You don’t have to admit that you doomscroll – or admit if you don’t know what that means. We’re not here to judge.
But a whole bunch of people you want to pay attention to your brand are doing it.
They’re on their phones – ignoring their kid’s soccer game, creating drama on the internet, and rear-ending people on the highway. Truly, we could probably all benefit from spending less time staring at our phones. But let’s shift the focus before this turns into a TED talk …
Whether it’s doomscrolling (or joyscrolling) or simply spending an inordinate amount of time on TikTok, these consumers collide with your content if, and only if, you’ve produced mobile-optimized video.
Creating mobile-friendly videos is key for your brand’s relevancy on platforms where consumers spend most of their time. Video is king of marketing and mobile is king of video.
To succeed on the smallest screen (and you need to), there are some nuanced decisions in developing, filming, and distributing your ad.
To put it lightly, our phones have revolutionized the way we consume content – and video is in the lead. Mobile video consumption differs significantly from traditional viewing habits. While desktops and TVs gave us the luxury of larger screens and stable connections, mobile users contend with low batteries, hand cramps, and splintered attention spans. Sounds awful, right? But we persevere – and spend the equivalent of an entire workday on our devices.
Sound strategy, engaging content, and mobile-optimized video will help your product or service stand out from the competition. In this article, we’ve compiled 10 quick tips to help you with video optimization. If you’re working with a professional video marketing agency like Hackstone, your digital ads will follow these best practices and more.
How Do I Make My Video Mobile-Friendly?
Wondering about ways to optimize the content for mobile devices? Check out our top 10 obvious-after-the-fact list that will help guide DIYers and those kicking the tires on mobile video campaigns.
Keep It Short
No matter how great your product or service is, no one wants to view more than a couple of minutes of your marketing video on their phone. You can afford longer videos for consumers further down the sales funnel but shorter digital ads perform better than long ones. This is true for social media, search engine video results, and websites.
Don’t Make Us Dizzy
Pick the right orientation for your platform. Landscape, portrait, or square formats are all legitimate, but the wrong one for your platform leaves users dizzy trying to turn their phone or lock their screen orientation. And honestly, they won’t try that hard so you risk losing your audience.
Have Your (Thumb)nails Done
That little still image with the play button over it is the only real shot you get to draw in a viewer (unless you’re in an auto-play environment). The thumbnail or keyframe should be visually appealing which means you need to pick a representative and clear shot from your footage. You can dress it up with inlays, text-on-screen, graphics, or a logo. Avoid adding too many details but also don’t simply let your video editing software assign a screengrab.
Get to the Point
Sure, everyone’s wasting time on the Internet but if you don’t grab the user’s attention in about two seconds, they’ll just waste their time with someone else. Video content needs to strike a nerve, say something interesting, and incentivize engagement right away. You can still weave a story arc or surprise us later in your content but don’t delay delighting your viewer. While we’re discussing this point …
Make Sure You Have a Point
If your users found you by doomscrolling, they’re bound to just keep scrolling unless you give them a reason not to. A strong call to action (CTA) on mobile video can move users to your website, your social media profile, a newsletter sign-up page, or a shopping tool. Ideas include promo codes or links in video bumpers, or CTAs to subscribe or ring the bell.
Enable Time-Theft
Depending on what you sell, your target audience could very likely be watching your content while they’re being paid to do something else. Your employees would never be time thieves (obviously) but it’s great when other people do it and discover your brand! Make it easier for them by incorporating subtitles and captions for sound-off viewing. If you spin off a digital ad from a full-length commercial, pay special attention to accessibility and comprehension in a mobile environment.
Get Their Number
A quick, effective digital ad is like a first date. They swiped right, you put your best foot forward, and you didn’t say or do anything scary. Don’t be afraid to ask for their number (or email). On mobile videos, you can use a variety of interactive elements to drive desired outcomes. Think links, embedded forms, quizzes, subscribe calls-to-action, and share buttons.
Spread The Love
Mobile-first and mobile-friendly content is a great equalizer in many ways. Smartphones are not only the preferred browsing and social media portal for most users but also offer connectivity to those who can’t access laptops or wi-fi for a variety of reasons. Video accessibility features such as audio descriptions, closed captions, and voiceovers can enhance inclusivity.
Look The Part
Compressing video lets you make your mobile content smaller (i.e. faster and more convenient) without sacrificing too much quality. If you’re doing email marketing, you’ll definitely want to compress your video. You’ll also need to compress large files and possibly change formats, like converting to MP4, to upload your video for playback on platforms such as Vimeo and YouTube. Compressing videos will also save time when sharing your content on social media. In other words, compression ain’t your mama’s zip file.
Check Yo’ Self
Experimentation can be productive but numbers drive the mobile game. Check your data to see what type of content your audience likes most. On social platforms, this will include not only views but other forms of engagement like shares, comments, reactions, or likes, and whether you’re growing followers over time. Pay attention to time-on-page metrics if you’re using videos on a landing page, or average watch time on video platforms.
Mobile-Friendly Video
From company culture commercials to product-specific sales videos, consumers are largely showing a growing interest in high-quality, branded video content. Delivering it on-demand to their phones and mobile devices is key.
Increasingly, consumers want mobile-optimized video content that entertains, educates, and helps them make decisions about what to buy. Digital ads, brand videos, product guides, and more in mobile form not only hype what you’re selling but also create stronger brand awareness.
At Hackstone, we embrace mobile optimization because we want our work and our clients’ ads to be beacons of hope amid the dumpster fire that is the internet. We like to say we make commercials for people who hate commercials – and that includes the doomscrollers. Want to learn more? Get in touch!