Videos are the most engaging type of visual information, so they often become the centerpiece of marketing campaigns on Facebook. People love videos more than photos or carousel ads. In fact, around 8 billion of them are watched on Facebook every day.
Thinking of enhancing your campaign with eye-catching ads? Creating videos is daunting unless you are armed with powerful tools. Did you know that impactful videos can be created automatically? Check https://www.aitarget.com/product.html for the best tips. The guidelines below will help you boost engagement and make sure your company’s money is well-spent.
1. Establish the Value of Your Product
When users consider your products, they ask “what’s in it for me?” Make sure your video answers this question. Aside from being entertaining, it should emphasize the benefits for the consumer. If you want users to take action, give them sufficient motivation. Otherwise, they will just keep on scrolling down their feed.
Videos built around the resolution of typical problems are the most effective. For example, Adobe Spark, a video creation feature, launched ads with content made by its users. The videos showcased examples of the end result, which made them impactful.
2. Include a Teaser Summary
This format lets you provide additional context for a captivating video. Give information that did not make it into the main clip. Add a question or short phrase that will compel the audience to watch it. Your teaser may include a brief summary of what the product is and what it does, and a call to action (visit the site).
3. Use the Power of Sound
An overwhelming majority of users — as many as 80%, — hate loud ads that start playing unexpectedly. At the same time, under half of the videos lose meaning without sound. Therefore, do include it, but design for sound off first. Facebook allows you to add captions to your clips manually or automatically.
A great example is a video by Lacoste titled “Timeless”. This ad told a story of love with the characters getting older and showing evolving style choices. The Lacoste polo shirt was the only constant, showing that it is timeless.
4. Capture Attention in the First 3 Seconds
Social media users are bombarded with visual information 24/7. To stand out from the crowd, you need to give them a reason to stop scrolling. Successful ads are fast-paced and engaging from the very first second.
If you fail to intrigue the audience in the first three seconds, they are likely to abandon your ad. Facebook’s own research has shown that 65% of those who do watch the first 3 seconds continue watching for 10 seconds or longer. Almost half (45%) of them stay for 30 seconds
In the first three seconds of the ad for America’s Test Kitchen, viewers could see an animated recipe, an animated logo, or an animated image of a fried egg, depending on the version. The company discovered that bold food imagery resonated more. In comparison with the static image of the fried egg, leads jumped by 45%, while cost per lead fell by 31%.
5. Avoid Landscape Videos
Vertical or square videos are the most effective, as the vast majority of users access Facebook from mobile devices. Meanwhile, the landscape format is suitable for screens of laptops and desktop computers. With the right specs, you will improve your chances of success.
For example, square videos occupy 78% more space on a news feed, so they are easy to see. Vertical and square ads gather more views, show higher rates of engagement and completion. This was confirmed by the A/B test conducted by the Jane Goodall Institute to compare a landscape and square video. The latter got twice as many views, and it was shared three times more often.
To Conclude
Video is the most engaging of all advertising media. At the same time, impactful ads follow specific guidelines. They are designed to be watched with or without sound, they captivate the viewers’ attention from the get-go and fit perfectly on the screens of mobile devices.