TV commercials have been the most popular way of marketing and advertising for the past 2 decades, however, they are fast losing their edge in an age of social media. So how do you create a commercial that is relevant, engaging, and memorable; something that can compete with other forms of advertising. This article will provide you with 6 effective guidelines that can help you make a successful TV commercial for your brand.
- Have A Unique Idea
The first and most important rule of making an advert that stands out among thousands of others is to have a unique idea, an idea that will appeal to your audience. There is a lot of competition out there and if you are playing your commercial on a prime-time TV spot, you have to make sure it is something that people will not just fast-forward or skip altogether. You could use popular ideas that appeal to people to advertise your product/brand, like that positive social impact it has, for example. You could have the best product out there, but if your commercial is not built around a good idea, the advertisement may fall flat. - Use Time Effectively
The average person has an attention span of 12 seconds before they lose interest, therefore it is very important that your commercial is short and sweet. The first three seconds of your commercial are the most important, as they will make or break your commercial in terms of capturing the attention of the audience. Another thing to keep in mind when deciding what your TV commercial length should be is that you should be able to fit in all the relevant information about your product within the commercial. You should also only make the commercial for exactly the same amount of airtime you have purchased. If you go over even a couple of seconds, the commercial will be cut off before it is finished running. - Identify Your Target Audience
Deciding who the intended audience is for your TV commercial can make things really simple for you in terms of creating and producing one. Once you know your target audience, you can write your script accordingly. Since different demographics have different preferences as to what they find appealing and memorable, it is extremely important to know who you are advertising to with your TV commercial. Your target audience can also help you determine what time you should air the commercial. - Have A Scheduling Strategy
Once you know who you are targeting with your commercial, it becomes quite simple to figure out what time to air it. There is some strategic planning involved in this decision as you have to make sure that it is reaching its targeted demographic. Along with the timing of when you air your TV ad, it is also important what channel you are airing it on; it should be relevant to what types of users watch the channel. If you are advertising a food product, it makes sense to play the commercial on a channel like BBC Food or any other food channel. - Have Good Production Value
It may seem like an obvious guideline but more often than not many advertisements rely heavily on flashy lights and colors, blaring music, and completely overlook the benefits of having a well-produced advertisement. If your budget allows you, you should always opt for a production company to shoot the advertisement. Good production value along with a good idea and a strong script is the basic ingredients in making an advertisement successful. Choosing the right media partner for your TV commercial is also imperative, as that will be remembered by people and will drive customers to be intrigued about your brand or product. - Stick To Your Brand
In order to make your brand as well as your commercial stand out from the others, create an advertising campaign that is true to the brand ideal that you have in mind. When you create an idea of aesthetic that is specific to your product or brand, it makes it very easy for people to identify and relate the concept back to your brand. Take Apple, for example, their TV commercials are always shot and directed in one way that can help people relate the brand to their product.
There are a lot of factors that go into creating a successful TV advert. A combination of the above-mentioned guidelines is required to ensure that it is effective in convincing consumers to purchase your product and generate interest in your brand.
Featured image: Apple, Inc.
