Is Corporate Video?

Corporate video encompasses videos that tell viewers who you are. Many corporate videos summarize the company history and feature employee or client testimonials. This formula has been used over and over again in the creation of standard corporate videos.

It’s not that this tried and true formula is ineffective, but it may be time for a change. It may be time for you to reflect your brand in a different way. It may be time for you to do something new with your corporate video. It may be time to harness your company’s uniqueness factor.

How Can You Make Your Corporate Video Stand Out?

In order to create a unique video, you need to discover what’s unique about you. Your brand has a rich story behind it. There is unmatched passion there that you need to tap into. Find out what makes your brand different and bring that to the forefront of your campaign.

In finding your uniqueness, you need to find your tone. Your tone can be serious, funny, inspiring, heartwarming, or whatever else you feel personifies your brand. Yet, many of the most unique corporate videos have humorous aspects to them. Comedic videos are actually one of the most popular categories among online viewers.

Tone

The Toronto-based advertising agency, John St., uploaded a corporate video called “Catvertising” on YouTube. The video features humorous elements about the massive number of cat videos on the internet. The firm took a funny and engaging approach that had our office howling with laughter.

Humor is a unique element. It’s usually unexpected by audiences, especially in corporate video. Where most expect that corporate videos alienate audiences, humor can draw them in. You can also use humor to show your personality. Taking a lighthearted, joking approach can make your brand more relatable to consumers.

A humorous tone is a great way to reach your online audience as well. Comedic elements tend to make videos more shareable and engaging for casual viewers. Comedy is one of the top three most popular online video genres to date. Out of the three — comedy, music, and news — comedy is the most preferred, with almost 40 percent favorability.

Not all unique corporate videos have humorous aspects, and not all brands want to reflect a humorous tone. There are ways to make a corporate video with a more serious or inspiring tone unique. Focusing on elements like lighting, sound, and cinematography will make your corporate video memorable and technically accomplished.

How The Corporate Video Looks

Corporate video footage can get repetitive, but there are ways to liven up your visuals. For example, consider including motion graphics. Motion graphics can benefit your video whether they’re paired with recorded footage or not. You are less limited with your visuals than you may be when working with real people and locations. The visual style of your graphics is where you have boundless opportunities to make your brand personality known.

This Upworthy corporate video shows how a campaign can rely on motion graphics to tell its story, without sacrificing quality or believability. The hyper-realistic nature of the video makes the images appear real. They may not actually be tangible, but they absolutely look tangible. The realness added to this video helps form an emotional connection and engages the viewer — the best of both worlds.

If motion graphics aren’t your style, you can opt for a “new-meets-old” format. Don’t just tap into the current, tap into the past and the future, too. Using older footage can give your brand more credibility. It can also showcase your company’s mission by unearthing some of its history.

Another way to create a more dynamic feel to your video is by incorporating subtle movements. You can use techniques like slow pans to provide an active feel while remaining focused on the subject of your frame. It’s amazing how much a small movement can really elevate the look and feel of your project.

How The Corporate Video Sounds

Sound is an incredibly important aspect in videos. It sets up the scene and helps the audience determine what will happen next. For example, without the Jaws theme to tell us something is about to happen, would any of us be scared?

You can use sound in different ways to reflect the tone of your corporate video. If you’re going for an emotional or inspiring tone, using long flowing melodies can be a great way to reflect that. If you’re trying to highlight the youthfulness of your brand, consider using a “plucking” electronic tone.

If you’re looking to emphasize elements of humor or light-heartedness, it can be unique to use music that doesn’t quite match your message. For example, if you’re making fun of a serious type of video, using music that sounds “serious” could add even more humor to your video.

Summary

No matter what kind of corporate video you create, it should be enjoyable. If a viewer finds the video enjoyable, the chance of brand association increases by 139 percent. Give your audience something they’ll appreciate, and they’ll bring that appreciation right back to you.

Katie Murray, Marketing and Communication at Green Buzz Agency.

Emily Herman contributed to this post.

How To Attract An Audience With Augmented Reality

Featured image from http://www.digitaltrends.com/

Updated on February 10, 2020.

Amassing over 500 million downloads and spanning users in 100 countries, Pokemon Go ignited a frenzy among mobile users.

Released as a free mobile app, Pokemon Go uses your phone’s GPS, camera, and augmented reality to digitally place Pokemon in your surroundings. One of the app’s biggest achievements was introducing AR to a mainstream, global audience. What are the factors that made it so successful, and how can brands adopt similar marketing strategies to their advantage?

Augmented Reality vs. Virtual Reality

First, let’s examine the differences between virtual reality and augmented reality. Though they may seem similar, both serve different purposes.

Virtual reality, which typically requires a headset, strives to immerse users in a three-dimensional, interactive environment by using video or CGI. For example, a brand might use VR to create an immersive documentary or make an interactive game that advertises its products.

Augmented reality, however, enhances the real world by combining live surroundings with virtual objects and graphics. This makes it another interesting potential technology for brands: a clothing company, for example, could use AR to allow its users to virtually try on clothes.

AR Campaigns

This campaign from IKEA exemplifies how companies can use AR to give customers a better idea of their products in their own lives. By scanning the pages of a catalog on their phones, users were able to digitally envision how IKEA products would look in their living rooms.

Another example of a good use of AR is Ray-Ban’s Virtual Mirror, which allows customers to virtually try on sunglasses online. The benefit of such a feature is obvious: rather than having to go to stores, customers can test products of interest from the comfort of their home.

Admittedly, virtually trying on sunglasses is not quite the same as feeling the fit of the frame or seeing the color in person. However, AR can often pique the initial interest of customers.

For example, AMC Theatres was able to achieve a 75% CTR, or click-through rate, with an AR campaign that allowed customers to scan movie posters with their phone to see fun animations, as well as sweepstakes that allowed them to win prizes and earn coupons.

As AR continues to evolve, it is an exciting technology to keep an eye on that could transform the ways we shop, watch, and experience the products and services in our lives.

AR Strategies

When examining the success of Pokemon Go, several factors stand out. For one, the AR gameplay doesn’t require a clunky headset or glasses. Rather, it was released as a free app that could be downloaded and played simply with a phone. Because headsets can often be a barrier for interested consumers, this greatly helped to increase accessibility.

Additionally, the mobile, active aspect of the game is another factor that helped draw in users. When weighing the options between mobile branded content and desktop-limited content, it is often better to try to make content mobile-friendly. Think about it: customers can access your content when they are waiting in line for their coffee or taking a stroll around the park.

The most powerful element of any viral campaign, however, is its shareability. In the case of Pokemon Go, in addition to Pokemon’s existing fan base, the social element of the game was a key factor that kept users entertained – users were able to form teams and share their progress over social media.

So, when planning a VR or AR campaign, here are some important questions to take into consideration: Is this content shareable? Can users interact and bond over this content? Try to incorporate these factors the next time you are strategizing your marketing plan to get the most out of your branded content.