Video marketing best practices for 2023, according to Microsoft Advertising experts
Here are the best practices that Microsoft adverting recommends that you follow for a successful video ad campaign in 2023.
Lerato Monareng 
We have all heard that video marketing is the way to go, and I am sure that we can all attest to that, given the rise of short-form video platforms like TikTok and an increase in video content and creators on YouTube.
What I love about video marketing, especially for brands, is that it allows them to emotionally connect with customers in an engaging way and on a much deeper level and capture their attention in a digitally cluttered world.
But, it can get quite challenging for brands because they must keep a balance between performance and not compromising other objectives such as brand building, brand awareness, brand loyalty and advocacy to drive emotional connections with their audiences.
The Microsoft Advertising team understands this better. To make it easier for advertisers using their platform, they've put together some best practices to help you with your next video advertisement.
According to an article published on the 17th of January 2023, The Microsoft Advertising team analysed Video ads that ran across the Black Friday weekend to identify the top performers.
The seven brands analysed in the article show that well-thought-out media and creative strategies can achieve both: Leveraging the unique consumer intent data from Microsoft to drive performance and engagement while using video to show their customers what their brands are all about.
Here is a list of the brands, together with their advertisements. Check them out and see if you can learn a thing or two from how they've created their ads:
1. Subaru Canada
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5etCB
Agency: Search Engine People, Canada.
2. Foot Locker
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5eBaM
Agency: Merkle.
3. Bombas
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5elL4
4. Lively.com
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5ewhO
5. GhostBed
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5eogU
6. GotPrint
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5ewhP
7. LeafGuard
View video: https://www.microsoft.com/en-US/videoplayer/embed/RE5eyPY
Agency: Reprise Digital.
Mallory Harwood and Liam Mackessy shared, "Looking at ads above, you can see that most of them celebrate their audiences, showing people experiencing emotions like joy, and representing how their products play a role in bringing these sentiments to their life.
And then others focused on portraying offers while making the product benefits clear, reinforcing the problem they solve for customers."
It's also important to note that these videos didn't just drive deep emotional connections with their audiences—they also led to great results. With the power of unique data from search intent, these videos went excellent engagement and click-through rates."
Here are the best practices that Microsoft adverting recommends that you follow for a successful video ad campaign.
- Make an impact quickly: Aim to grab your audience's attention within the first 10 seconds.
- Prioritise your main message: Showcase your product or brand as soon as possible to increase recall.
- Incorporate your brand elements: Ensure your Video Ad includes elements like your logo, brand colours, and font to help establish brand recognition.
- Highlight any offers or discounts: Be sure to mention any special deals or discounts you're offering to encourage action.
- Use visuals effectively: Since Video ads will be played without sound in some cases, use text and graphics to convey your message.
- Personalise your approach: Tailor your message to the customer journey to encourage actions like sign-ups, purchases, enquire etc.
- Test and optimise: Try different video lengths, intro text, headlines, and landing pages to find what resonates most with your audience and what drives the best results.
Now that you have all the inspiration, how about you try these best practices on your next video ad campaign and see what works best for your brand and audience?
And remember, you can repurpose your video across multiple platforms to see what works and doesn't.
You can also check out Microsoft's Advertising Video ads on the Microsoft Audience Network, which are only available in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, and New Zealand.
Oh! one more thing, this is not sponsored by Microsoft Adverting.
Image by storyset on Freepik
