Promotion of your dealership
Published in Autojournal in September 2017
How to use video advertising properly?
As you've probably already noticed, video content has taken over the Web. Virtually every page you visit contains video, whether it's ads or native content, it's everywhere.
Why videos have so quickly replaced static images or the famous "animated GIFs" even though they cost more and are more complicated! In fact, creating video content is becoming more and more affordable and there are many tools available to create it easily, quickly and inexpensively. So no more excuses, it's time to make your dealership shine on the Web.
A few statistics before we begin
Internet advertising is on the rise in Canada - with a 19% increase in revenue for 2016, video content is growing 34% faster than any other ad format - all the more reason to give it special consideration in your marketing planning. You owe video content planning time and budget, or you risk falling behind your competition.
YouTube is the second most used search engine after Google, with the most content viewed each year. Canadians aged 18 to 39 spend more time watching videos on YouTube than they do watching television. However, advertising budgets continue to be invested towards television (42% of total budget in 2016). So it's time to go digital and get the content you produce out there on the web as well, and review your budget allocations.
Video content creation: how to go about it?
If you are going to shoot for TV, make sure you also produce video content that goes along with what you are going to create for TV. This will ensure the continuity of your message, which will increase your brand's recognition across different media.
Even if your marketing budget is limited, several platforms offer solutions for small budgets. For example, Promo (slide.ly/promo) allows you to use 15-second videos, available in a multitude of themes, to which you can add music, text and your logo, it's simple, fast and the quality is excellent. The price is on an annual subscription basis. Another very interesting tool is the YouTube Director. When you spend more than $150 on video advertising on YouTube, you will have access to a professional team that will shoot a video of your company in the recommended formats. Only available in the U.S., this service is expected to arrive in Canada soon.
Video on YouTube
If you want to advertise on this network, you will need three different formats: 6, 15 and 30 seconds. The 6-second video will be played when another video is played (Bumper Ads). It's like on TV when our show is interrupted by a commercial break. The 15 and 30 second formats (In Stream Ads) can be skipped after 5 seconds of listening. The first 5 seconds must be captivating for the user to want to continue viewing and to engage more with your brand.
Video on Facebook
Facebook video ads appear in the user's News Feed. People scroll through the feed fairly quickly, so it's important to have a catchy title that respects the content of your video (nothing is more frustrating than a title like "Look what he's doing! You won't believe your eyes!" that has no connection with the content). Videos on Facebook are very often listened to without sound, so it's essential to add subtitles if you want people to understand and engage with your content. A 30-second video is ideal for use on Facebook.
Creating quality content, how to showcase your dealership?
Now that you know all the specifications for creating a platform-ready video, it's your turn to create a video that showcases your dealership. But where do you start?
As a dealer, your goal is to promote your business, not the brand you represent. Automakers spend millions of dollars promoting their brand, so it's not your job to do it. A good video should have a clear message and a call to action, just like a banner. The most important part of your message should be at the beginning, because that's when your users will be paying the most attention. Your video should also be emotional and engaging for the user, people should recognize themselves in your message and be able to relate to their daily lives.
Think outside the box and try to innovate, people's attention will be more easily acquired and they are likely to remember you much longer.
Finally, find a trusted partner to produce your content, you don't want to be remembered for the wrong reasons. A good brand image takes time to build, don't waste it with bad content. Look at the work done by the firm before, and if necessary, evaluate several proposals and find the one that shares your vision and can also advise you. The same goes for the distribution of your videos... There is no point in having great videos if they are not distributed properly. Make sure you choose an experienced partner in video advertising who masters the different platforms.
By the end of 2017, internet advertising investments are expected to be on the rise, while TV investments will decline to less than 1/3 of total spending by 2020. It's high time to plan your 2018 and include video content production. Get ahead of the competition and be ahead of the curve!
