A Guide To Increasing Video Advertising Engagement And ROI

By Dakota Murphey

Video has become a hugely influential marketing tool for businesses of all sizes, sectors and locations. For SME business owners, marketing managers and recruitment teams, video advertising offers a tremendous opportunity to connect with audiences meaningfully while delivering tangible business results through digital channels like social media and email.

The rise in video marketing is no joke - the average person now consumes approximately 100 minutes of online video content a day, illustrating just how fiercely competitive video marketing is. How can smaller companies create video content that not only competes with industry leaders and household names in their sector, while driving real engagement and measurable ROI (return on investment)?

While it may seem challenging on the surface and in execution, in the long run and with the right approach, businesses can leverage video ads that reap both awareness and financial rewards. This guide offers practical strategies to help you get the most out of your video advertising campaigns.

Understanding Video Engagement and ROI

Before delving into intricate tactics, it’s important to understand what we mean by video ad engagement and ROI.

Video engagement measures how effectively your content holds viewers’ attention and prompts them to take action. Key metrics include:

• View count
• Watch time
• Social interactions (likes, comments, shares)
• Click-through rate (CTR)
• Completion rate

Google considers an engagement to occur when a user watches at least 10 seconds of an ad, or the ad’s entirety if shorter than 10 seconds.

ROI measures the actual business impact of your video campaigns relative to your spending. This might include:

• Lead generation
• Conversion rates
• Cost per acquisition (CPA)
• Revenue attributed to video campaigns
• Brand lift metrics

With video content so rife on social media feeds, businesses have the unenviable task of trying to hold users’ attention enough so that they can engage them properly while driving results that matter. Choosing the right engagement and ROI metrics will vary from business to business, as will the type of video content.

Creating Videos That Drive Engagement

1. Hook them in the first few seconds: Statistics show that you have roughly 8 seconds to capture your audience’s attention before they scroll past. Open with compelling visuals or provocative questions, present your key value proposition immediately, and use colour, movement and contrast to draw the eye. For recruitment teams, showing authentic workplace scenarios with real employees can increase engagement.

2. Keep it short and sweet: Shorter videos generally perform better in advertising campaigns. Consider a maximum of 30 seconds for social media ads, and 60-80 seconds for website explainer videos or testimonials. Pro tip: focus on one clear message per video rather than trying to complicate it with multiple ideas or topics, which can confuse viewers.

3. Be authentic: Storytelling is a powerful way to foster emotional connections. Consider real customer success stories, employee spotlights (for recruitment), behind-the-scenes (BTS) footage of your company or problem-solution narratives that position your product or service as the focal point.

4. Soundless viewing: Many people watch videos with the sound off, so your content must make sense without audio. Include clear captions and text overlays, using visual storytelling techniques that can carry the narrative well without sound.

5. Brand consistency: Make your videos instantly recognisable as part of your brand. Consider using your logo within the first 5 seconds, using consistent visual elements and colours and intro/outro templates that can be used in multiple videos. Maintain a consistent tone of voice and messaging style throughout.

Cost-Effective Video Production for SMEs

A common challenge for smaller enterprises is the perceived high upfront cost of professional video production. However, there are several ways to achieve professional content quality without it costing an arm and a leg.

1. Invest in the right equipment: You don’t need to outsource to a professional video production team for the best results. Investing in a single camera for film-grade shooting is sufficient for producing high-quality video content, as MPB eloquently mentions, or a smartphone with good video capabilities may be more suitable and cost-effective. Lapel microphones and at-home LED lighting kits can make all the difference without much upheaval.

2. Repurpose content: Maximise your ROI by planning one video shoot to generate multiple video ad assets. Cut longer videos into shorter clips that can be promoted across social media channels, whether it’s Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts or TikTok Carousels. Extract still images for static social media posts, and transcribe video content for blog or email content.

Measuring and Optimising ‌Video Ad ROI

1. Set clear objectives: Before launching any video marketing campaign, establish clear goals and KPIs that align with your business objectives:

• Brand awareness (reach, impressions)
• Engagement (watch time, interactions)
• Conversion (leads, applications, sales)
• Retention (repeat purchases, reduced churn)

2. Implement proper tracking: Ensure you attribute results to your campaigns, with UTM parameters for all video links, dedicated landing pages with heat mapping, and platform-specific tracking pixels.
   
3. A/B testing: Improving ROI requires continual adjustments based on performance data. Test different thumbnails and opening sequences, varying video lengths, altered video formats and dimensions, diversifying calls-to-action (CTAs) and various posting times and distribution channels.
   
4. Don’t forget retargeting: Viewers who don’t immediately convert can be retargeted. Create unique audience segments based on engagement (e.g. viewers who watched over 50% of your video), develop follow-up content that addresses potential pain points, use sequential messaging that builds on foundational knowledge, and tailor offers based on promotional content.

Which Platform(s) to Use?

Different platforms have unique setups and audience expectations. As a general guide, certain businesses or departments may fare better using specific platforms:

• LinkedIn: For recruitment teams, more professional, informative, thought leadership and culture-focused content typically performs best.
• Facebook/Instagram: More casual, emotionally resonant content works well.
• YouTube: Long-form, educational content can perform well. Consider how-to videos, explainers, and more detailed case studies.
• TikTok: Quick, authentic and trend-relevant content drives engagement.

Final Thoughts

SMEs sector-wide can take full advantage of video advertising as a powerful tool for driving both engagement and ROI. Focusing on the elements above will give businesses even with modest budgets the foundations they need to create video content that captures attention, encourages action, and delivers tangible results.

Remember that video strategies should evolve over time. Begin with these fundamental principles in tow, measure your results, and adjust your strategy based on what’s working and what isn’t to resonate with your audience for the long run.

 

 

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