Top 5 Tips for Creating an Eye-Catching TV Commercial

Making an excellent TV commercial is a complex process that, all too often, gets overlooked. Good production makes a TV commercial look effortless. Behind the scenes, however, a lot of work goes into producing a commercial with that degree of quality. By working with an experienced media partner, you can improve the effectiveness of your TV commercial and get the stunning, high-quality content you need to help reach your customers. 

Are you ready to start producing a high-quality TV commercial? Try these five essential tips to make an eye-catching ad.  

1. Decide On Your Goals

Your ads' visuals are constructed differently based on the overall goal. You cannot say too much at once and still get your message across, because your customers will often lose track of your message. Keeping your message simple and to the point will help your target audience understand it more effectively. You may have a completely different look and message if your goal is to increase sales rather than build awareness--and vice versa. Before you get started with your TV commercial, decide on your goals so your path moving forward is clear.  

2. Determine Who You're Speaking To

Your commercial will resonate better if you focus on one specific aspect of your brand. If you have multiple messages you want to convey, you may want to make several ads that will resonate with different segments of your audience.  Along with using a narrow message in general, it's essential to speak to your specific audience. Think about who they are, what type of content they're most likely to respond to, and how you can adjust your messaging to help you reach that audience more effectively.  

Finding and defining your target audience can be challenging. A media partner, however, can help make that process more straightforward. When you work with a media partner, your media partner can help you narrow down the specific audience that you want to reach, help you discover where they are, and give you more information about the content that will draw them in.

3. Use Creative Visuals Immediately

Breaking the mold from other ads makes your commercial stand out and keeps people watching. You don't want to create the same commercial that a dozen different businesses have already put together. Instead, look for creative strategies that represent your brand. Use unique images and visuals. Try out special effects. Do something different. As you're designing your visuals, however, make sure that you keep it on-brand. You don't want to sacrifice your identity just to get attention, nor do you want to break with the branding and visuals consumers expect just to create a quick visual effect.  

As you put together your commercial, keep in mind that, on average, you have just 3-5 seconds to catch the audience's attention. If you don't portray your creative message quickly, you may lose the opportunity to connect with your audience. 

4. Be an Authentic Representation of Your Brand

Telling a personal, compelling brand story shares a lot of information implicitly without saying it outright. When you share who your brand is, what you believe in, and what's important to you, you let your customers know how you will focus your attention and what you prioritize.  

Customers can also recognize sincerity. If something is genuine, they will see it. It's critical, however, that you authentically represent your brand's attributes, focus, and priorities. You need to start by overcoming the assumption that customers only believe that you want sales, then work toward sharing what you want to accomplish with your customers. 

5. Be Memorable (But Not Repetitive)

Elements like a catchy jingle or tagline can increase customer recall. Jingles are likely to stick in consumers' heads--and if they effectively represent your brand, it's a great way to ensure that your customers will call your brand to mind, not your competitors' when they need it in your industry. It's essential, however, to check and double-check them before you roll them out widely to avoid having a lousy jingle or a tagline that stands out for all the wrong reasons. Consider market testing ahead of time to give you a better idea of how consumers will respond to your content. 

Incorporating elements with staying power, including a short, catchy jingle or a memorable tagline, can increase brand recall without straying into repetition. If you repeat the same concept too often, it could cause customers to get frustrated or bored with your brand and prevent them from truly listening to your commercials. On the other hand, unique elements will increase the odds that consumers will recognize you for who you are and what you want to communicate.  

Having an eye-catching commercial shows your brand is quality while increasing awareness of your brand. By incorporating these essential tips into your commercial production and working closely with a media partner, you'll find that you can improve the quality of your commercial and make it catch consumers' attention.