Breaking News | Tik Tok short video marketing secrets: vertical screen advertising 1+1"!

Quick Facts

In the past two years, short videos , as a rising category, have brought new marketing techniques and information expression methods to brands . How to tell good stories in short videos has become a new issue facing brands in the new communication environment.

It is worth noting that short videos have also changed people’s viewing habits. A report by MO VR Mobile shows that 94% of the time, smartphone users hold their phones in vertical format rather than horizontal format. Vertical screen viewing has also brought short video content and marketing into the “vertical screen” era. A report from Youtube video website shows that the number of vertical videos uploaded by users increased by 50% in 2017. At the same time, international mainstream media such as NBC, CNN, MTV, ESPN, National Geographic Channel, Snapchat, etc. are all launching vertical screen content.

In China, TikTok has not only become a leading platform for vertical content, but has also pioneered native vertical information flow ads , leading the trend of vertical ads and creating a new front for marketing. So, how to create more influential vertical screen ideas on short video platforms? How can we make good use of the Tik Tok platform to engage in short video marketing? Recently, the first domestic short video marketing practical guide "Douyin Short Video Marketing Secrets: Vertical Screen Advertising 1+1" , produced by Douyin Short Video and jointly researched by the National Advertising Research Institute and Zhimeng Consulting Agency, was officially released. It includes two manuals, "Vertical Screen Advertising Creative Guidance Manual" and "Douyin Short Video Marketing Case Manual". It not only helps many brands to break the marketing fog of short videos, but also provides practical marketing methods and wonderful cases for short video creativity.

Snapchat’s advertising data shows that the completion rate of full-screen vertical video ads is 9 times higher than that of horizontal video ads, and the visual attention is 2 times higher. At the same time, the click-through rate of vertical screen ads is 1.44 times higher than that of horizontal ads, and the interactive effect is improved by 41%. At the same time, based on the data comparison of 150 short video advertising ideas and the final delivery effects of 30 brands in seven vertical fields of the Douyin platform, it was found that advertisements customized for vertical screens are more outstanding in performance than traditional horizontal screen advertising ideas, with significant improvements in both click-through rate and effective playback rate. Therefore, "vertical screen priority" and "vertical screen thinking" have become the correct approach to embracing short video marketing.

According to Facebook's research, in mobile Internet advertising , the recall rate of ads brought by mobile-first (vertical ads) is 46%, the recall rate of ads adapted only to mobile terminals (horizontal ads played vertically) is 31%, and the recall rate of ads brought by traditional graphics and text is 23%.

For more advertisers and creative people, vertical screen is not only a change in creative thinking. In vertical screen media like TikTok, every aspect of creativity needs to consider adaptability to the environment and better integration with user scenarios.

The media form of short videos emphasizes equal dialogue with users. Directly copying traditional TVC ads or advertising ideas created for horizontal screen media to the vertical screen environment of short videos is not the best short video marketing method. Douyin officially released the "Vertical Screen Advertising Guide" and gave 5 short video creative rules that must be paid attention to.

Rule 1: User Ignition Rule

Brands should study the hot content that users are paying attention to on short video platforms, and create content that is simple, easy to imitate , and can inspire users to spread it. On TikTok, actions, dances, and music are all platform elements that can be imitated in vertical screen ads, achieving spontaneous fission growth of content.

For example, [ JD TOPLIFE] changes its short video creativity every day. The advertisement imitates the popular split-shot quick-switching gameplay of Douyin, presenting nearly ten techniques in 15 seconds to achieve the effect of "one point, multiple touches". The advertisement is well-made and the pictures are exquisite, highlighting the brand tone; [Oreo] "Slowly Approaching You" advertisement, the main feature of the advertisement is a simple interactive plot, capturing the little beauty of life, and exuding a youthful atmosphere. It is simple and easy to imitate, and wins with high-quality pictures and unexpected endings.

Rule 2: Scene-native rule

Only life-like native content can make vertical screen ads accepted by users. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the clever combination of brand and content and deep interaction with users' life scenes.

For example, [Skyworth]'s advertisement "You are done with your work, and your children have grown up" takes public welfare as its theme. The brand approaches the advertisement from the perspective of children, using original forms and stories to call on parents to care for their children and accompany them as they grow up, which quickly resonated with users.

Rule 3: The First-Person Rule

Popular stars and experts must be used first. Real people, especially beautiful women and handsome men, can gain higher attention. At the same time, first-person expressions should be used to increase the sense of presence and depth of connection.

For example, [China Toothpaste] "Me, do you want it? The advertisement uses the popular star Liu Haoran as the spokesperson. He uses the first-person perspective to feed snacks, pat the head and other killer moves that are essential for a warm man to face the screen, and naturally brings out the marketing point of "Zhonghua Yuchi Gum Protecting Toothpaste Relieves Gum Inflammation".

Rule 4: Golden Time Rule

Vertical screen ads must grab users’ attention in a relatively short period of time. Ads within 15 seconds are most effective, and creating an eye-catching beginning in the first 5 seconds is crucial. Secondly, the advertising selling point should be single and in-depth, or the more segmented and specific the “life scenarios” or “usage scenarios” are, the faster users will remember them.

For example, the Swarovski "Colorful Series" advertisement quickly reveals the brand information, accompanied by strong rhythmic background music, which quickly brings the audience into the usage scenario created by the brand and continuously strengthens the brand impression. [Zhou Hei Ya] "STORY - How to Eat Elegantly", the ad begins with a scene of meal preparation in the kitchen, which quickly implants the Zhou Hei Ya brand image. The strong color contrast and picture composition can catch the user's attention more quickly.

Rule 5: Intelligent Optimization Rule

The creativity of vertical screen advertising should grasp the intelligent technology of short video platforms. It is necessary not only to set up good "labels", but also to use keywords in the title setting, pay attention to summarization and guidance, study the hot words of short videos, and look for clues to become popular, so that short video ads can be matched to more users.

For example, [ Pepsi-Cola ] gives you an electric shock and numbs your senses, that’s true love. The title of the advertisement is preconceived, telling users what "true love" is; secondly, "true love that makes you feel electric and numb" contrasts with users' original understanding. The entire advertisement sets the tone that true love refuses to be bland, and the technique of using spicy Sichuan cuisine and Pepsi to electrify the tip of the tongue is clever.

3. Seize the opportunity of short video marketing and open up a new world of creativity

Every brand that lives in the mobile Internet era needs to use short videos to express its brand story. Whether it is vertical screen advertising or using short video platforms to carry out more creative and scenario-based marketing activities , short videos still contain huge creativity and imagination space. Many brands have taken the lead in seizing the beachhead on short video platforms. Many brand cases compiled by Douyin in the "Short Video Marketing Case Manual" are worthy of reference for brands.

For example, when new BMW X3, Clarins, Cadillac ATS-L, OPPO R15 and other brands first launched their new products, they used Douyin as an important platform for exposure and traffic generation, showcased the unique selling points of new products, and quickly captured the minds of users; major e-commerce promotion activities such as JD 618 , Meituan Food Festival, Tmall Shopping Festival, and Suning.com New Year Event all used Douyin short videos as an important marketing platform for promotion and momentum building, and achieved traffic generation for the platform; brands such as Liuliumei and Pizza Hut used celebrities and Douyin influencers to help brands efficiently improve content exposure and accelerate the completion of the early cold start ; Adidas Neo, Xiaomi, Chimelong and others have established corporate accounts on Douyin to build a long-term communication platform between brands and users, deepening users' trust and favorability in the brands. Each industry can combine its own product and brand characteristics to find a way to communicate with mobile Internet users through short videos.

Nowadays, the short video marketing ecosystem is becoming more and more mature. Short videos have not only become a new generation of images in the mobile Internet , but vertical screen advertising has also opened a new door for marketing. Brand short video marketing must not only follow the trend of "vertical screen first", but also need to continuously extend content creativity through sophisticated creativity. Whoever seizes the position of vertical screen advertising and the traffic entrance of short videos first will be able to lead the competition in future marketing.