Bring video ads to life: Facebook releases data on best practices for video creative on Facebook
In the year that video ads have been running on Facebook, it has seen video become an important and powerful medium for both people and businesses. In fact, Nielsen recently measured over 300 video campaigns and found that 73% of them had a significant lift in ad recall, and the average lift between test and control groups was 86%.
As video continues to grow as a storytelling medium for people and brands, Facebook has worked with hundreds of businesses on building and analyzing video ads to discover what makes great video creative. Facebook has found that, like advertising of all kinds, building effective video ad creative requires both art and science. So today Facebook is sharing its best practices for creating video ads that grab attention and drive business goals.
Tailor your story to your audience
People are more likely to pay attention to content that’s relevant to their interests, which means you’ll likely get better results if you customize your ad’s message for the people who see it. Consider creating unique videos (or different versions of the same video) for different audience segments.
Invest in production
Whether you use a camera phone or a production team, secure the best available creative resources and set a realistic production schedule and budget. People are more likely to watch and remember videos that are well-crafted and designed to play on every device.
Use the first few seconds wisely
Bring your story to life quickly, so as people scroll through News Feed looking for content, your video ad quickly piques people’s interest. Consider showing brand or product imagery in the first few seconds.
Focus on storytelling
Video length is less important than telling a cohesive and concise story. Your video ad shouldn’t be longer or shorter than it takes to tell your story well, so create a storytelling arc from the first frame to the last that keeps your audience interested along the way.
Tell your story with and without sound
Since videos on Facebook autoplay with sound off, it’s important to make sure your video ads entice viewers even when muted. When sound is off, beautiful imagery and on-screen text can help tell your story. When enabled, your video’s sound should offer additional value to viewers and further bring your story to life.