5 Steps to Writing a Strong Influencer Ad Concept
During the Process of an Influencer Campaign, you need to come up with a concept for your deliverables for the client to approve before you begin filming.
A strong, detailed concept makes sure you and the brand are all on the same page, keeping the campaign running smoothly and avoiding the dreaded re-shoots.
In this article, Charlotte needs to think of how she will promote No Sad Chilli’s brand new Hot Sauces. She follows five simple steps for a perfectly rounded concept, let’s see how it’s done.
Brainstorming
Before you even start writing your concept, you’ve gotta brainstorm.
Look at the brief, think about what’s trending online and check out what other creators are doing. Most importantly, put yourself in your audience’s shoes. What would they actually want to see from you?
No matter the theme of the content, the most important thing is that the video matches your natural style and blends well with the campaign’s goals.
1: Style & Flow
Once you’ve settled on a basic idea, it’s time to describe it in detail.
You should cover the general theme, the style (iPhone, VoiceOver, camera) and how the video will flow from start to finish.
“A comedic taste test, talking to iPhone, trying all three of the sauces on corn chips in a big bowl, starting mild and finishing with the spiciest. Each sauce gets a quick product shot, flavour notes, and my on-camera reaction.”
2: Hook
Now, think about your hook. What grabs the viewer’s attention in the first few seconds and keeps them watching?
A good hook should immediately communicate why the viewer should keep watching by sparking curiosity or emotion. In Charlotte’s video, she’s using humour!
“My hook will be a quick clip of my dramatic reaction of the spiciest sauce, this will cut to me holding the bottles up speaking: These are three new CRAZY hot sauces from No Sad Chillis! From mild to wild, I'm gonna try them all for you and show ya how much spice they've really got.”
3: Key Messages
It's great to script a few important lines to make sure everything is clear and correct, especially when incorporating the brand’s key messages.
These are usually found in the brief and need to be woven in naturally.
“While tasting the sauce, I'll speak on claims: “These fiery sauces are made in New Zealand with 100% organic and vegan ingredients with no artificial flavours or dyes”. The video ends with a CTA: “Available now at Rodeomart.”
4: Scene
Next, it’s time to set the scene. Where are you filming? What’s the vibe, lighting, and outfit? The clearer your vision, the easier it is for the client to imagine it.
You should be quite specific during this step as brands may be keen for a particular look (bright and natural, moody and dark) depending on the brief.
"I’ll be standing in my white kitchen behind a bench with a mix of natural and artificial light, wearing a red outfit to match the spicy theme."
5: Final Details
Finally, wrap it up with the final details. Are you including royalty-free music? Will there be on-screen captions? How long is the video?
Sometimes there are guidelines surrounding these in the brief, but it’s important to re-iterate in your concept to show you understand the campaign and its requirements.
“Royalty-free background music with captions and on-screen text for each sauce. Video under 90 seconds."
When it comes to submitting your concept, the format is up to you!
You can choose to write it out in a paragraph, stack it into bullet points, or even include a mood board. Links to your past content for reference, or examples from other creators help too!
Once you’ve polished things up, your concept will be sent for approval! Once approved, it's important to stick to it to avoid re-shoots. Clients may approve less thorough briefs but then come back later for changes, so the more detail the better!
Remember, you’re never doing this alone! If you ever get stuck or need help fleshing out your ideas, we are always there to support you. Don’t hesitate to reach out!
