Making a value commercial for social media

Value commercials are advertisements that have the specific purpose of selling or otherwise converting the audience, even if this purpose is covert. (This type of commercial is quite unlike brand commercials that many large businesses use for purposes that make sense only for their unique privileged circumstances, often because large companies may no longer need to expend much effort on product selling advertising). While value content aims to convert customers, it is also entertaining and informative. As much as possible, it should avoid looking and feeling like just another advertisement.

 

Before you begin

Before you begin formulating a commercial, prepare with knowledge on the following points.

• Who is your ideal target customer / audience? ... Prepare to speak to this persona, exclusively. The more intimately you know your target persona, the more relatable and attractive you can make your message.
• If you are talking to women and realize they are mothers, their unique problem you discuss from their buying process will be more meaningful.
• You can use self image identification, ie using models that look and experience life like your ideal customer.
• What is your distribution plan, ie on what types of platforms will the ad appear? (a website, YouTube, Instagram, etc?) ... As discussed below, there are several very important editing considerations.
• Map your customer lifetime journey

Hook introduction within the first 5 seconds. A hook aka 'pattern interruption' is an attention grabbing statement. It is commonly based on pairing odd elements into a statement, even in a taboo way that will catch the audience off guard. Example(s): 

• Nuns won't teach you about lingerie.
• Imagine how attention grabbing a name can be like 'Naughty Nun'
• Someone speaking on behalf of Coca-Cola might say that they 'taste happiness'. The idea is attention grabbing because the physical senses are not usually associated with emotional states in this way.
• I will tell you how this pair of old pair of rubber boots led me to my husband.

Tell a story (of problem resolution). Common equations include the following elements. 

• consumer 'problem', ie the unmet need as per the buying decision. This goes into varying levels of detail based on what is suitable for the particular context. If possible, reinforce the cost to the consumer of not investing in the offer. Also consider using scarcity marketing techniques.
• I had trouble achieving a-b-c.
• Do you have a-b-c problem?
• A company selling a pricey solution for camera lenses sold the problem idea as follows. "Water droplets can ruin your best memories" and then proved this idea by showing how the failure to use their product resulted in the ruining of images of very important events. 
• A transformation for the consumer related to the UVP. Do NOT skip ahead to talk about your business, your experience and so on. Focus instead very narrowly, at least at first on promising to the consumer a transformative experience to the problem they face. 
• This product delivered benefits x-y and z. Now, I can a-b-c comfortably. 

End with a crystal clear offer -- AND --  Call to Action / CTA. Make at least one of the three types of offer. The first type is a lead generator in which you ask for contact details at the top of your sales funnel or the lead's buying funnel. Hopefully, your subsequent contact can graduate leads to either a consultation or purchase offer. Ensure that your offer can convince buyers that your product is worth more than the money they will spend. 

• Using the problem statement above related to not getting the special camera lens solution, a call to action to go capture life's best memories will tie in well.  
• If you want to also get a-b-c benefit; subscribe.

Platform Considerations for production and editing. Consider the psychographics of each social media platform. For instance, Instagram users are younger and respond best to visually appealing content. 

• Facebook video ads should not depend on audio or even visuals because roughly 84% of people look at ads without audio, while doing something else. Consequently, the best Facebook ads should throw words across the screen.
• (Unlike the case of Facebook ads,) YouTube advertisements should depend on visuals. People prefer to visually engage with YouTube ads. After all; have you ever felt irritated by YouTube videos in which content creators presented a silent slideshow of words? Whenever possible, include b-roll. B-roll may include video of consumers using the product like different angles or panning video footage of the product. 
• Be strategic with b-roll. It may seem counter-intuitive, however, visuals are the least impactful alone of the 3 video quality  triangle. They should be used to amplify your most important video element, the message. Never try to focus only or mostly on the visuals. 
• Use very good sound. A Neurosite study suggests that long term memory is strongly related to the use of sound effects and music that fit and reinforce the concepts and theme of the message.
• Finish with a hero shot. A hero shot is the primary image or video that represents the entire marketing effort. It should accurately depict the product, service or action and its purpose. To this end, the imagery is usually enriched with props, background and lighting to infuse mood and impart brand spirit. This type of image is ideal for social media and category or catalog section pages in online stores. Example(s)
• For a video commercial, the hero shot for a coffee product as its key ingredient may involve the product being thrown into and splashing up coffee beans.
• Unfortunately, there is no fixed recommended video length that always converts the best. Your market-specific variables will determine this. So focus on satisfying the must-have content that is needed to convert your specific target market. However, many experts recommend testing with lengths for YouTube or Facebook commercials of 2 to 3 minutes. More time on YouTube is likely more successful, so take advantage of that when possible.
• Format accordingly. Facebook and Instagram advertisements are usually square. Conversely YouTube ads are rectangular.

CONTENT RELATED TO MAKING A COMMERCIAL

• Social media 101
• Social media writing (YouTube video)