6 Ways To Turn Your TV Commercial Into A Great Digital Ad

This post is sponsored by YuMe.

A well-made TV commercial doesn't always work the same online. Digital screens are smaller and more mobile than TV screens, which means digital ads can drive greater engagement with the brand. Brands that recognize this have an opportunity to make the most of the digital medium.

YuMe worked with Millward Brown Digital to study numerous campaigns made for both the TV and the Web, then distilled that research into a set of best practices for advertisers who want to adapt TV commercials into strong and engaging digital ads. (One interesting fact: Short-form videos tend to be more memorable, long-form videos more persuasive.)

YuMe collected its extensive research into a handy infographic that gives top-line tips for potential digital advertisers. Here are just a few of the ways you can rework a TV commercial for the Web:

1. Make sure your product or brand name appears in every frame. In places where the product or the product name doesn't appear, add logos or branding. If for some reason there are third-party brands in the commercial, or even competitor brands, cut them to avoid confusion.

2. Go for the human touch. Don't cut out any scenes in your commercial that have people in them. Everyone likes to people-watch, and users will be more interested in what other people are doing than almost anything else.

3. Stay on message. Make sure that when you re-edit the piece, you don't lose track of the point you were trying to make in the first place. If the point of the campaign is that your new ski resort is having its grand opening, don't omit that piece of information because it somehow seemed less relevant when you were re-editing the video.

4. Make sure your voiceover matches the text. The copy on screen should correspond to what's being said, so that the message of your ad is consistent.

5. Add interactivity. Give users a chance to respond. If they can click for more information, or to see more visuals, you're using the Web to its full potential.

6. Have a strong call to action. Take advantage of what the Web has to offer, such as its ability to drive user action almost immediately.

Here's a small section taken from YuMe's infographic. Download the full infographic here.

To read more of YuMe's research studies, go here.

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