The goal of every entrepreneur is to have a TV advertisement spot that makes an impact. It should resonate with views and compel them to your cause. According to a report by The Rueben Rink Co., there is much to consider when developing an ad spot and key factors such as budget and audience need to be taken into account. That’s why we asked 13 members of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following:
What’s the key to a high-performing TV advertisement spot?
Tips for Creating an Effective TV Commercial
Here’s what YEC community members had to say:
1. Break the Pattern
“The attention span of our society is constantly shrinking and it is very hard to get people to notice your ad unless you are able to break the pattern for them. Make something that looks boring and then break the pattern. And the more contrasting that sudden pivot is, the better. It doesn’t have to look like a viral cat video from YouTube but it has to be as simple as that and do the job.” ~ Artur Kiulian, Colab
2. Don’t Be Boring
“Ask yourself if you would genuinely enjoy the commercial. Oftentimes, organizations get stuck in a bureaucratic process where everyone has to approve every single detail and the creativity gets cut out. Make sure it’s fun, engaging, and relevant to the audience you’re marketing.” ~ Jared Atchison, WPForms
3. Focus on the First Three Seconds
“Today we are bombarded with endless media that tends to ramble on and on. We have become so immune to repetitive messages and long-form storylines that we automatically disengage after the first three seconds. You have to capture the audience’s attention immediately and then you have to keep it engaged for the remainder of the spot. So the first three seconds are the key to engagement or disengagement.” ~ Jacob Tanur, Click Play Films
4. Use Influencers
“Include an influencer for that industry and an application that adds credibility and establishes a memorable visual for the product you are advertising. People want to know that people they admire approve of the product or brand.” ~ Cynthia Johnson, Ipseity Media
5. Tell a Compelling Story
“Viewers today have very short attention spans and many people tune out conventional advertisements and TV commercials. Yet television is still a powerful medium if you find a way to draw in your audience. To do this, you have to get beyond the style of typical ads and tell a story. Think of the most successful Super Bowl ads. Rather than creating an ad, think of making a short TV program or film.” ~ Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting
6. Focus on Building Brand Awareness
“To make an impact on today’s audience, you really need to stand apart and make an original statement about your brand. Remember that younger viewers grew up with social media, computer games, and big budget movies so they respond to images more than dry facts about your product. A good place to go for guidance is YouTube. Look for short videos with high ratings and ask yourself why they work.” ~ Shawn Porat, Scorely
7. Target a Specific Audience
“A television spot is different from most digital platforms that allow users to scroll down below the fold or navigate from page to page, and it doesn’t lend itself to capturing an entire brand in one spot. Instead, you should concentrate on a specific aspect of your business and a specific audience (driven by data from other platforms).” ~ Sam Saxton, Paragon Stairs
8. Use a Memorable Tagline or Jingle
“Do something that is unconventional, yet memorable. A tagline can make it easy for people to remember what you do, especially if you add humor or some other way for the audience to connect with it. Perhaps you can use an icon that represents a particular subject matter to draw a connection. The jingle should rhyme and be less than six or seven words to make it easy to remember.” ~ Andy Karuza, FenSens
9. Be Authentic
“Authenticity is key. If your advert doesn’t have an authentic feel, you’re not going to leave a lasting impression. By using user-generated content you show how other people engage with and view your product, and this leaves the viewer much more receptive to what you’re pitching.” ~ Jürgen Himmelmann, The Global Work & Travel Co.
10. Try Product Placement
“Every day, more and more people are choosing to opt out of commercials. They do this by fast forwarding commercials, watching Netflix, or paying a premium. Product placement works because it doesn’t interrupt the viewer from their favorite show, but if done properly, it can actually enhance the show by making it more modern.” ~ Syed Balkhi, OptinMonster
11. Tie to Social Media Campaign
“Tie the TV ad spot to an existing social media campaign to cross-market and acknowledge the fact that customers and audience members look on multiple platforms and like the idea of being communicated to across platforms.” ~ Drew Hendricks, Buttercup
12. Use Good Voice Over
“The human voice is a powerful influence when it comes to making an audience feel a desired emotion or buy a given product. The right voice can make or break an ad, and can become a hallmark of your brand. Spend some time thinking about what the personality of your brand is, what voice represents that, and then how that voice will carry your ad, having the desired outcome steer the process.” ~ David Ciccarelli, Voices.com
13. Communicate One Message Only
“As with any effective marketing strategy, keeping your TV ads to the bare minimum will enhance the success of performing above the others. Because television is a visual medium we tend to over-communicate by expressing many concepts in one spot. Customers are not interested in everything you have to say, they only have room — and time — for one single message.” ~ Diego Orjuela, Cables & Sensors
Remote Photo via Shutterstock
This article, “13 Ways to Create a High-Performing TV Ad” was first published on Small Business Trends