7 Tips to Create a Cinematic Commercial Video

A commercial video can make or break product sales, especially when you have a small or mid-sized business that is still building its clientele. Video ads on social media are your best option – they cost less than TV commercials and they give you a better chance of reaching the right audience. In this post, we'll share 7 tips to create a cinematic commercial video for social media to get your message across and impress your audience!

1. Reflect your brand image

Your brand image must be distinctive and consistent. In the same spirit, your commercial must be true to your brand image and relative to your target audience. If you are offering life insurance, for example, you want to come off as reliable and trustworthy at all times. Depending on your prices though, your target audience can vary and you should address it accordingly.

2. Keep it short but powerful

No pressure here, but you have about 5 seconds to hook your audience! And since your video ad is playing on social media, the chances it is viewed on mute are high. That means you should start with a strong scene to immerse viewers right away. Keep it short and to the point, ideally no longer than 30 seconds.

3. Appeal to emotion

People respond to emotions, not logic. Merely pointing out features won't do any good. Take advantage of the power of storytelling. Use real people instead of animated characters. Make viewers imagine using your product, or how their life would be without it. Inspiring positive emotions like safety and acceptance is generally more effective, but fear and stress work in certain cases too.

4. Use the power of awe

If you want to go big and create a cinematic commercial video, you need to evoke strong emotions in your audience. A simple trick is to switch between shots real quick with intense music playing in the background. You can use this technique to induce fear or suspense.

5. Lighten up!

Lighting is key when it comes to adding a cinematic feel to your commercial video. The right lighting techniques add depth to your shots, create tension or mystery, guide the viewers' attention to a certain person or spot, and a lot more.

6. Watch your angle

Combine different camera angles to make your audience engage with your video ad in different ways. Want to add an element of adventure and excitement? Use subjective shots to put viewers in your hero's shoes, then focus on their face with a low angle shot to make them look strong and powerful!

7. Include a call to action

Always prompt viewers to take an action at the end of your commercial. Ideally, they shouldn't need to leave the platform to reach you. If you are advertising on Facebook, for instance, add a link to your Facebook page.

Hopefully, you now have a clearer idea about what you need to take into consideration before shooting your commercial. If you are serious about creating a cinematic commercial video though, DIY is not the way to go. Consider hiring a video production company to take care of everything and get a top-notch result. So what are you waiting for? Get those cameras rolling!