Video Marketing

How to Make Six Second Bumper Ads Work

Michael Pirone
May 29, 2019

Well, first things first. Lack of time is something all of us can relate to, therefore six seconds ads are basically perfect for capturing attention on the moments when people are in a hurry or on the go.

The challenge is to tell a compelling video story in such a short time. You’ll probably be wondering what can you actually say in six seconds but the biggest surprise is the fact that really is enough time to get a big message across as our brains aren’t really constrained by time. The images feel much longer in our memory when they are effective to grab attention.

So how can you make a remarkable and impactful story in six seconds? Learn from these tips below:

Don’t Think in Words

When writing, it’s hard to keep the narrative small enough to fit into six seconds but once you divide the time into images there’s is much more space to say something longer. Try to think about your story like a joke.  Check out this 6 Second Film.

Simplicity Is Always the Key

You don’t need to tell an entire story in the traditional sense to evoke emotion. One word, one image, one second is enough to be drawn in. Take a look of this 6-second ad.

Focus on the Exact Moment

Without change, there is not a good story. Six seconds is a limited time to show that change or transformation people always engaged with, so it’s key to pinpoint the exact moment where everything changes as they did here.

Start With Something Relatable

That’s always important but in this 180 frames especially so. When your audience can relate you don’t need to explain much so your message can perfectly fit in six seconds.

Build Curiosity

A good way to start is making your audience curious about what’s coming next and then leave them with the lasting message you want to communicate. The right amount of confusion we would say.

Simplicity, strong visual elements, fundamentals of good storytelling, and leaving some things up to the viewer’s imagination is what you need to focus on when you’re planning to produce a video for YouTube six seconds ads. So start creating something amazing.

Not sure how to tell your story? You’re in luck. Vidico are experts in simplifying your brand messaging.  Get started with a free script today.

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