TPE #30: simple framework for better pMax videos

 One of the most important success factors for Performance Max is the quality of your video assets.

Most advertisers don’t spend enough time and money on creating high quality videos, so they get suboptimal results.

They don’t have a plan for their video ads. They just put some random clips together and hope for the best. That’s not how you drive results consistently.

In order to make video ads work, you need a good script.

In this issue of The PPC Edge, we’ll show you how to create winning scripts for highly converting video ads.

Mind you: we could fill an entire course about video ads best practices, but since we want to make it short and actionable, we’ll give you a simple, proven framework that’s used by top advertisers all the time.

Let’s dive in!

The Hook - Story - Offer Framework

The best way to create a video script, is with the “Hook - Story - Offer Framework”. Russell Brunson from ClickFunnels popularized this framework for writing ad copy, but it can also be applied to video ad scripts.

With this framework, you craft a compelling message that captures the attention of the viewer, engages with a story, and then present the offer to persuade them to take a specific action. This is how it works:

Hook: grab the attention of the viewer…

Story: hold on to the attention by telling a compelling story about how your product is the solution to the viewer’s problem…

Offer: make your offer (call to action: tell the viewer what to do by making an offer they can’t refuse)

It’s simple, but not easy. Let’s dive into each step alongside some practical best practices and examples.

Step 1: Hook (grab the attention)

The hook is the most important part of your video, spend most of your time here. Do whatever you need to do to stop the viewer from tapping “skip” after the first 5 seconds.

A strong hook creates intrigue and curiosity to keep watching. Whatever that is, depends on your business, product, customers and more.

The single best hook: speak directly to your customer’s pain points (you need to deeply understand their problems, needs, pains, wishes etc.).

Some hook examples:

• “Are you tired of {pain point}? No more, with {your product/service}!”
• “Are you struggling with {pain point}? Give me 30 seconds and I’ll show you how we can help you.”
• “Tired of feeling {negative emotion} because of {pain point}? {your product/service} can help.”
• “Say goodbye to {pain point} once and for all with {your product/service}.”
• Customer testimonial: “Let me tell you how I overcame {pain point} with {your product/service}.”

The only goal of the hook is to keep them interested to watch longer, so you have more time to show them what you have to offer.

This video by Dr. Squatch went viral, and it’s largely because of the hook. They understand their ideal customer avatar, and use a controversial statement, mixed with humor to hook the viewer in (”listen up: the soap you shower with, is sh*t”).

Some other tips for better hooks:

• Humor
• Bold claims
• Controversy
• Fast-paced clips
• Strong headlines
• Contrasts (bright colors etc.)
• Weird intros that catch a viewer off-guard

On to step 2: the story.

Step 2: Story (hold on to the attention by telling a compelling story about how your product is the solution to the viewer’s problem)

After grabbing the attention with a strong hook, you need to hold on to it with a compelling story.

Most brands get this wrong. They tell stories that nobody is interested in.

You need to tell stories about how your product/service helped your customers overcome a specific pain point. Make it relatable.

By using storytelling in your video ads, your brand stands out, builds trust, demonstrates value, and connects with potential customers on an emotional level.

These are all ingredients for great videos that convert.

There is not one hard-and-fast way to tell stories in ads. Think about how you can create a compelling story that makes it a no-brainer to buy your product/service (for example by leveraging customer testimonials).

Some tips for better stories in video ads:

• Personal stories about how your product/service has made a difference in your life. For example: if you’re a fitness coach, tell a story about you were out of shape and unhappy, but changed your life when you found a new workout routine.
• Customer success stories: the same, but now about how your product/service helped your customers reach success in a specific area.
• Before and after story: show how your product/service helped a customer transform their life from bad to good.
• Funny stories: use humor to tell a story that relates to your brand or product. For example: if you sell dog food, you could share a funny story about a dog that destroyed the couch over and over until the owner found your dog food brand.
• Teaching: teach something about what your product/service does.

There are many more ways you can go with this (challenges, behind the scenes, inspirational, educational etc.). Be creative!

Here’s a great example of how Ikea used storytelling in their ad. Check out how they used a before and after story to create emotion (without saying anything!):

With compelling stories, you hold on to the attention longer. Let’s move on to the last step: the offer.

Step 3: Offer (make them an offer they can’t refuse)

You hooked the viewer in and held on to the attention with a story. Now it’s time to capitalize on that attention by making them an offer they can’t refuse.

Your viewer hasn’t skipped the video at this point, so you can assume they are interested in what you have to offer. End with a strong call to action (sign up for free trial, buy now, get 20% off, watch free training etc.).

Whatever it is, make it crystal clear what your viewer needs to do next!

Use urgency (offer is only valid for a short time), scarcity (only 10 spots left), and social proof (3.000+ happy customers) to make your offers and CTAs even stronger.

Wrapping up

So there you have it! Use the Hook - Story - Offer Framework to create highly converting video ads for Performance Max (and YouTube) campaigns:

Hook: grab the attention of the viewer…

Story: hold on to the attention by telling a compelling story about how your product is the solution to the viewer’s problem…

Offer: make your offer (call to action: tell the viewer what to do by making an offer they can’t refuse)

See you again next week!

Cheers,

Bob & Miles