Wednesday, August 17, 2016
4 Ways to Use Video in Twitter Ads
Twitter video ads usually don’t require starting from scratch. You might already have access to content that lends itself to video advertising or can easily be modified and promoted on social media. Here are a few ways to begin.
#1: Make a Video Product Catalog
Twitter video ads are a great way to show off products and services. To enhance the impact of product-focused videos, style them with a specific atmosphere and attitude. This helps you create a visually engaging experience and communicate what your brand is all about.
Enhance impact with attitude and style.
Android Wear uses a Twitter GIF ad to show off its line of smartwatch bands in a simple yet interesting way. Most of the elements are the same from frame to frame, while displaying multiple band designs on a model. The ad also includes straightforward messaging, so viewers can get a sense of the brand’s style and the benefits of its products all in one glance.
#2: Showcase the User Experience
You can use Twitter video ads to show audiences what it’s like to use your product. Offer a visual experience that will put the viewer right in the center of the action, so you can easily convey the benefits of your product and motivate audiences to hit a Download or Install CTA button.
Visual experiences put the viewer in the center of the action.
In the graphic above, Wish takes viewers through a purchase on its shopping app. By highlighting how easy it is to find and score deals, Wish communicates the value of the app to audiences and inspires them to discover discounts of their own.
#3: Create a How-to Video
Another smart Twitter video ad strategy is to offer unique knowledge and expertise through an instructional video. Present useful content in an interactive way so you canencourage more viewers to click through to your website to learn more.
If you use a pre-existing how-to video, make sure that it’s bright, clear, and visually appealing.
TechSmith uses Twitter video ads to take viewers through the process of filming B-roll for business use. Because the tutorial features shots from inside Camtasia, it’s a natural and unobtrusive shout-out to TechSmith’s own product, while still being informative and helpful to audiences.
How-to videos show off your expertise.
#4: Repurpose Video Content
If you’ve created a TV ad for your business, then you already have great material for yourTwitter ad. TV ads can work well on Twitter because they give audiences a high-level introduction to your brand, while remaining short, easily digestible, and entertaining. As a bonus, if you adapt a TV spot for Twitter, you have the opportunity to make the ad even more actionable with call-to-action (CTA) buttons and tailored copy.
No TV ad? No problem! You can reuse an introductory or demo video from your website. Just make sure it’s short and instantly understandable.
After Toyota ran a Prius ad during the 2016 Super Bowl, the automotive company gave the TV commercial a second life on social media. The video ad works especially well on Twitter because it’s high-energy, eye-catching, and easy to follow even on small mobile screens.
Content produced for TV is great material for Twitter, too.
In addition, it harnessed the power of Twitter’s sharing options with a hashtag that prompts users to engage and discuss.
Tips for Creating Successful Video Ads
Creative plays a vital role in Twitter video success. Content that doesn’t look or sound compelling will be much less effective. The following creative best practices will help your video ads not only showcase your brand in the best possible light, but also drive the results that matter most to your bottom line.
Include a Strong Hook in the First Three Seconds
Get Big Impact from Bite-Sized Content
I’m sure you’ve heard the old proverb about good things coming in small packages, right? It’s the idea that sometimes the smallest gift can offer up the biggest dividend.
This adage has historically been applied to everything small, from the Mini Cooper to Hershey’s Kisses . And amazingly enough, the concept of thinking small for maximum results is also perfect when it comes to sharing content online.
The fact remains that much of what content marketers share on social networking gets lost due to consumer’s inability to digest your big idea all at once, which is why I love content atomization as an effective tool to communicate your message in a way that's fully scalable.
This can be done by creating items like memes, GIFs or short video content - anything that can be distributed via social media while leaving an impression on users without a lot of explanation. This principle works because having various versions of your message increases the chance of reaching your target audience. So even if they don’t immediately reach for the detailed op-ed that you wrote for the Wall Street Journal, they may gravitate towards your company once they read a blog post or listen to short podcast.
If you’re ready to learn how to make snack-sized content that resonates quickly, here are a few key tips.
Review your existing content to see what can be atomized
Shrinking down your message doesn’t mean that you have to recreate the wheel. This is the perfect time to look over your existing collateral (think white papers, journal articles, video tutorials) to see if they can be transformed into separate items.
The important thing to remember is that smaller content needs to contain a definitive narrative that's easy to understand, so it’s important to avoid things such as jargon or dated references. Ultimately you want your message to grab your viewer the first time they see it.
Plan for atomization as you create new content
Once you have a handle of your current stable of collateral, it’s time to evaluate your future communication plans to see how you can make your marketing materials more shareable. Ideally, you should consider multiple forms of content for each message you're looking to convey.
For example, a white paper can be easily summarized in a blog post. Perhaps you can consider taking key points of a webinar and turning them into an infographic or a short YouTube clip.
As with every marketing message, you need to consider the audience when determining how to shrink down your idea. Looking to connect with Millennial entrepreneurs? Consider creating a short piece for Snapchat. A Facebook clip, meanwhile, might be perfect to reach older clients.
Ultimately, how you distribute the message is just as important as the message itself, so review the best practices of each social platform as you craft your content variations.
Reevaluate the way you measure the message’s effectiveness
As you're looking for ways to shrink your content, be sure to consider how you're tracking your message for effectiveness. The best atomized campaigns are data driven, offering content marketers a way to create benchmarks and track the various formats for maximum results.
You can have multiple platforms for your idea, but there's only one solid objective - getting your brand in front as many interested people as possible. Establishing measurable marketing objectives can help you determine if your atomized messages are working so you can make changes quickly and efficiently.
Key Takeaway
If your brand’s big ideas are getting lost in the shuffle, perhaps it’s time to repackage them into something that consumers can easily digest. Along with the traditional marketing vehicles, consider utilizing things like memes and clips to generate excitement for your company.
Ideally, you should have multiple variations of your message so that you can expose it to as wide a client base as possible. And be sure to create solid benchmarks for each shareable so that you can determine its effectiveness.
8 Snapchat Content Ideas That Your Fans Will Love
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8 Snapchat Content Ideas That Your Fans Will Love
Do you want to use Snapchat?
Are you struggling to come up with content ideas?
In this article, you’ll discover eight ways to create Snapchat content that brings your account to life.
Discover eight snapchat content ideas your followers will love.
#1: Do a “10 Snap Questions” Interview
For this content hack, interview people one 10-second snap at a time. The “10 snap questions” format will help ensure your friends stay on board until the end.
Here’s how it works:
Set your snaps to 10 seconds. Be sure to take a little time to ensure the lighting and sound are right. The interviewee may have to sit close to you to speak directly into the microphone of your smartphone, tablet, or desktop computer.
In an opening snap, introduce your interviewee. Put each question as text on a snap of its own. Make sure your interviewee is on-screen when answering your questions.Add stickers to snaps to reflect the question and answer and show your personality.
Snapchat content creator Danny Berk frequently uses the interview format. For greater impact, he uses a branded microphone with his snapcode.
Snapchat influencer Danny Berk frequently uses interviews to engage his followers.
Snap at the end of the interview to thank your interviewee and share that person’s snapcode.
You can use the Snapchat interview as a promo to link to a longer interview on YouTube or your website. For example, snap a call to action (“To find out more, log onto my blog/YouTube channel”) and share the link.
#2: Arrange a Takeover
A takeover is when you give your Snapchat account to an influencer to run for a set period of time. It can help you gain access to a new audience.
The takeover should have a purpose, such as a product launch or promotion, event awareness, company announcements and news, or to showcase a collaboration. It can last for the duration of an event, for 24 hours, or for a specific time period to tie in with a campaign.
For example, lifestyle website PopSugar features weekly takeovers called Hannahgram, hosted by Hannah Bronfman. She tries out new beauty products and exercise regimens.
A takeover can be a regular feature on your Snapchat.
To run a successful takeover, make sure you choose the right takeover host. This person should have a large Snapchat and/or social media following, have an interest or connection to your industry, or be an influencer in a niche area for which you want increased exposure.
At least 24 hours before the takeover starts, make sure the person hosting the takeover tells his or her Snapchat friends to add your Snapchat account. Also ask the takeover host not to post on his or her Snapchat during the takeover period. This will entice that person’s followers to add you.
#3: Give an Exclusive Look
One of the hottest trends in social media is personalization, and Snapchat content is extremely personal. Showing behind-the-scenes content is an effective way to preview major events or milestones, as it creates buzz and raises awareness. The content you share should be exclusive to your Snapchat.
Putting the behind-the-scenes feature in context is important, so always introduce it with a video. You can add value by creating a story sequence with multiple snaps. Talk to people on the team behind the event or key influencers to get their insights. You want to take your followers on a journey, so walk-and-talk is a good tactic.
Taco Bell has a feature on their Snapchat called Meetups at The Bell, where they invite high-profile people to their restaurants. The feature engages customers and prospective customers and tells a story about their tacos without directly selling them to their audience.
Meetups at the Bell is a content marketing feature from Taco Bell.
Comedy star Mario Lopez, best known in the 1980s as AC Slater from Saved By The Bell, took part in this feature and made his very own taco.
Mario Lopez making a taco at Taco Bell.
#4: Do a Big Reveal
Unboxing is a content hack mostly used by bloggers or influencers who are frequently asked to try out new products. On Snapchat, you could unbox a gift, unveil your new book cover, introduce your latest product line, preview a blog post, or perform a new track from your album. The reveal gives your friends an up-close exclusive from your business.
For example, singer/songwriter Ariana Grande recorded 10-second snap videos of songs from her new album. Radio stations and news websites then played and published these previews. The buzz got media outlets talking about her new album, giving Ariana invaluable pre-launch media coverage.
#5: Share Tips
A great way to showcase your industry knowledge is to share free tips. This works well on Snapchat as users “tap for tips.”
Here’s how it works: Tell your followers you’re going to give out tips. Let them know how many tips you’re giving and ask them to tap to get the first or next tip. Thensend them to your website or blog for extended tips on that topic.
Social influencer Sue B Zimmerman gives daily Instagram tips on her Snapchat, which keeps her followers returning daily. She always gives plenty of notice when sharing tips.
Sue B Zimmerman always uses the ghost sticker when sharing tips on Snapchat.
#6: Create a Geofilter for Your Event
If you’re hosting an event, consider creating a custom geofilter that attendees can use. Keep in mind that the geotargeting area of your geofilter must be between 20,000 and 5 million square feet. Also, your on-demand geofilter cannot be active for more than 30 days.
#7: Hold a Snap Q&A
The chat feature in Snapchat allows your followers to speak to you directly. You can use this feature to set up a weekly snap Q&A session with your community. Run it on the same day and at the same time so your audience will know when to expect it.
Make sure you change your Snapchat settings for Who Can Contact Me to Everyone for a set period of time to allow for questions. Don’t forget to change the settings back when you’re finished to avoid being overloaded with spam.
You’ll want to review questions and prepare your answers ahead of time. During the Q&A, be sure to acknowledge those who asked the questions.
Snapchat influencer Carlos Gil invites his Snapchat friends to ask him questions. This increases engagement while generating valuable brand feedback.
Carlos Gil asks his Snapchat followers to fill in the blank, prompting chat responses.
#8: Do Cross-Platform Promotions
Cross-platform promotion has always been a social marketing tactic. However, moving friends from Snapchat to other social networks (and vice versa) requires a thoughtful approach.
If you want to cross-promote your business, product, or service from Snapchat to other platforms, be precise with your call to action. Share how-to text, photos, and video snaps of the steps people should take. Give them reasons for or benefits of taking that action.
Use the ghost sticker on videos and photos to indicate the content originated on Snapchat. Show them what they’ll experience in a video. And don’t forget to say thank you.
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