The targeting options of Facebook and Instagram are second to none, and you’re probably on board with the importance of using video in your marketing, but how do you create the best video assets to optimise your Facebook (or Instagram) video ads?
Best practice for Video Facebook Ads
Social media posts with videos in them boost views by 48%, so being on top of best practice will mean your social media marketing will expand your reach.
Social platforms and consumer media habits are continually evolving, making it hard to keep on top of what is, and isn’t working online. The good news is that thousands of other advertisers are using video in Facebook ads and sharing their insights with each other online.
We’ve picked the best tips to share with you, so that you can create the best videos for Facebook ads and get the best return on investment for your advertising spend.
What’s the best video format for social advertising?
The trend towards mobile has accelerated over recent years meaning that the majority of viewers will see your social videos on a mobile device. In fact 75% of worldwide video viewing is mobile and 96% of Facebook users access it on mobile devices.
Facebook and Instagram’s advertising platforms are interlinked in Facebook Business Manager which means that your ad campaigns can be distributed across both platforms. For efficiency therefore it makes sense to create one format of video that can be used across both (assuming that your marketing strategy recommends reaching both audiences).
Consequently a square format will be the best choice for video for Facebook ads. Square works equally well on both platforms, on desktop and mobile.
What length of video should I create?
Attention spans are decreasing meaning that the longer corporate video you have created for your website might not be not appropriate for use on social media.
People scrolling on by will catch less than 10 seconds of your video, those taking an interest may watch the entire clip. We’re recommending 90 seconds of fast-paced action as the optimum length of video for Facebook ads.
Getting the messaging right
Given the short watch-time it’s important to capture the viewer’s attention as soon as possible.
Get your brand in to the first few seconds of the video, followed quickly by a compelling reason to keep watching. Are you solving a problem or telling a story? Grab the viewer’s attention so that they decide to invest the time to continue watching.
Finish up with your brand again, and of course a call to action. Keep it simple and clear so that your viewer isn’t having to work hard to decode your messages.
Sound, subtitles and captions
There’s conflicting views on whether videos should be with or without sound.
The much-cited statistic that 85% of videos on Facebook are watched without sound is believable, however this information dates from 2016. It would be fair to assume that user behaviour has changed in the intervening years.
More recent data tells us that 60% of Instagram stories are viewed with sound on, so your choice of audio is clearly important after all.
Our advice is to cater for all behaviours. Create a video for Facebook ads that works equally well with and without sound. Choose a backing track and narration that draws the viewer in, but also include captions to tell the story with the sound off.
Ad copy supports your video content
Asking your video to do all the work for your Facebook or Instagram ad is probably asking too much. You’ll end up with a longer and more complicated video than our best practice tips suggest will be effective.
Use the advert copy, description and headline to provide context for your video, calling out the main messages relevant to your target audience. The call to action should be clear and appropriate to your customer experience funnel so that your ad drives response.
Test and optimise your Facebook video ads
One of the great benefits of digital advertising is the ability to test and optimise your campaigns to create the best possible combination of messaging, content and targeting – ultimately delivering you a great return on investment.
Consider testing a range of video approaches to see what works best, and listen to the insights provided by your video agency. The experience they have from multiple clients will allow you to get the most out of your videos for social adverts.
It’s not uncommon to see a dynamic ad with 6 different videos in rotation, so prepare a suite of videos for your social ads to maximise your potential response.
For more video marketing tips get in touch with your brief, and we’d be happy to help.
Guest post by
Roisin Kirby, Marketing Consultant, Refresh Marketing Consultancy.
Roisin is an experienced Marketing Consultant based in Nottingham (UK), specialising in education and services marketing. A Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.