4 Elements to Include When Creating a TV Commercial
Television commercials are highly influential to viewers thanks to the fact that they can reach a wide range of audiences in a creative way. Because they’re so short, however, you have little room to get all of the important elements in at the perfect pace, but it’s not hard to accomplish. Here are four elements to include when creating a TV commercial.
1. A Plain, Understandable Message
Viewers should never be confused about what you’re trying to sell. You only get 15 to 60 seconds to make your case, so get right to the point: What does the product or service do, and why should they care? The writing must be concise and compelling, delivering a powerful narrative that engages attention through the entire scene. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to have a story, but your audience shouldn’t get bored, either.
Commercial narratives are typically written by professional writers with experience writing for television in particular. If you opt to work with another marketing company, many already have a team ready to work with you.
2. Your Distinctive Style
A good commercial also presents a distinctive style. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel, but your commercial must be both interesting and memorable so it can stand out from all the others that your viewers are subjected to every day. Don’t be afraid to take advantage of the increasingly more accessible tools of film production, including complementary music.
What your distinctive style looks like depends on the audience you’re trying to reach. Tap into the buyer personas you’ve developed from other areas of your marketing strategy to gain the data that informs your decisions, including the appropriate tone, the best time to air, and whether to go for live-action or an animated style.
3. Call to Action
A commercial needs a call to action as a part of presenting a clear message. The viewer knows what you’re selling and why they should care, so what do they need to do about it?
No matter what kind of marketing material you put out into the world, calls to action are a crucial element to include. If your audience doesn’t know what to do, most won’t do anything, so never simply allude to the end goal; clearly state that they should buy your product, call the toll-free number, visit your website, or whatever action you want them to take.
4. Cohesion with a Greater Campaign
A standalone commercial is effective, but it works much better as part of a larger campaign. Make sure it fits with the rest of your strategies and that viewers will see consistency between your commercials and other interactions; if they can safely rely on what you’ll deliver, they’ll develop both trust and loyalty over time.
Just like with any marketing campaign, approaching a television commercial requires a strong, data-informed strategy. You’ll only be ready to deliver once you have a clear picture of both your brand’s message and its approach. If you don’t yet, spend the time developing that foundational strategy that will carry your brand through all of its potential outlets.