Psychology doesn’t lie: Voice overs make commercials easier to remember 

Are you responsible for branding or communication? Or are you perhaps creating creative content for an advertising campaign?

 If yes, then we know all about the blood, sweat, and tears that go into hours of work across teams, countless edits costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. And now that your advertising content is ready, it’s important to carefully craft a campaign strategy for various markets. Here, it’s important to answer the question:

How does your target audience receive your message?

Let’s be honest; you don’t have the time – or the budget – to experiment. You need a quick solution that fits your budget and can yield maximum results. But you also understand the benefits of using videos and the need for effective content localization. 

Yes, subtitles are quick and cheap, but you already know the answer: voiceover for advertising is the best technique in localization, so the recipient can be entertained by a seamless and free video experience as it should be.

Here’s what statistics say about voice overs in advertising:

 Many suggest that when it comes to campaigns for people’s smartphones, you should be “silent.” But that’s only partially true. In fact, 60% of US users watch ads with sound on YouTube, while in the UK, 65% of users in the same category do the same. Therefore, sound is an important aspect when it comes to advertising.

Commercials with real human voices can work miracles and have been proven to achieve better results than campaigns without sound. That’s why a well-executed voiceover in advertising is the perfect way to reach your target audience. 

Still not entirely convinced? Then look below. Here, we’ve gathered the 7 best reasons why you should use voice overs in advertising every time. Just stay with us! 

Why you should use voice overs in advertising

1. Gain a higher level of credibility with advertising speak

Recent consumer surveys have shown that commercials with voice overs score higher than commercials without voice overs. A voice that exudes credibility is a significant advantage. Creating a verbal call to action can prompt potential customers to take the next step, doing what you guide them to do.

2. Create entertainment and engagement 

Drops in quality or experience can result in lower rates of engagement and enjoyment. Choosing subtitles means forcing your recipient to concentrate as much as possible to understand the message. Just think about all the viewers who missed an entire sentence of your carefully crafted script because they looked away for just a moment. How likely are they to remain engaged?

3. Attract attention with voiceover in advertising

 People can get distracted during commercial breaks. That makes it essential to capture their attention, and – whether you like it or not – you only have a few seconds to do so. So you need to make use of all the tools you have. Verbal product descriptions or even a verbal call to action in commercials (especially if you include effective words like “today” or “now”) can garner attention or increase interest. With voiceover in advertising or well-crafted advertising speak, you can get the listener to interact with the brand.

4. Avoid limited space 

If you choose subtitles instead of voice overs for your commercials, there are two basic limitations to be aware of:

· A limit of 32 characters per line.

· A limit of two lines on the screen at any given time.

This means that the space on your screen is very limited. If there’s a wall of text on the screen, it forces viewers to switch between reading and watching, which distracts them from what’s happening on the screen. Therefore, the experience becomes too challenging to follow, making the content too difficult to remember. Yet another good reason to bring voice overs into the picture.

5. Voiceover in advertising can bring your brand to life

A real human voice has personality and a specific tone that, when combined with the brand, can make the recipient feel staged and represented. With good advertising speak, you can boost your brand’s performance and bring significant long-term benefits, such as developing consumer interest in your products by ensuring your brand is the first thing they think of.

6. Avoid confusion about who says what 

When your video is based on dialogue between two or more actors, subtitles can confuse the recipient. Especially if they have little or no knowledge of the original language. Who can remember anything they barely understood and follow a dialogue when it’s unclear who is saying what?

7. Have the recipient in your power 

Pauses, silence, accents, and wordplay are just some of the verbal language tools that can create entertainment in an ad. Pauses and silence are used to emphasize something or are used as a surprise element. Accents can be used to create a fun and entertaining element when used creatively. Voiceover in advertising preserves these messages and speaks directly to the hearts and minds of viewers.

At VoiceArchive, we specialize in finding, creating, and editing the best voice overs for commercials. If you’re localizing your videos and struggling with a tight deadline and budget, just take it easy. We’ve got your back and will beat your deadline with a voiceover that takes your voiceover to the next level. Get in touch with our team, and within a few hours, you’ll receive professional assistance in finding the perfect voiceover for your commercial.

Anna Sticken

Global Key Account Manager