Having an effective TV commercial can make a dramatic difference in helping you reach some important business goals. Investing in TV can increase advertising effectiveness by 40%, and experts predict that TV advertising spending will grow steadily to $75 billion by 2022 — meaning it's far from on its way out like some may think.
The impact a commercial can have on consumers is almost incomparable to other forms of media. "As soon as chewing gum ads started showing people chewing two pieces of gum at once, sales doubled instantly," Small Biz reveals. "That's because people also started to chew two pieces at a time, just like they'd seen on TV."
When you're ready to start doubling your sales, implement these valuable tips for creating an effective TV commercial.
If you're unsure of your subject, ask yourself: What are you trying to advertise in your commercial? Do you have a new location? Do you have a new product or service? Keep your focus timely and relevant.
Now that you've decided on your subject consider the type of campaign you intend to employ. There are two types to choose from: brand awareness campaigns and call-to-action campaigns.
A brand awareness campaign establishes and strengthens your brand's awareness, perception, and position. This approach is great for businesses new to the area.
On the other hand, a call-to-action campaign aims to get consumers to take a given action (i.e., take advantage of a deal, sign up for something, etc.). This would be more appropriate for businesses with a new product line, an upcoming event, or seasonal sales.
Your CTA should speak directly to your consumers about your subject and tell them what they should do next. Without a clear CTA (or CTA at all), viewers are left wondering what they're supposed to do with the information you provided.
Ask yourself: What action do you want the viewer to take? Are you looking to bring them in-store? Do you want them to visit your website? Call for more information?
From there, incorporate some of the most successful CTA verbs into your creative: Shop, Sign Up, Discover, Try, Watch, Start, and Join.
Behind every great commercial is a great script. Here’s what you need to know to prepare and create your own.
TV commercials run between 15 and 90 seconds long, so keep it within that time frame. Specific timing depends on your agreement with a network (i.e., typically in increments of 15, 30, and 90-seconds).
Your commercial script should include:
Heading
Client
Script Title
Your Name
Draft Number
Date Submitted
Job ID
A visual column
An audio column
The Digital School of Marketing (DSM) touts these as their best practices:
Planning out your shots in detail and knowing exactly what to capture will ensure you're getting everything you want from your commercial while staying on budget. Last-minute decisions or spontaneous changes can lead to spending more than your budget and cause problems down the road.
To avoid complications, determine the following:
For commercial shooting guidance, pay special attention to the following:
Many marketers work with a media partner in these cases since they have the additional expertise and all of the equipment and knowledge to create the perfect commercial such as lights, mics, and clearance for on-location shoots.
Here's what goes into post-production:
While creating an effective TV commercial can be done on your own with these tips in mind, working with a media partner is the way to go. It can be significantly more beneficial in creating the perfect commercial from start to finish because they have the knowledge, resources, and equipment to produce and distribute a high-quality commercial that showcases your business in the best light.