The past year has left many American consumers starved for human interaction. Advertisers have realized that they can use this unfortunate situation to their clients’ benefit. Creating emotion-​fueled ads can help a consumer feel more comfortable with and closer to a brand, even if they’ve never made a purchase from the company before. Since the world has turned to video calls to stay connected with friends and loved ones, it makes sense that brands should be using video ads which can serve as an emotional touchstone.

Your client's traditional video ads are well and good, but everyone and their mother is making them. Successful brands are using a variety of video ad types, according to One Productions. Here are a few ad types that One Productions suggests companies take advantage of:

• Live Videos
• Video Shopping
• Animated Videos

Video Ad Varieties

Live Videos

Even though videos allow people to potentially see the speaker'(s) face and/​or bodies, pre-​recorded videos still lack important human elements. These include spontaneity and, potentially, speech mistakes. You may think stuttering or searching for the right word brings down video ads’ quality, but it actually helps the speaker seem more human. If they’re doing live videos, that is.

According to One Productions, streaming content has made up approximately 82% of all internet traffic within the last year. In the past, live/​streaming videos were strictly for influencers and small businesses. Now, businesses of all sizes are getting in on the action. “A live stream is one of the best ways to make announcements and connect with fans because it’s seen as an informal, authentic interaction,” says One Productions. But make sure that your clients are choosing the right people to host the live videos. If the host doesn’t have a good stage presence, the video will flop.

Video Shopping

It’s no mystery that COVID-​19 has helped boost e‑commerce within the last year. Consumers are turning to online shopping to stay safe and enjoy its convenience. However, e‑commerce lacks the perks of online shopping. Looking at stagnant images doesn’t give a good look at the product the customer is considering. Brands have begun making shoppable video ads to bridge the gap between in person and online shopping.

Video ads online and on social media, as well as videos made by influencers, are the perfect way to give consumers an immersive product experience. Then, all a brand has to do is make the products in the video ads clickable, and the viewer will be sent straight to the webpage where they can buy the product. It’s a more personalized experience that helps consumers feel as if they’re getting close to in-​person shopping.

Animated Videos

Animated video ads rose in popularity last year and show no signs of stopping this year. “Animations require fewer people, no physical contact, and you can portray literally anything with them,” says One Productions. “They can also be created relatively cheaply.” We’ll discuss animated video ads further in Thursday’s post.

Want to know how effective video ads are on your client’s target audience? Check out their profile on AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel.