When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced his plan to emphasize video content claiming that “most of Facebook will be video within the next five years,” there was no shortage of naysayers who thought his 2015 prediction was idealistic and impractical.
Fast forward to today, his words hold true with videos making up a significant portion of the user’s News Feed! In fact, the latest Facebook statistics show that approximately 100 million hours of videos are watched on the platform each day – making it one of the most popular social media networks for watching videos.
Naturally, advertisers are quick to grasp the popularity of videos and use it in various forms to enhance attention towards their businesses. Facebook also says that around 81% of business pages share video content on the network while publishing seven video ads per month is the average ratio for most brands.
The Result…
- Video ads get 20% more clicks than an image
- Facebook videos are 10X more shared than Youtube videos
- Experts predict Facebook to garner roughly $10 billion in annual revenue from video ads alone in the next few years
Undoubtedly, Facebook video ads are one of the most excellent marketing strategies to leverage in the coming years! And if you are not using videos – you are probably missing out on one of the greatest techniques to engage visitors, increase engagement, and push leads.
How to do it? And what are the best practices you need to follow? Find out below!
How to Create a Facebook Video Ad
Creating video ads for Facebook is a straightforward task. Simply follow the steps below:
- Log in to the Business Account of Facebook and go to the Ad Manager tab.
- Click on the ‘Campaign’ option and select ‘Create Ad.’
- Choose ‘Video Views’ as your Marketing Objective.
- Set up Add Account by filling in the relevant information.
- Choose the demographics for your targeted audience.
- Set up Ad Placement by choosing between Automatic Placement or Edit (manual) Placement.
- Choose a format – Single video or Slideshow for your ad.
- Upload the video, keeping in mind all the specifications suggested below.
Best Practices to Create Effective Facebook Video Ads in 2020
Although there is no one-size-fits-all protocol in marketing, there are some factors that have proven to be successful for all.
Let’s take a look at some of the best practices for Facebook Video Ads you should grasp in 2020.
1. Make the First Impression Count
Marketers often make the mistake of ‘beating around the bush’ when it comes to the introduction part in their videos.
However, the audience usually doesn’t wait too long for advertisements to get to the point. As a matter of fact, they get bored and move on to other video content.
Additionally, video ads have a short time frame – the approximate duration for an ideal video is between 5 – 15 seconds. This means that you literally have seconds to make your impression. Thus, the best practice to grab the viewers’ attention is to eliminate any formal introduction and get to the point immediately.
Because the duration for effective videos is so short, you’ll want to choose your words carefully for any content that’s to be narrated. If you’re not comfortable writing the video copy yourself, work with a professional copywriter who can help in scripting your message.
2. Focus on Visuals, Not just the Sound
Facebook video ads are on mute by default. But interestingly, a LOT of people watch videos without sound. Facebook users have also gotten used to scrolling their feeds and watching videos on the go, in areas (such as bus, train) where increasing the volume may not be appropriate.
So, create self-explanatory videos. Invest in text overlays and sharp graphics to tempt them into watching. Make your videos informative, so the audience understands the message without the need for sound.
3. Think Mobile
This should go without saying – but make sure to have your videos optimized for mobile.
The majority of users access Facebook and other social media networks via their smartphones. Increasing amounts of Facebook’s video ad revenue come from mobile users. Statista also reports more than half of digital video traffic comes from smartphones and tablets.
Because of this, keep mobile users in mind when designing the format of your video ad to ensure the best experience.
4. Don’t Forget a CTA
Create a clear Call-to-Action (CTA) to show your audience the specific action you want them to take. The CTA can be customized as per your business requirement to Shop Now, Learn More, Get in Touch, etc.
But do you know the best placement for a CTA in your video ad?
It is a common practice in blog posts to include a call-to-action at the end, but when it comes to video ads – the middle of the video has the maximum conversion rate.
Research also shows the conversion rate for a CTA in the middle of the video ad to be 16.9%. The same CTA included at the end has a conversion rate of 10.9%, and in the beginning – 3.15%.
5. Target the Right Audience
It is a known fact amongst marketers that not every user on Facebook will be interested in watching video ads. And certainly, not everyone can be a prospect!
By selecting Custom Audience in Facebook Ad targeting, you can identify the right people who have viewed your video previously or are more likely to engage with your product/services.
This will help you to shortlist your primary audience and target those who have a better chance of converting. It will also improve the interactive experience for potential customers and leverage better relationships and trust with your brand.
6. Keep an eye on the Video Metrics
Understanding analytics is a key practice of savvy Facebook marketers.
Mark Zuckerberg’s flagship network has dedicated video ad metrics that help marketers analyze how many people watch the video, the average duration of the video watched and clicks each video receives.
The video ad metrics give you an insight into what is working and what is not! It will also help you plan out better videos for the future and ensure that you are giving users the content they can best resonate with.
7. Go for Variety
Experimenting with various types of video is the best way to understand your audience, avoid major pitfalls, and reach your target business goal more efficiently. Besides video ads, there are many types of videos you can add to your social media marketing protocol.
These include:
- Live videos
- Facebook Stories
- Informational content
- Tutorials or how-to’s
- Behind the scenes of production or the office premises
- User-generated content such as their testimonials or videos of them using your product/services
Final Words
With the tips in this guide, you can now easily create Facebook ads to promote your products, engage with the viewers, and enhance brand awareness.
So…What are you waiting for? Integrate video ads into your marketing strategy and further promote the message of your brand.
