Struggling to Generate Traffic From Your YouTube Video AD? Here’s How To Capture The Viewer’s Attention in the First 5 Seconds

The attention span of the modern-day consumer is actively working against every marketing strategy in existence, video or otherwise. It’s imperative to captivate viewers within the first few seconds of your video ad to prevent the dreaded “skip ad” button. 

Facebook reports that 65% of users who watch the first three seconds of your video will watch for at least ten seconds. 45% of those viewers will go on to watch as far as thirty seconds.^[1]

That’s not a lot of time to work with so you have to use it to your advantage. Here are a few tips to capture attention quickly in your next corporate video production ad!

Get To The Point

Immediately address pain points, desired wins, and relevant questions within the first few seconds to keep them watching for more. Set the tone for how helpful this video is going to be and why they need to watch it to the end.

Create An Emotional Connection

Draw them in with emotional triggers to establish a deeper connection. Start with the biggest and best benefit your product or service offers. What’s in it for them?

Fear, desire, trust, and FOMO are other common marketing triggers. Be careful not to overdo it, viewers can spot an inauthentic approach right away.

Tell A Story

You can’t tell the whole story in three to five seconds, but you say enough to reel them in! Set the stage for the rest of your captivating story with a few compelling words. 

This requires telling stories they actually want to hear. Great storytelling leaves room for the listener to fill in the blanks how they see fit and to see themselves as the leading role. 

Great video marketing is the same. Provide a mirror for your prospect to see how they can relate to your story.  

Unpredictability Piques Curiosity

Who doesn’t love a bit of a shock factor? Nothing encourages viewers to keep going more than the power of surprise. Shake up your visuals, sounds, setting, and even talent to keep viewers guessing till the end. 

Opening Shot

They’re minding their own business, watching their favorite YouTube channel when their video is interrupted and you’re on! How you set the stage is important to capture their interest. 

This first image should pack a punch and spike their curiosity enough to keep going. Match the visuals with the audio for a double whammy. 

Use Dynamic motions

If you’re like me and the other 85% of Facebook users, you probably watch most social media videos and ads with the sound off. ^[2] So how can you combat this? 

With frequent movements and interesting transitions. Talk with your hands, incorporate text overlays, use trending transitions, and keep your energy level up throughout the video.  

Leverage Power Title and Description

You only get 25 characters in the title and 35 characters in the description. These words need to be as powerful and targeted as possible to have the highest level of impact. 

Capture Attention and Generate Traffic

Try these tips in your next video and spike traffic to your offer!