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The play button for a video is one of the most attractive call-to-actions today.
According to Tubular insights data, customers dedicate 6 hours per week to watch videos on social media, and:
46% confessed to making a purchase after watching a social media video of some brand.
76% were willing to watch videos recommended by friends and family.
19% were inclined to open an email with the word "video" in the subject line.
According to Cisco's forecast, 80% of all internet traffic will be driven by video in 2021. With these facts at hand, it's time to make sure your content strategy includes videos.
Creating video content can open doors for your brand in terms of higher sales, especially when you can utilize platforms like Facebook correctly as a part of your digital marketing strategy.
Read on to explore why videos are so important for your brand, and how to create Facebook video ads that convert.
Value of videos in a digital marketing strategy
Not only does video allow you to share more information in a short time, but it also makes a viewer feel more connected to the content they watch. And, it's true that emotion sells. If you're creative, innovative (and fearless!) enough, and use the right techniques for scripting and storytelling, your videos can help you achieve your digital marketing goals.
Done right, video content can lead to high engagement. But, then again, how can one create video content that is engaging enough? We will get to that!
Before you use the tips, you have to find out the perception of your customers. And before you start creating videos, know that:
57% of users claim to have the information they need of a brand or service after watching a video
54% claim that videos they are served by Facebook are relevant to their interest
92% of users know how to detect call-to-actions in videos
How to understand this data? Users receive thousands of videos daily but know precisely what each ad wants to say to them.
That’s why you must go ahead and above all, surprise them. After all, leave them speechless will generate more recognition of your brand and keep you in the first place.
According to Unruly data, one of the main ad platforms for video, online video ads not only increase intention of buying by 97%, but also potentially increase brand awareness by 139%.
It is in fact amazing what video content can do for your brand, so let’s get into the tips!
Tips to create video ads that convert on Facebook versus YouTube
When you to a Facebook Ads video versus YouTube, there's one main difference—the strategy used to create your content.
YouTube videos are research-based
YouTube platform traffic is directed by research, similar to how one uses Google. That means that any video that you create for YouTube should start with a question that needs to be answered. Viewers will find your video as a response to solving their pain-point and answering their questions.
Facebook videos are interest-based (often "distractions")
You can't make videos for Facebook ads the same way you do on Youtube because viewers are browsing differently! Facebook users chance upon ads and browse Facebook as a distraction.
That's why short, sharp, catchy videos work better and lead to higher click-through rates.
6 tips to create video ads with high conversion rates
Before you learn the key tips, it's important to keep one relevant aspect in mind: think mobile. According to YouTube, online video consumption on smartphones and tablets has been growing at a rate of 100% per year. Now, here are the tips!
1. Set a clear goal
As it happens with any strategy, the first step to start building your Facebook campaign is to define goals and be guided by them in every step.
Do you want to increase your brand awareness with new users or increase the engagement level with users? Or do you want your video to become viral and generate conversions? In the decision-making process, ask yourself if your decisions are aligned with your goal. If it’s not, stop and rethink your strategy and story for the video ad.
2. Identify your target audience
If you don’t know who your potential customers are yet, you need to research this part well before writing your video script. This will dictate the tone of voice you use and the benefits you pitch. Know your business proposition of value and identify your potential client in a systematic way.
Your customer profile should be specific—choose the market niche you want to work with. A clear positioning increases your chances of conversion.
When you produce a video ad without focus trying to appeal to all viewers and age ranges, it's unlikely that it will generate good results.
Invest in the creation of brand personas. Answer these main questions to make one:
What values guide the decisions of your customers?
Do they have any preconceived ideas about your product or service?
What would be necessary to persuade your potential customer to act?
Tie in your answers to these questions to develop comprehensive personas for whom you're creating the video ads. In this way, you can be sure of how your message will resonate with your public. Remember to follow certain KPIs like return on ad spend, cost per acquisition, and ad fatigue after your ad goes live. You can use tools that predict ad fatigue and help optimize them at the right moment.
3. Capture attention in five seconds
Basically, it doesn’t matter how good your script is, or how cheerful the background music is. Most people will abandon your video quickly unless you learn how to draw their attention in the first 3-5 seconds. How can you do that? Here are some ways:
1. Start with a relevant question
For instance, if you are targeting new business owners, asking things like “how are you going to achieve your sales goals this semester?” or “do you know what separates a successful company from an unsuccessful one?” can capture attention. The key is to make sure the question relates to the problem you’re solving.
2. Address a known problem (or talk about your pain point)
Think about the ads you watch. When the video starts with a problem that you are facing and claims to fix it, they capture your attention immediately.
3. Surprise your public and catch their attention
You can also start your video with an affirmation or a startling question that intrigues who’s watching. This is risky though so you really need to know your personas well to get it right.
4. Make it clear that you have the solution they seek
Try to establish your credibility to connect with your audience about why they should keep watching your video and inform the viewer that you can deliver a solution to their problem within 20-30 seconds.
To build credibility, you must share quickly your experience or how you had the same problem and solved it. One effective way to this is: “I know how you feel, I’ve been there too, here is what I found”.
To provide the solution, you can share about your product or service that contains the answer. One good example: When your goal is to get new leads, works create a video to promote the download of a new e-book or provide some free training.
5. Finish with a call-to-action phrase
A good video ad can be structured in 3 parts and ends with a call-to-action or CTA.
What should viewers do? Do you want them to send you an email, buy your product, or access your content? Your goal should guide your CTA
Why should viewers do it? Remind them of the value you will deliver to solve their problem.
How can viewers do it? Should they “click here”, send you an email, mention a friend?
6. Repurpose and share your video
It's a good idea to reuse your video on multiple platforms that you know your target audience is on to generate results. You don't have to set up a paid campaign as you did for Facebook, just post it organically.
Here are 4 tips that could help you get a larger reach:
Publish on all your brand's social media accounts (make sure the video is re-sized for each platform);
Connect with partner brands;
Motivate your team to share the video;
Distribute it through your next email campaign.
Facebook ads that convert are videos that are informative and deliver value. They include all the right elements that appeal to the needs and desires of your audience. So, when planning your next video, consider these aspects to generate engagement and impact on your viewers. You can also run some tests on different durations of the video ads to discover what works better for your brand story. If you want to learn more about digital marketing, check out Operand’s Blog!
