How Do Successful Startups Make Their Video Ads?
โVideo, video, videoโฆโ thatโs all the algorithm ever talks about! But truly, itโs because video (more than any other type of ad creative) has the power to do three amazing things:
- Simplify complicated concepts
- Make a personal connectionย
- Snag the attention of overstimulated scrollers
So, as a startup marketing agency, weโre constantly trying to unlock new, powerful, and simple ways to get more video content. Weโre also on a mission to empower more startup founders, scaleups, and everyone in between to get their hands dirty and make their own (ESPECIALLY if theyโre strapped for cash).
Ultimately, if thereโs one major takeaway from this article, itโs that creative doesnโt have to be a production. If you hang around here long enough you might start a drinking game centered on the number of times youโll hear that phrase. But itโs true! We believe that creative should always be beholden to data. And if it canโt prove itself in the face of Facebook Business Managerโor better yet, Google Analyticsโthen it probably should be kicked to the curbโฆeven if you did shell out for that $20k brand video. (Itโs okay, thereโs still a great place for that on your โaboutโ page!).
The following 3 tactics for making video ads have become staples around our creative team. And youโll find evidence of all three tucked into our Creative Portfolio. Whatโs more, is that all three video types have proven themselves on the battlefield. And are consistently generating lower CPCs and higher CVRs, indicating that theyโre at once attention-grabbing and fueled with enough information to make for a smooth path towards conversion once a user hits the site. Winning.
1. Make TikTok Videos
Cost = $0
Wipe those sweaty palms on your jeans and plop yourself in front of the camera. No, really! Itโs MUCH more cost effective to test out your messaging and explore with the format when you whip up a video yourself than shelling out thousands for an influencerโs time.ย
We take the same approach. Before we reach out to influencers or professional creators, weโll map out our 2-3 best โstorylinesโ and create a TikTok video that corresponds to each. Then, after weโve run that creative for a few weeks in our campaigns, weโll be armed with tons of great information that will help us get exactly what we need from creators.ย
Tips for trying your hand at your own TikTok videos:
- Skim through this video (skip to 1:30)
- Take some time to scroll through TikTok to get a feel for trends
- Make sure you pick a โcommercially licensed soundโย
- Donโt hesitate to delete it and start over approximately 600 times while youโre getting the hang of itย
- Even if its not perfect, thatโs okay!ย
Hereโs an example of TikTok creative weโve made in house.
2. Record a Zoom Conversation
Cost = $150 for editing/resizing
Testimonial videos are a super powerful tool for building trust and allowing prospective customers to hear from actual people. But hiring a production company to make them or asking your customers to record themselves is simply hard to achieve.
So, weโve started asking our partnersโ power users to sit down with us in a simple, conversational, 20-minute Zoom call. Whether theyโre taking the call from their phone or hanging out in their office, being able to see their face and have a casual chat about why they enjoy the ways your company has improved their lives makes AMAZING ad creative.
Then, weโll tap a video editor to splice together the best soundbites, resize it to fit our various ad placements, and voila!
Tips for having a successful recorded Zoom:
- Help prep them/give them some background information. (The more context you can provide, the better theyโll tailor their answers).
- Take a moment to small talk and help them relax before you hit record.
- Get personal! Ask them about concrete ways their lives are better because of what you do.ย
Hereโs an example of ad creative weโve made from a Zoom call.
3. Hire a Motion Designer
Cost = $1000 for motion designย
When done right, motion design can become powerful ad creative as well as a strong conversion tool on your website. But, it takes the right contractor to capture your vision and create something that can straddle that fence.ย
This is where it helps to have a dialed-in vision and a rock solid brief. Check out this brief we made when we originally tapped a video editor to make us a motion graphic for our partners, AKKO.
Itโs important to note that I am NO designerโI just have tons of ideas and a deep understanding of AKKOโs most important value props! So, if this looks intimidating, first write out the โscriptโ or on-screen text. Then imagine how to best bring this to life with animation. A google search for โanimated brand videosโ or โanimated explainer videosโ can really help here.
Then, comb through UpWork, our favorite place to find creative talent. The more you can bring to your brief in UpWork, the better, more detailed responses you will get (and the more accurate the estimates!).
Hereโs an example of motion graphic ad creative.
Above all, donโt overthink, just start! Itโs so easy to get stuck on the starting line with ad creative. TikTok can feel intimidating, asking people for their valuable time is tough, finding the right motion designer can feel scary, but the great thing is that ad creative is ephemeral. This is all about test, test, and test again. Then test some more. Be ruthless about throwing out creative thatโs not converting and making more of what is! Need a little boost in this department? Letโs talk.
Fresh from the creative world, Elle brings a strong left brain/right brain balance to every new business challenge she meets. Her hunger to learn and unflinching willingness to get her hands dirty combine to make her the person that never runs out of questions. Happen to catch her away from her laptop? Sheโs likely flecked with dirt kicked up by her mountain bike.