webdev Are you wondering how you can pull off your first TV ad production? Well, you aren’t alone as a lot of people are beginning video content production for the first time. The digital media landscape since demands more visual content. Over 55% of internet users now prefer and view video content daily rather than just reading text. When you think of how much this trend is going to be the norm in few years, you will see how right you are to have chosen to invest in video content marketing.
The glaring issue is how best to go about your TV ad production. Video production is not an easy task to undertake. There are many factors that can get in the way. But, if you have a clear vision and robust plan, the challenges can be overcome. Here are some pre-production tips to help you create successful TV marketing content in 2019.
Define your audience
Defining your audience clearly is the first step to success and it starts by understanding your purpose for the ad. A lot will go into determining who your content audience are and what they want to see.
What you need to do ideally is to narrow down to one audience persona. Then ask questions like “will this ad add value to this persona?” and “will they find it interesting?”. The persona should be broad enough to incorporate a range of people, but specific enough to capture their core wants, needs and motivations.
Clarify your message
At some point in your planning, you will be tempted to communicate as much as possible about all areas of your business. Don’t fall for the trap. The current production should focus on one core message.
Contact a TV video production service and ensure that they understand your message clearly and have the experience to communicate it in your TV ad. A common understanding of the message will help you hone in on the audience and inspire emotion through the advert.
Write a script
After carefully understanding and refining your message, you should write a script. No matter how much you feel your TV ad is going to be improvised, you will still need one. A script doesn’t just map out what the characters say, it sets the tone and scenes of your TV ad content.
This is an important part of pre-production that is often overlooked. It is important that team members get together to revisit and critique the script.
How much do you want to spend?
At the planning stage, your budget might just be an estimate, but the key is to have a clear figure before the end of the pre-production phase. That way, you will make better judgement calls in terms of choice of location, transportation, props and crew.
Knowing what your budget is will guide decisions on voice overs and animations to support your video ad. These two elements tend to be quite expensive, but they help increase the quality of your marketing content.
If you don’t have a big enough budget to do a good job, then go out and raise more money. You need to take you’re the TV ad production process seriously to get the results you want.
Demonstrate transparency and authenticity
The main aim of content marketing is to position yourself as an authority in your industry. But you cannot achieve that without having the trust of your audience. Internet users prefer hearing from their peers and family to hearing from organisations. That is why customer testimonials are now effective in resolving most buying objections.
You cannot be your target audience’s peer, but you can make your TV ad in a way that it is sincere and relatable.
Determine the equipment you’ll need
Depending on the size of your production, your production manager or videographer should be able to tell you what equipment you’ll need. From that, you can then do an inventory of what you have and the things you’ll need to get from outside sources.
There are a few factors that will determine the equipment you’ll need, like your budget, the length of the TV ad and the type of content you are creating. You need to know the tools you’ll be working with before the cameras begin rolling. There can’t be last minute dashing around to procure props or equipment.
Get to the point in under 8 seconds
The attention span of the average internet user is way below 8 seconds, which is lower than the 12 seconds that was the average in 2000. Attention spans keep getting shorter and shorter. You have to figure out how long your TV ad should be for maximum effect. The length of the ad should be appropriate for the medium. You should also consider how your ad will translate and be adapted for different channels. More important than the length is how you will capture and keep attention though.
The face, the story and the outcome
Clearly present the human face of your organisation and tell a story, but don’t shy away from giving the audience an action to take. If they are emotionally invested in the message you need to point them towards your desired outcome. Call to actions don’t need to be over-salesy. Strike a balance.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things to do before you start the actual shoot. Make sure you know why you are incorporating television ads in your content marketing strategy and why you are choosing to make the video content you are producing. This will help you remain on track through what can be confusing process. Make sure you get TV ad production experts involved at every stage where your competencies may be lacking. They will steer you in the right direction, and help you get an outcome that delivers results.
