You created your first video ad a few months ago and now want to make small changes to improve its performance. What post-production edits should you make to improve the ad's effectiveness?

Analysis of Correct Answer(s)

The correct answer focuses on creative optimizations that align with Google's best practices for video ads, often summarized in the ABCD framework (Attract, Brand, Connect, Direct). These edits are designed to capture and hold viewer attention, especially on mobile devices.

• Increase the pace: Modern viewers have short attention spans. Faster pacing with quick cuts and dynamic scenes helps maintain engagement and prevents viewers from skipping the ad.
• Tighten the framing: Many video ads are viewed on mobile screens. Tighter shots (close-ups) on people or products make the subject clearer and more prominent on a smaller display, creating a more intimate and impactful connection with the viewer.

Analysis of Incorrect Options

• Add closed captions: While adding captions is a critical best practice for sound-off viewing and accessibility, the question asks for edits to improve an existing ad's effectiveness. Pacing and framing are direct creative levers for improving core performance metrics like view-through rate (VTR). Captions are more of a foundational element that should ideally be included from the start.
• Remove supers: "Supers" (superimposed text) are crucial for reinforcing key messages, branding, and calls-to-action, especially for viewers watching with the sound off. Removing them would likely harm performance, not improve it.
• Lower the brightness: Ads should be bright and visually appealing to grab attention. Lowering the brightness would make the ad less noticeable and harder to watch. Mobile devices also have auto-brightness features, making this edit unnecessary and counterproductive.