In the dynamic world of online advertising, we all feel that staying ahead of the curve is not merely a choice but a real necessity. The landscape constantly evolves, with major platforms like YouTube, Meta, and TikTok adapting to user preferences and expanding their content offerings. For direct response marketers, specializing in a single type of ad or platform is no longer the golden ticket to success. Period.
The actual key lies in embracing a holistic approach that spans across various video formats and platforms. As we’re all familiar with the pace at which new winning creatives need to be pumped out once you find success, it’s of the utmost importance to broaden your perspective and skillset to cushion the fall.
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🤔 Why is that?
YouTube, once synonymous with longer-form content, has relatively recently made a strategic move with the introduction of YouTube Shorts. Similarly, Meta, transcending its Facebook roots, has diversified its content offerings. TikTok, best known for its short-form content, has expanded video lengths to accommodate a broader range of content creators and types of content in general. These shifts indicate a trend towards platforms wanting to be more versatile than ever before, and you can probably sense the implications this has for us advertisers.
But, how exactly?
For one, excelling at just short-format ads is no longer sufficient; mastering longer formats is equally essential, and vice versa. A successful digital advertiser must navigate the evolving terrain, creating ads that align seamlessly with the varying types of content each platform now supports. When you think about this, it’s a completely natural process, it’s just important to be aware of it, and with awareness of the environment comes the awareness of where the space for personal and professional growth lies. And it’s not what we might think of.
One of the common misconceptions is what I’d call – The Banality of Trend-Centric Approaches
In an era of rapidly changing trends, it’s easy for marketers to fall into the trap of focusing on what’s popular in the moment. Seems quite banal now, right? Obviously, this doesn’t mean that we won’t be following trends, be inspired by them, and feel the pulse of the audience. Even when focusing on the ads without broader context, trends are just the ‘meat on the bones’, let alone in this perspective that I’m talking about right now.
The big picture perspective
Platforms like YouTube, Meta, and TikTok aim to be all-encompassing, accommodating a wide array of content lengths to capture diverse audiences. As we mentioned, as a direct response advertiser, aligning your strategy with this overarching goal is crucial. Neglecting any particular format may limit your reach and effectiveness, lowering the potential for a comprehensive online advertising presence.
The good news is – advertising platforms are not as different as before, therefore, successful ads on them are also not. It was much more unlikely for a winning ad on Facebook to do well on YouTube, whereas now it’s not really the case anymore. Just like TikTok ads can now be very useful on YouTube – as you can test them as YouTube Shorts. Who would’ve thought that this could happen in the near future? Well, that’s the reality.
Mastering all of the ad types will give you access to a much broader profile of customers – your win will be to succeed in the same thing the platforms are doing. If TikTok is making 15-minute videos eligible to be posted as content, what makes you think your successful brand on TikTok advertising won’t need to succeed with a longer format ad there as well?
TL;DR
The days of success confined to a single ad type or platform are fading. Just as you’re not a good media buyer if you know nothing about anything but Google Ads, you’re not a good strategist if you’re looking at everything through the lens of one platform or, more importantly, how you’ve been used to perceiving this one platform in the past. If you’re able to look at, let’s say, YouTube from the perspective of a strategist while knowing some of its individual characteristics, in general, you’d be able to be inspired and make success on other platforms just by what you’ve seen work there.
So, embracing this holistic approach is, in a way, a simplification of how we view the world of Direct Response Advertising. It should be a facilitating factor if you’re aware of the underlying commonalities of what makes a good ad and what the key to finding success is through a thorough and highly thought-out testing strategy that encompasses various video lengths and platforms. By staying focused on the big picture and adapting strategies accordingly, marketers can build a robust online presence that stands the test of time. As a creative strategist, I love looking at what’s working well on VidTao, but when I look at a winning ad, I know what I’m looking at. And I hope you’re a step closer to knowing what it is as well.
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Alex Simic, Creative Director
Alex is the person responsible for all creative work that stands behind Inceptly since stepping into his role in 2022. He comes from the role of the Media Buying Team Lead and Strategist behind some of Inceptly’s biggest successes. He has collaborated with the biggest names in the Direct Response industry, whether as a Senior Account Manager & Media Buyer or Creative Director. His main goal is bridging the gap between Media Buying and Creative, ensuring that the videos Inceptly produces are data-based and giving our clients the best chance at achieving success.
Want to brainstorm with our team on new ways to scale your business with YouTube Ads (and other performance video platforms)?
Join us for a free YouTube ad brainstorming session:
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