The competition for shopper's attention and dollars in every niche of the Amazon marketplace continues to swell exponentially with each passing day.
Sellers are faced with the ongoing challenge of how to differentiate their brand and make their products stand out in a herd of Sponsored Products, Sponsored Brands and Sponsored Display ads.
One of the best ways to do this is by creating amazon video ads. Video ads grab the eyes of buyers and draw them magnetically to a seller's listing. They are remarkably effective whether the goal is to raise awareness with new audiences or reconnect with existing customers.
A compelling product video not only takes up a large portion of real estate in the search results, but also has the ability to stop scrolling potential customers dead in their tracks.
Sponsored Brands Video ads
Brand-registered Amazon sellers can take advantage of this principle by utilizing Sponsored Brands Video ads.
Similar to Sponsored Product ads and Sponsored Display ads, video ads are a type of Sponsored Brands ad. These online video ads can appear on devices such as desktop, mobile, and tablet.
Sponsored Brands Video ads usually appear halfway down the first page of search results. These two-part ads display a brand’s video beside a product thumbnail that includes the product’s main image, title, reviews, price, and shipping information. They auto-play. Even without clicking through to a seller’s listing, the shopper receives a quick, educational presentation of the seller’s product.
Unfortunately, not all of the videos created by sellers are equally effective.
What Makes a Good Video Ad?
The following are guidelines/best practices (with examples) that every Amazon seller should keep in mind when creating amazon video ads for their listings, whether the goal is to increase brand recognition and/or sales.
1. Make the First Seconds Count
The start of a video is critical. To avoid having potential buyers skipping your ad or clicking away, you need to grab their attention immediately.
Start the video ad with a statement that will spark the interest of your target audience. Try to engage potential customers within the first few seconds by addressing a common problem, asking a relevant question, or by sharing something that makes your brand stand out.
In this example, the ad’s very first frame accomplishes these marketing objectives:
- identifies the product & brand name,
- clearly defines its purpose (solution for a common pain point for dog owners…when the dogs runs off)
- highlights a distinct feature (all-in-one)
It reinforces this pain point with video of a dog running through the forest. It also gives a closeup of the tracker in use.
The video finally concludes on an emotional level, giving the viewer perhaps the most powerful reason for purchasing this product…
Try to avoid ‘Slow Loading Time’ for your video ads. Lagging and slow loading videos, like this Elderberry Gummies video (2 seconds to load), can cause impatient scrollers to keep going – never to watch the ad.
Two full seconds later the ad finally loads:
This video ad asks a relevant question that is a concern/pain point for many shoppers seeking this type of product.
“Are your gummies filled with sugar”
The video promotes their brand as the solution because they contain zero sugar. They also point out that their vitamins are ‘vegan Keto,’ which is another selling point for that audience segment.
2. Optimize Video for No Sound
Videos will automatically play on mute, so you should optimize your video with on-screen text that can be easily read. It's a mistake to rely on sound to communicate your message. This video ad gives the shopper a wealth of information about the product via on-screen text.
Add informative and easy-to-read text or captions to point out various product features, benefits, uses, sizes, and specs. Give your potential customers as much information as possible that will help them make a purchase.
Another good example of imparting ‘selling points’ to video ad viewers is this one by Coca-Cola:
3. Keep It Short and to the Point
Amazon recommends that your videos be short and to the point (no longer than 30 seconds). Showcase the key selling points of the product because it increases the likelihood of the shopper remaining engaged and that they will click through to your product detail page. Any longer, and the shopper may lose interest and move on in the search results.
In this example, benefits are communicated clearly and succinctly.
In this video example, the short central message is that, with AIRHEAD’s line of products, all any buyer has to do is “just add water” for a great time.
4. Tell Why Your Brand is Unique
Let shoppers know why they should be interested in your brand and products. Create an educational and demonstrative video about your product. Highlight the benefits buyers will obtain by purchasing your products. The more you can emphasize this, the better your ads will convert.
In this example, the video educates in detail…
- product’s weight,
- who it’s ideal for
- every item that is included in the purchase price,
...all while demonstrating various situations for the product’s use.
5. Place Relevant Keywords/Phrases Into Video Title
Increase the likelihood of your video showing by placing relevant keywords and search phrases into the titles and subtitles of your videos.
In this example, the search query is “gummy vitamins for teens”.
In this example, the phrase “wall mounted wine rack” is used in the opening frame of the video.
6. Use a Call to Action
The goal of every type of PPC ad is to encourage shoppers to take some sort of action. Your video ad should be no different. The call-to-action should be added through graphics and text. Ideally, the call-to-action should be placed at the end of the video. For example, to show shoppers how they can visit your website for more info, sign up for a discount, or purchase your products.
Top Reasons for Amazon Rejecting Your Video Ad
According to Amazon’s terms of use, these are the top reasons why your video ad would be rejected.
- Black or empty frames at the start or end of videos.
- Abrupt edits that can result in an incomplete video and a poor customer experience
- Your video features Amazon trademarks, logos, products or references to Amazon products or services
- Including customer reviews in your videos (including star ratings)
Before creating a video ad, sellers should be sure to review Amazon’s guidelines on Sponsored Brands videos. Also, if the seller is not a skilled videographer, he or she should hire a professional to shoot and edit their video ads (ideally, someone who is familiar with Amazon).
Benefits of Using Sponsored Brands Video Ads
- Using video ads to market your products provides these advantages:
- Unlike the visuals of Sponsored Products, a Sponsored Brands video ad contains eye-catching movement and effects. When shoppers see them, they are much more likely to stop scrolling and look at them.
- Video ads have the ability to demonstrate your product better than a single image. Demonstrating a product's benefits/features in a video ad can help potential customers make informed purchases in ways images and text alone can't.
- Cost-per-click and ACoS are usually lower for Sponsored Brands video ads than Sponsored Products ads.
- Solid new-to-brand performance. Potential customers who are not familiar with your brand and who are not sure of exactly what they want will scroll down to the bottom of a product listing page. By encountering your video ad, they'll be introduced to your products, and may become first time buyers.
Sponsored Brands Video ads are relatively new and are a good way to stand apart from your competition. Using them is a cost-effective way of showcasing your products across product pages, linking to your own website, or another destination in order to expand your marketing to new and targeted audiences with relevant and engaging video content.
Entourage: Software to Scale Amazon Ads and Results Driven Management.
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