It’s no secret that video advertising has become an essential part of many digital marketing strategies. Unlike traditional static ads, video ads can convey complex messages and evoke emotions, which can lead to higher conversions. 

In fact, in a recent survey from Wyzowl, more marketers credited video with increasing traffic, leads, and sales and reducing support queries than in any surveys since 2015. As it stands, some 93% of marketers said they get a good ROI from video, compared to only 87% in 2022.

Plus, the rise of AI is making the video production process easier, so more marketers and creators can produce engaging videos at lightning speed. 

In this post, you’ll learn how to make a good video ad, with tips to make sure your ad campaign helps you achieve your business goals.

What are video ads and why are they crucial?

Video ads are a form of advertising that conveys promotional messages to a target audience through video content. They play across various digital platforms, such as social media, websites, and streaming services.

These ads vary in length from a few seconds to a few minutes and include formats like pre-roll ads (which appear before online videos), in-stream ads (which appear between videos), and auto-playing social media ads. Depending on the type of video ads you’re using, goals might include driving brand awareness, engagement, or sales.

Some advantages of running video ads include: 

• Higher engagement: Unlike text or image ads, video ads use sight, sound, and motion, which creates a more immersive experience. They convey complex messages quickly and create memorable impressions on viewers.
• Emotional investment: Studies show that video is one of the best ways to stimulate an emotional response. These ads can build a stronger bond between brands and audiences, influencing brand loyalty and purchasing decisions.
• Improved reach: The dynamic nature of videos tends to grab attention more effectively than text and images, making it more likely that viewers will share the content.

According to one analysis, video ads get six times as much engagement as static content. Plus, platforms like YouTube and other social media channels often prioritize video content, providing additional visibility and opportunities for interaction.

How to make compelling video ads: 5 steps

1. Define your target customer and set your goals

Understanding your audience will guide your approach to your advertisement video. Start by designing your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), complete with key data points like median age, income, and gender.

Understand their interests, values, lifestyle, and behavior. What are their pain points, desires, and aspirations? Then, determine what types of content they consume, on which platforms, and at what times. Are they more inclined towards short-form videos on social media, or do they prefer in-depth content?

Once you understand who you’re after, clearly define what you want to achieve with your ad. Set specific, quantifiable targets. For example, a certain number of views, shares, or conversions, or an increase in website traffic.

2. Choose the right platform

Determine which platform aligns best with your target audience and advertising goals. Different digital advertising platforms have varying demographics and engagement levels, so choose wisely.

Consider factors like user base characteristics, targeting tools, and budget. You might start with platforms where you already have a strong presence and branch out from there.

Here’s a quick overview of your top choices: 

• Amazon: Reach an audience that’s actively shopping, though the platform’s high advertising costs can be a deterrent.
• Facebook: Use advanced targeting tools to reach one of the largest audience bases, but keep in mind Facebook ad returns are decreasing. You can also use Facebook ads to reach people through Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.
• Google Ads: Advanced targeting and analytics enable advertisers to reach specific shoppers in a variety of ways, like through Google Search, Google Maps, or in the Shopping tab.
• Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads): Bing has a smaller user base, which allows for affordable advertising opportunities with minimal competition. 
• TikTok: More than 1 billion people have active TikTok accounts. You can target a diverse audience for brand awareness, conversions, or building an audience. 
• X (formerly Twitter): This platform’s user base skews younger (between 18–29), and can be more affordable than options like Google or Facebook video ads. Be warned: big advertisers are continuing to suspend advertising on Twitter due to its chaotic new owner, Elon Musk.
• YouTube: YouTube is perfect for video ads and tends to offer better return on investment (ROI). YouTube ads have an average cost-per-click (CPC) of $0.49 and a cost-per-view (CPV) of $0.026, less than other platforms.

3. Get the right equipment and software

Invest in the necessary video equipment and software to produce high-quality video content. This includes a quality camera if you need to shoot any video in person, as well as lighting and audio gear.

Here’s a shortlist of what you need:

• Camera to capture high-quality footage. The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV or Sony A7 III are excellent options.
• Tripod to stabilize the camera and avoid shaky footage. The Manfrotto MT055XPRO3 is known for its sturdiness and versatility. 
• Lighting kit, because good lighting is key to professional video. The Neewer Bi-color LED Video Light Kit is an affordable option. 
• Microphone to record clear audio. Try the Rode VideoMic Pro+ shotgun mic to capture directional sound and minimal background noise.
• Memory cards to store high resolution footage. Pick up the SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I card for fast read and write speeds, and 4K video capture.

Regardless of the equipment you buy, video editing is a critical part of the process. For post-production work like cutting scenes, adding music, and color grading, you’ll need a good video editing software.

The Descript video editor, for example, makes editing simple with all the features you need to make scroll-stopping videos. It’s ideal for video creators and marketers who need efficient and straightforward editing tools in one dashboard.

Using Descript is intuitive if you know how to edit a document. The transcript editing process adjusts the underlying audio and video, so you can rearrange and cut scenes as you please.

Descript also offers features like:

• AI Voices, which can fix audio mistakes by creating an AI clone of your voice 
• Library of royalty-free sound effects and background music
• Easy templates to create social media clips from your video
• Audio editing with Studio Sound to produce professional grade sound 
• A complete video editing app in your browser or Mac or Windows device 

4. Optimize your video ad to reach a larger audience

Optimize your video's discoverability by strategically adjusting various elements to make it more discoverable and engaging. Your content will reach a wider audience this way.

An obvious start is to optimize your video ad for mobile viewing. In the first quarter of 2023, over 58% of global website traffic came from mobile. That doesn’t even include tablets. 

Choose an aspect ratio that works well on both mobile and desktop. While traditional 16:9 works well for desktop, square (1:1) or vertical formats (9:16) are more suitable for mobile.

When it comes to optimizing for placement, focus on the following elements:

• Keywords: Incorporate relevant keywords into your video title, description, and tags that align with your video's content and your target audience's search behavior. 
• Descriptions: Write a compelling and informative video description. Tell your viewers what your video is about, what they can expect, and any other relevant information. Use natural language to incorporate your keywords. A well-written description not only helps in search engine optimization (SEO), but it helps potential viewers understand the value of your content.
• Tags: Choose tags that accurately represent your video, including both broad terms and specific terms related to it. Tags are essential for categorizing and making it discoverable. You'll help platforms categorize your video correctly, and you'll get your video in front of a broader audience.
• Thumbnails: A visually appealing and relevant thumbnail encourages higher click-through rates, which means more visibility for your content.

5. Edit and fine-tune your content

Before going live, edit and fine-tune your video ads. Use consistent visual elements, color schemes, fonts, and messaging across your videos to support your brand identity. And make sure your message is clearly conveyed.

Here are some other considerations to keep in mind when editing your own video ads:

• Video length: The optimal length for your video depends on the platform and audience preferences. While attention spans vary, shorter videos tend to perform better on social media platforms because they capture viewers’ attention quickly. Longer-form content may be suitable for platforms like YouTube, where users are accustomed to more in-depth content.
• Transitions and flow: Ensure smooth transitions between scenes or shots. The flow should be natural and engaging, guiding viewers from one point to the next without disruption.
• Visual and audio quality: Review your video for visual and audio quality. Ensure the footage is clear, well-lit, and visually appealing. Pay attention to audio levels for elements like voiceover and music, removing any background noise or distractions. High-quality visuals and crisp audio contribute significantly to the overall professionalism of your video.
• Supporting visuals: Incorporate visually engaging elements, such as graphics, animations, or b-roll stock footage, to enhance the video’s visual appeal. Eye-catching visuals can help maintain viewer interest and reinforce key messages.
• Call-to-action (CTA): The best video marketing and advertising examples include a clear and compelling call-to-action. Whether it’s directing viewers to visit your website, subscribe to your channel, or make a purchase, a well-crafted CTA guides viewers on the next steps, increasing the likelihood of conversion.

Before finalizing your promotional video, conduct test screenings to gather feedback on its effectiveness. Pay attention to viewer engagement levels, identifying parts of the video where attention may wane. This feedback loop allows you to make necessary adjustments and improvements before pushing the video live.

5 tips for effective business video advertising

1. Show, don’t tell

Video is one of the most powerful forms of content available. You can use both visuals and words to convey your message. So rather than simply telling potential customers what makes your business so great, use promo videos to show them.

Maybe you showcase customer testimonials that validate your claims, or you could create a product demo or tutorial video showing your item in action. Whatever it is, a powerful video is more memorable and engaging than a simple description.

2. Plan your video in advance

You don’t want to create a video ad on a whim. Planning will help ensure you get the biggest return on your investment. Outline your video’s script, visuals, and key messages before starting production. You could even storyboard the whole video. A well-thought-out plan ensures coherent and effective video ads.

No script? No problem. Descript’s AI Script Generator can write it for you. Open the Descript app and start a new video project. Then click “Ask AI to write”, and select “Draft a script.”

Next, you can adjust the prompt as you need. And that’s it—you have a complete script for your video. From there, use Descript’s text-to-speech or start recording directly from your dashboard. 

3. Take the time to edit and optimize

Editing is a crucial step for every video production, ad or not. Pay attention to every detail, cut unnecessary elements, and optimize for a seamless viewing experience. Don’t forget to watch the complete video from start to finish before publishing it live. 

4. Think strategically about video ads

Align your video ads with your overall video marketing strategy. Consider how they fit into your brand narrative and contribute to your business goals.

Encourage viewers to like, comment, and share your video. User engagement signals are valuable to platforms, as they indicate the relevance and popularity of your content. Higher engagement rates can lead to increased visibility.

5. Monitor and analyze your videos’ performance

The key to more video views is usually found in your data. It’s important to regularly assess the performance of your video ads. Analyze metrics such as views, engagement, and conversions to understand what works and what doesn’t. Then refine your video advertising strategies to align to your insights.

Create engaging advertisement videos in Descript

Descript’s video ad maker has plenty of magical AI features to help you create an incredible advertisement. You can easily remove filler words, generate AI speech, correct eye contact, fix bad audio, or use one of our video ad templates. And there’s so much more. 

Descript is the all-in-one editor that makes it fast and easy to make videos and podcasts that look and sound good. You can start using Descript now for free. Give it a try. 

How to make an advertisement video FAQs

How can I create an online ad for free?

There are various free online tools and platforms that allow you to create basic online ads. However, investing in professional tools and platforms often yields more polished and effective results.

How do you make a 30-second commercial?

Condense your key message, focus on a single compelling idea, and maintain a clear and concise script. Capture attention quickly, and prioritize the most impactful visuals and messages.

What’s the best way to make an advertisement video?

The best way involves careful planning, using the right tools, understanding your audience, and regularly analyzing performance metrics. Following the steps outlined in this guide and leveraging tools like Descript can significantly enhance your video advertising efforts.