Microsoft advertising Video ads best practices for advertisers

We have all heard that video marketing is the way to go, and I am sure that we can all attest to that, given the rise of short-form video platforms like TikTok and an increase in video content and creators on YouTube.

What I love about video marketing, especially for brands, is that it allows them to emotionally connect with customers in an engaging way which helps connect with customers on a much deeper level and capture their attention in a digitally cluttered world.

And it can get quite challenging for brands because they have to balance performance and not compromise other objectives such as brand building, brand awareness, brand loyalty and advocacy to drive emotional connections with their audiences.

The Microsoft Advertising team understands this better. To make it easier for advertisers using their platform, they’ve put together some best practices to help you with your next video advertisement.

According to an article published on the 17th of January 2023, The Microsoft Advertising team analysed Video ads running across the Black Friday weekend to identify the top performers.
The 7 brands analysed in the article show that combined well-thought-out media and creative strategies can achieve both: Leveraging the unique consumer intent data from Microsoft to drive performance and engagement while using video to show their customers what their brands are all about.

Here is a list of the brands, together with their advertisements; check them out and see if you can learn a thing or two from how they’ve created their ads:
1. Subaru Canada
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5etCB

Agency: Search Engine People, Canada. 
2. Foot Locker
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5eBaM

Agency: Merkle. 
3. Bombas
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5elL4

4. Lively.com
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5ewhO

5. GhostBed
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5eogU

6. GotPrint
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5ewhP
 
7. LeafGuard
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5eyPY
Agency: Reprise Digital.

Mallory Harwood, Liam Mackessy. Shared that, “Looking at ads above, you can see that most of them celebrate their audiences, showing people experiencing emotions like joy, and representing how their products bring these sentiments to their life.

And then others focused on portraying offers while making the product benefits very clear, reinforcing the problem they solve for customers-

It's also important to note that these videos didn’t just drive deep emotional connections with their audiences—they also led to great results. With the power of unique data from search intent, these videos drove excellent engagement and click-through rates.”

Here are the best practices that Microsoft adverting recommends that you follow for a successful video ad campaign.

- Make an impact quickly: Aim to grab your audience's attention within the first 10 seconds.
- Prioritize your main message: Showcase your product or brand as soon as possible to increase recall.
- Incorporate your brand elements: Ensure your Video Ad includes elements like your logo, brand colours, and font to help establish brand recognition.
- Highlight any offers or discounts: Be sure to mention any special deals or discounts you’re offering to encourage action.
- Use visuals effectively: Since Video ads will be played without sound in some cases, use text and graphics to convey your message.
- Personalize your approach: Tailor your message to the customer journey to encourage actions like sign-ups, purchases, inquiries etc.
- Test and optimize: Try different video lengths, intro text, headlines, and landing pages to find what resonates most with your audience and what drives the best results.

Now you have all the inspiration, how about you try these best practices on your next video ad campaign and see what works best for your brand and audience.

And remember, you can repurpose your video across multiple platforms to see what works and doesn’t.

You can also check out Microsoft’s Advertising Video ads on the Microsoft Audience Network, which are only currently available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.

Oh! And this video is not sponsored by Microsoft Adverting.

Source: https://about.ads.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/post/january-2023/holiday-hits-the-top-video-ads-of-the-season