Keeping it Brief: The Benefits of Succint Advertisements

The attention span of the American consumer is getting shorter as the digital age progresses. We are constantly surrounded by both physical and digital advertisements, and we have trained our brains to ignore content from companies we don’t personally seek out. The video marketing world is steadily changing and companies need to acknowledge the fact that consumers are now more difficult to please than ever.

Keep it Short and Neat

With so many eyes being primarily on social media platforms while online, video marketing experts are facing new challenges with keeping their advertisements even shorter and more intriguing. Viewers are now given the option to skip over ads in a matter of seconds, making it even more difficult for the creators of this content.

DigiDay reports on their website that the most important part of any video advertisement used to be the last 10 seconds, but it is now the first five seconds due to the viewer’s option to skip. The new 15-second video format is taking over as it is more suitable for social media and mobile devices.

Companies need to be strategic to incorporate all the necessary pieces of a sales pitch in such a small time frame. This is often easier for more established companies, as the viewer should already know what they are advertising, giving them more creative freedom.

Successful Companies

A few companies who have mastered the art of short video marketing are: Geico, Lowes and Heineken. While each of these companies are highly recognizable, and their services and products are widely known, they each offer something creative.

Geico and Heineken are able incorporate humor into their short advertisements while getting their message across effectively. They also use recognizable celebrities and mascots to further engage with their audience.

Lowes did a series of six-second how-to videos that were highly appreciated by viewers. The videos would effectively demonstrate quick tips for home improvement in just six-seconds — so quick the viewer couldn’t skip if they tried.

Take note of these subtle marketing tips to further improve your company’s next short video advertisement.

Broc Waring writes for Fusion 360, an advertising agency in Utah. He writes for many other clients as well.

* Images via: Wikipedia, Flickr