Conquering the conversion game on Snapchat all comes down to how well you can produce high-quality video content to showcase the uniqueness of your retail brand.
Despite the cost advantages Snapchat offers, it can still be very challenging – in under 60 seconds – to produce engaging content that followers will want to engage with.
That’s why Snapchat’s Long Form Video format has been a game changer for e-commerce and retail brands looking to stand out and authentically use the platform to drive sales. Long Form videos are a minimum of 15 seconds long but can be as long as preferred. However, the sweet spot for long-form Snapchat video tends to be between 1-1.5 minutes long with a highly compelling 15-second video intro opener.
It’s important to keep in mind that with these video types, users will automatically see the first 15 seconds, and then they have the option to continue to watch the ad. Despite the short attention span of the average social media follower, researchers found that longer form videos actually can boost customer engagement.
Nonetheless, it is imperative that the first 6-10 seconds of a video be engaging enough for the customer to click to watch it and convincing enough for the viewer to want to take action. E-commerce and retail brands that are able to powerfully create a strong, appealing theme, and captivating storyline with their long-form video ads will be better positioned to increase product sales and brand awareness.
Here are some other important long-form video ad features you’ll want to take advantage of:
Add captions. Not every Snapchat user will watch your long-form ad with the volume on. To make the ad both accessible for everyone and easy to follow without volume, add captions that are easy to read throughout. Market researchers found that by adding captions, viewers watched 40% more of the video.
- Use b-roll. While selfie-style videos work well for shorter Snapchat ads, longer-form ads will need to take full advantage of transitions, engaging b-roll, on-screen text, and other visual elements. The key will be to figure out what can be both interactive for the viewer while also in line with your health brand.
- Build the storyline. In the direct response world, we refer to the opening of a video as a “hook”. The more you can craft a storyline for your ad, the more compelling your video ad will be for viewers as well. For example, the storyline may be around a customer’s success story or it could be around debunking a common health myth or challenge that your health brand helps consumers overcome.
Creating long form video content for Snapchat ads is a wide open field. There is no “right” way to produce your video ad, although by doing A/B testing you can analyze the power of various video element changes and begin to optimize your video ads. The more marketing and campaign benchmarks/metrics you can collect and analyze on a regular basis, then the more informed you’ll be in the video ad creation process.
