Optimize Your Sponsored Brand Video Ads In 6 Simple Steps

Posted by Jimi Patel | October 28, 2020

If there is one form of advertisement that stands out amongst the rest, then it’s gotta be Sponsored Brand Video Ads. Since its launch in 2018, video ads have become the latest buzz in the Amazon advertising world. It is an entirely new application and when done correctly, the rewards can be significant. About 84% of the shoppers say that they are convinced about buying a product or service after watching the brand’s video, while 66% of the shoppers prefer watching a video instead of reading boring descriptions. No wonder why Sponsored Brand video ads are known to have scroll-stopping powers. In this article, we will explain how you can set up successful Sponsored Brand Video ad campaigns and maximize your brand presence. But before that, let us get back to basics.

 

What is Sponsored Brand Video Ads?

 

Sponsored Brand Video Ad is a relatively new ad format that incorporates video ads in between search result pages. It is one of the three campaign types within Sponsored Brand Ads, the other two being product collection and store spotlight. Video ads are keyword targeted and utilize a CPC model.

Sponsored Brand Video Ad

 

For more details, take a look at our blog post.

 

Definitive steps to make a successful Sponsored Brands Video Ad

 

Step 1: Hold your horses and put your thinking caps on

 

Hold your horses and put your thinking caps on

 

It’s not yet time for lights, camera and action. Although you are too eager to beat the competition with a larger than life video, first you need to organize your thoughts. You will want to understand which of your ASINs will give you the best return on investment. Prepare a list of the priority ASINs; typically, you should be running Sponsored Brand Video to promote the already top-selling ASINs and newly launched products on which you have high hopes. Your advertisement will work best when paired with ASIN that has perfectly optimized images and copy. That is why you must have a full Amazon listing optimization done before you consider running any type of ad. After you have a list if priority ASINs ready, always check if they have:

 

  • Good star ratings and competitive review count
  • Enough inventory
  • Buy Box (or else you are helping someone else make the sales)
  • Optimized title, bullets and description
  • Enticing and informative images, consider finding a good Amazon photo editing services for this

 

Understand the rules and follow them

Step 2: Understand the rules and follow them

 

Just like Amazon enhanced brand content and Sponsored Brand Ads, Sponsored Brand Video Ads too have some rules and regulations you need to follow for rejection-free upload. For starters, you will need a Brand Registry (obviously). Before creating a video, you should familiarize yourself with how the video will appear on the search result pages. The video plays on mute and continuously in a loop, so create your video accordingly. The good news is that Amazon has very clearly stated all the requirements:

 

  • Video duration: Between 6 and 45 seconds (30 secs or less highly recommended)
  • Video dimensions: 1920 x 1080px, 1280 x 720px or 3840 x 2160px
  • File size: Less than 500MB
  • File format: .MP4 or .MOV
  • Aspect ratio: 16:9
  • Video scan type: Progressive
  • Audio format: Stereo or mono
  • Audio bit rate: Minimum 96 kbps
  • Letterboxing or pillar boxing: Videos must not have black bars on any side of the video content

 

Here are a few don’ts of Sponsored Brand Video Ads:

 

  • Your video should be in the primary language of the Amazon site on which the ad is displayed
  • Don’t add customer reviews or star ratings, even if they are on Amazon
  • Don’t add low-quality audio or videos
  • Don’t add any reference that can lead customers to your or anyone else’s site
  • Don’t add promotional text/messages
  • Don’t add black or empty frames at the start or end of the video
  • Don’t edit the videos abruptly
  • Don’t use Amazon trademarks, products or references to Amazon products or services

 

Step #3: Schedule a meeting with your Amazon SEO consultant and plan a strategy

 

Schedule a meeting with your Amazon SEO consultant and plan a strategy

 

Now that you know the ABCs of Sponsored Brand Video Ads, it’s time to devise a strategy that ensures success. If you are planning to run only Sponsored Brand Video Ads, it won’t work. This is not Sponsored Product Ads. Sponsored Brand Video Ads, just like Sponsored Brand Ads, is designed to increase brand awareness. Ads that are targeted to improve brand recall have a different conversion rate, which can sometimes be slightly disappointing. Of course, the success of your Sponsored Brand Video ads depends on the video itself, but for optimum results, you should use them with Sponsored Brand Ads and other tools that help generate brand awareness.

 

Step #4: Now, we create a video

 

Now, we create a video

 

Never ever skimp on the quality of the video. Your video should sand out in terms of aesthetics as well as the content. Invest in a good videographer who has experience in creating videos for Amazon. If your budget allows, create 2-3 different versions of the video and A/B test, the results to see what works best for you. Now the question is, how can you create a Sponsored Brand Video? There was a time when it used to be expensive and time-consuming, but now it can be done in a matter of a few minutes. All you need to do is contact us, place an order, give us your ASIN and let our designers work their magic.

 

Step #5: Don’t forget keyword research

 

Don't forget keyword research

 

It’s a campaign; can it be completed with Amazon keyword research? After the video, keywords are the most vital factor for the success of your SBV campaign. You can add keywords in all for match types – broad, exact, phrase, and negative, but I would recommend using only exact and phrase match types. Don’t make the mistake of adding too many or too less keywords. With fewer keywords, you won’t get the reach you are expecting and too many keywords will target a broad audience and will be the reason for high ACOS. When you choose keywords, keep them highly relevant to the product. If you want to test keywords, create separate campaigns and keep the budget low. The keywords that work should be used for your campaigns and poor performers should be stopped.

 

Step #6: Decide where you are going to send your SBV ad viewers

 

Deciding where to send your potential shoppers can be a challenging decision. Amazon gives you a few landing page options where you may want to send your audience:

 

  • Amazon seller storefront: Just like Sponsored Brand Ads, you can send shoppers directly to your Amazon store page, which is a good idea if you have a beautifully created storefront. Customers might want to view your full catalog and decide on buying multiple products.
  • Product detail page: The second option is to send directly to your product detail page. If you have a small brand or don’t have a storefront, this is the best option.
  • Category pages: If you have many products in the same category, then you may want your shoppers to browse through your category pages.

 

After you have decided on the destination, you can start creating your campaign.

 

Step #7: Optimize your campaigns

 

After creating campaigns, wait for at least 7 days before making any changes. After that, you will get some baseline data to work and make tweaks in the campaign. You don’t want to make any significant changes in the beginning. Review search term report to reduce bids on low performing keywords and increase on high performing keywords. Always remember that campaigns are not a set-it-and-forget-it thing, so you should never stop optimizing. Constantly review and make changes in the campaigns till you get the desired results.

 

Best practices:

 

Add subtitles or on-screen text to engage better with the shoppers. As you know, Sponsored Brand Video Ads run on mute, so the only way you can get the message across is by subtitles

  • The language should be short and simple. The shorter the sentence, the better
  • Amazon recommends using a white sans-serif font like Helvetica at a minimum size of 80 px overlayed on a black-bound box at 80% opacity
  • The video and text should be within the “safe area” as shown below

safe area

  • Use the best quality lifestyle images for creating a video or get it shot from a professional video making firm
  • Show your product within 1 second of the beginning of the video
  • Always add an end card or a call to action. Although Amazon discourages you from using promotional and pushy language, you should always incorporate a subtle call to action (CTA)
  • Add quick cuts to retain customer attention
  • Your video should walk through the product features. Be sure to answer your customer’s need
  • Brand your video. You remember every ad from Burger King and Apple. Similarly, your shoppers should recognize your brand as well

 

Get, set play!

If you are a brand owner eligible to create Sponsored Brand Video Ads, then definitely go for it. It’s like owning more real estate on the search result pages. Amazon is also rolling out new placements, so customers are going to see a lot of it while they are browsing. Video ads are already successful in social media platforms like Facebook and the early results on Amazon are impressive too, so don’t let this opportunity pass by.

 

Need help in creating an effective video for your campaign? Contact our Amazon Consultants now. We offer the most hassle-free way for sellers to create video content that sells.

Published by Jimi Patel

Jimi Patel, is a Co-founder and CEO at eStore Factory, an Amazon SPN certified agency that serves as a one-stop solution for all your Amazon business needs. Having helped countless brands increase sales and grow their footprint on Amazon, Jimi provides the most practical and effective solutions for your business. He is highly skilled in developing and executing plans that align with your specific business goals and objectives. When not working, Jimi enjoys practicing yoga and traveling to new places. He is an avid reader and enjoys staying up-to-date on the latest trends and developments in the e-commerce industry.

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