6 Best Practices for 6-Second Video Ads

Published:

July 29, 2018
1 min

Table of contents

1. Don’t try to do everything
2. Use as few shots as possible
3. End before it’s over
4. Target, retarget
5. Make it work without sound
6. Know your platform

A good six-second spot abides by the principles of any video ad: it’s relevant, it tells a story, it has a clear call to action, you know the drill. But with all the benefits of brevity come unique challenges as well. Here are a few best practices for six-second ads, recommended by masters of the form.

1. Don’t try to do everything

Less is always more, but in six-second ads it’s, well, more more. Focus is key: as Google cautions, you can’t tell a complicated story in six seconds, but you can tell one part of a story spread across multiple ads. Or you can use one ad to “highlight a single product or feature,” then capture the rest in other spots-like a pointillist painting for the 21st century.

2. Use as few shots as possible

“You just have to learn to economize,” advises 5 Second Films’ Jon Salmon. Ask yourself: what is the minimum number of shots you need to tell a single, memorable story with a distinct CTA? How much of the necessary information can you consolidate into a single shot?

“ The first shot in a short form video carries the burden of telling you all the information,” Salmon says. “Who are our characters, what are they doing, and where? We should be able to gather that in the first two seconds so we’re not disoriented for the rest.”

“We try to feature a key visual in the first few frames, either the brand or recognizable asset,” adds Patrick Whitnall, Head of Content, ANZ at Publicis Media.

3. End before it’s over

Perhaps the most important thing you can do with six seconds is leave the viewer wanting: to click a link, to learn about your brand, to see the product in action, to watch the ad again, whatever it may be. One way to do this is to end the video in an unexpected place-before a scene reaches its natural conclusion, for example, or just before the product is shown in its fullest glory.

4. Target, retarget

Another advantage of brevity is that it makes it easier to pinpoint promising leads and guide them down the funnel. “The cool thing about short videos like this is that you can retarget the people who watched the entire video but didn’t complete your call-to-action,” says marketing consultant James Pollard. “I’ve found that doing this drives cost-per-lead down and it helps the video become more effective. I think part of the reason for this is that because the videos are short, people need to see it multiple times.”

5. Make it work without sound

As Digiday reported in 2016, consumers watch as much as 85% of online video with their phones or computers on silent. So while videos of any length should work without sound, this is especially crucial with six-second ads. After all, you don’t want the ad to end before the viewer realizes they’re watching your ad.

6. Know your platform

Every platform in the digital media ecosystem has its own unique characteristics. Advertisers should plan each shot of a six-second ad with those characteristics in mind.

“If you’re posting a video to be viewed on a smartphone, the shots should be different than if you’re filming for YouTube,” Sarrett advises. “This is because you should assume your viewer would see a smartphone ad, in the middle of playing a game or as a website loads, while holding it upright. For YouTube, the video will be viewed at a screen ratio of 16:9. Plan your shots accordingly, and/or prepare to make different cuts as necessary to be viewed on the different platforms.