Blended advertising: merge your ads with organic content

Do All Colors of Communication and Favorite! also have social media freaks? Of course! Jessica Nielsen is a digital marketing consultant and full-time social media lover. Besides social media, she has a passion for PR, copywriting and … her own pole dance studio. Today we talk to her about blended advertising on Instagram and TikTok. No idea what we mean? Then read on.

“Apps like Instagram and TikTok have the power to completely absorb your attention. And when you are in that headspace … Then of course you want to stay there. Until an ad suddenly breaks your trance.” Jessica explains that she herself spends a lot of time on these apps. She also notices how ads change. “TikTok is becoming more and more popular, and that leads to more ads on this platform. It immediately struck me that there was a big difference between the organic content and the ads. The ads looked far too polished, just like on television. It was too perfect, too staged. You didn’t see people, but products. That way the ads had the wrong effect: they interrupted my trance and I left the app feeling irritated.” In this blog Jessica shares her tips for capturing instead of irritating.

Ads vs organic content

The only way to be truly successful is to blend your ads with organic content. Some ads merge so well with the other content that you realize only at the last moment that it is actually an ad. And that, of course, is what you want to achieve: for people to watch your ad because they want to, out of genuine interest. Obviously, TikTok and Instagram label ads as ‘sponsored’ content. But even that will not be noticed if you are immediately sucked into the story. Jessica confirms this trend: “I hardly ever click on ads. But the ads I do click on are the ones that completely blend in with the rest.”

Consume and create imperfect content

But how do you make sure your ads melt into the crowd and still stand out? First and foremost, it is important to fully immerse yourself in the world of your target audience. Watch the content that your target audience is also consuming. This seems like a useless task, but it actually is one of the most important activities of a social media consultant: knowing what lives and what works. Consume content every day. Scroll, watch and learn. Only then can you start creating.

Step 2 is to realize that video ads do not have to be perfect. They do not need to look professional, on the contrary. The videos shared on TikTok are also far from professional but very pure and unfiltered. It is not about the perfect picture, it’s about honesty and openness. On TikTok people make videos in their pajamas and with their hair in mess. So there is no need to invest a budget in expensive productions. Also, the design can be simple. Use text features that are available in the app. If you use other fonts or styles, people will immediately notice that the content does not belong to the platform.

Trends are not a key to success

Trending dances have long ceased to be the most popular content on TikTok or Instagram. And we also see that people are getting tired of watching the same videos with the same dances and the same audio over and over again. But you will figure that out when fully dive into the apps yourself. If you are using trending audio, then choose audio that is no more than 6 months old. Otherwise, the trend has passed and you risk to come a bit late to the party. In addition to audio, you can also use voice recordings or speak to the camera. So you don’t need a professional studio to record your voiceovers.

Stop shouting

Do not try too hard to attract attention. Instead, choose to bring value right away. For example, don’t start the ad with: ‘This is the best hairdryer’. Go for: ‘I did my hair in 10 minutes while it normally takes 30 minutes, thanks to this hairdryer.’ Can you see the difference? First cite the benefits or pain points, then the rest.

Use the right format

Instagram recently announced they are no longer a photo sharing app. That message turned Instagram into a video platform, just like TikTok. Yet we still see companies using static images in video ads. It is recommended not to do that anymore, because it will knock you out of the game once again. Use vertical video instead of static image on video platforms. So rather than blindly deploying your static Facebook ad on Instagram from Facebook Business Manager, create a specific video ad.

Need advice on how to create digital campaigns? Our team at All Colors of Communication and Favorite! is here to help. Contact us for more information!

 

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