The way your target audience use ways to avoid watching your ads has not changed much since the days of the television when they would switch channels. Even in today’s digital platforms, your target audience is still doing something of the same.
Excuses not to watch
One thing for sure, they will go to certain extends to avoid watching your ads. That is, if you let them. In the current scenario where they get to choose what they want to watch, the decision is so much more on their hands.. It has been found that in Australia, only 35% of TV advertising is watched. This could be more worrying on digital channels like YouTube because there is the ‘Skip Ad‘ function. So, is there a way to create videos that your audience will not ‘skip’?
Engaging stories that work
According to studies, almost 8 out of 10 Australians prefer to choose ads that they like. This means they will prefer to have skippable-ads online. This simply means that we can now find out how many choose to skip your ad, at which point they skip and more importantly, why. So, if you want to have ads that they won’t skip, then you really need to know this. Engagement is everything. Visual and sound comes after. If you get this formula right, then you will have your target audience who wants to watch your ad.
Show your brand
From the get-go, you should have your brand shown either subtlety or at their faces. This could be the image of your logo or something that is being mentioned. What you want to do is to bank on the direct correlation between engagement and brand recall. You have 5 seconds to do this, so do it right. Make sure your logo is tied to your product.
Humour them please
Studies have shown that humour is the most affective factor in ads. Between the many others, emotional and touching are also powerful but nothing comes close to ads that makes your target audience laugh. The inclination to watch a funny ad is much stronger than any other types of ad.
Music goes a long way
This might be tricky and challenging but using the right tone or music would give your ad a lot of mileage. Studies found that uplifting and happy tones have better effects on the viewer as compared to other genre like calming and relaxing tones. You want to strike an impression and putting up audio that engages your audience will do the trick.
Positive faces as magnets
For the first 5 seconds, use people who are smiling and look happy. They automatically draws the attention (and intrigue) of your target audience. If possible, use a known person like a celebrity who is smiling, laughing or happy. Women and children clips are known to be highly effective as well.
Precise Call-to-Action
You do not want your CTA to have any elements of ambiguity because it leaves your audience high and dry. Use clear and precise instructions on your CTA so that they know what to do or where to go. ‘Find out more’ is one phrase which is simple and easily understandable. They know where to go if they want to know more.
Guaranteed Success?
There is no guarantee that if you do all that has been mentioned above that your target audience will not skip your ad. But you do have a higher chance of them remembering your video. You have a higher percentage of viewers who watched the entire ad and a better chance of them wanting to know more and follow-through to your CTA.
That said, it does not mean that you keep taking chances as you move along. While the ideas mentioned above are mostly workable, you still need to plan your strategy accordingly. This means that you will now have to think about your ads and how your viewers will most likely respond to. One thing for sure, there is no sure-win strategy but there are surely certain things you can do.
