Meta Video Ads I: A Foundation for Success
By John Rushin, Senior Account Manager at Frontside Consulting
In today's digital landscape, both organic and paid video advertising are powerful, go-to tools for businesses to engage their target audience. With the influence and robust advertising options of platforms like Meta, the potential for reaching millions of users and conveying your message through video ads is immense. However, creating a successful Meta video ad (for placements on Facebook and Instagram) requires careful planning, precise execution, intensive performance reviews, and a constant cycle of testing. In this blog, we will explore the three main points that lay the foundation for making an effective Meta video ad, as well as other considerations that help businesses maximize their ad campaign's impact and drive meaningful results.
High-performing video ads come in a myriad of shapes and sizes, but we’ve discovered all have three basic tenets in common. You’ll find these in nearly all effective Meta video ads, regardless of placement. We’ve made these observations through the real-world testing executed for our clients and the identification of patterns yielded by years of experience and thousands of dollars of ad spend.
The Three Commonalities of Effective Meta Video Ads
To better illustrate these three commonalities we’ve provided an example after each from one of Frontside Consulting’s very own Meta video ads, which can be viewed in its entirety below.
1. Scrolling Stopping Power (the First 2–5 Seconds)
The goal is to make viewers stop scrolling and pay attention to your message.
In a crowded digital space, capturing viewers' attention within the first few seconds of an ad is critical. You likely have just 2–4 seconds (if that) to stop the scroll and convince the viewer to continue watching. Start with a visually captivating scene, an intriguing question, or a strong hook that piques curiosity. Engaging storytelling, humor, emotional appeal, or a combination are effective attention-grabbing strategies. This will look different for every brand and should align with your look, feel, and voice.
Example
The ad opens with a question that would resonate with our target audience (in this case, small-to-medium-sized businesses who could use help with their digital marketing). This text is overlaid on a humorous surfing scene that plays off the question. The entire attention-grabbing scene is only 4 seconds long.
Time Stamp - 00:00–00:04
2. Short and Sweet Messaging (the Following 10–20 Seconds)
The goal is to convey your entire message quickly and concisely.
We’ve found that the optimal length of a Meta video ad is 15–30 seconds. Any longer than that and the viewer is likely to lose interest, even if you’ve hooked them at the beginning. Video ads are not the place to go into lengthy product descriptions, brand stories, or complicated how-tos (no matter how important you feel they may be to driving conversions). If you wish to convey more in-depth information your goal should be to get the user to click through the ad and land on your website where more substantial resources are readily available. Focus on a single, well-defined objective and craft a compelling narrative that aligns with your brand's voice and values. Avoid cluttering the ad with excessive information or unnecessary visuals. A clear and concise message increases the chances of viewers understanding and retaining the core value of your ad and watching it all the way through.
Example
Our entire ad lands right on the 30-second mark including the scroll-stopping hook, main messaging (value propositions), and call to action. As far as the main messaging is concerned, we were able to succinctly relate three value propositions in 37 words of text and 6 universally recognized symbols in 18 seconds. All of this was broken down into easily scannable 3-second bites, seamlessly edited together, and demonstrated in the 6 screenshots below.
Time Stamp - 00:05–00:23
3. Clear Call to Action (the Last 3–5 Seconds)
The goal is to prompt the viewer to take a desired action after viewing.
A Meta video ad should always include a clear and compelling call to action (CTA). It should encourage viewers to take the desired action, whether it's visiting your website to make a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, filling out a lead generation form, or fulfilling any other measurable objective. Ensure the CTA is prominently displayed and aligns with the ad's message and narrative. By providing a clear next step, you guide viewers toward conversion.
Example
In our ad we deliver a simple and clear call to action—“Get in touch today.” By clicking on the ad the viewer will be taken to the Contact page on our website where they can fill out a brief form to get in touch with us. The idea is to remove as many barriers as possible to the viewer taking your desired action.
Time Stamp - 00:24–00:30
These three commonalities may seem pretty straightforward, but you would be surprised to see how often advertisers disregard or poorly execute them. Is there more to a good Meta video ad than these three points? Yes, absolutely. However, they provide a solid foundation upon which you can build an excellent ad. In the next section, we’ll review a few key considerations that, when used in conjunction with the three points, enhance a Meta video ad immensely.
Additional Key Considerations
Visual Appeal Matters:
Humans are visual creatures, and high-quality visuals can significantly impact the success of your video ad. Invest in professional production, use engaging imagery and text to the degree that it doesn’t crowd the video, and ensure the look and feel of the ad is in alignment with other brand-consumer touch points. Even if an ad appears to be created candidly and shot on a smartphone, it was still done intentionally, pre-planned, well-rehearsed, and got a healthy dose of post-production touch-ups.
Convey a Compelling Story:
Effective storytelling has the power to captivate audiences and forge emotional connections. Develop a narrative that resonates with your target audience's aspirations, desires, or pain points. Craft a story arc that creates anticipation and holds viewers' interest throughout the ad. By making the viewers feel something, you can leave a lasting impression and increase the chances of them taking action.
Tailor the Ad for Sound-Off Viewing:
As many users watch videos on social media platforms with the sound off, it's crucial to make your Meta video ad understandable even without audio. Incorporate captions or text overlays to convey essential information. Utilize visual cues and compelling imagery to communicate your message effectively. By making your ad sound-off friendly, you can ensure it captures viewers' attention regardless of their sound settings.
Testing, Tracking, Analyzing… Then More Testing
No digital marketing ad campaign can reach its maximum potential without tracking and analyzing which can be achieved through the analytics tools provided by Meta Ads Manager or other third-party platforms. Analyze the KPIs you deem most relevant to your brand which can include click-through rates, engagement rates, and conversion rates, to identify what resonates best with your target audience. Then, A/B test with different variations of your Meta video ad, experimenting with elements such as visuals, messaging, CTA placement, and ad duration. Use the insights gained to refine and optimize your future ads for better results.
Conclusion
Crafting a successful Meta video ad requires careful attention to detail and a deep understanding of your brand and target audience. By incorporating the three commonalities discussed above, you’ll be well on your way to creating video ads that captivate viewers, convey a compelling story, and drive meaningful action.
Remember to continually test, analyze, and refine your Meta video ads to maximize their impact and achieve your marketing goals. With the right approach, businesses can leverage the power of Meta video ads to connect with their audience, boost brand awareness, and drive conversions.
This all probably sounds extremely time-consuming, and trust us, it is. If you’re looking for a partner to help you navigate these waters and efficiently manage this process, reach out to us here!
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