Facebook ads have evolved quite a bit over the past couple of years. Advertisers have the capability of posting video ads on Facebook. These videos pop up right in the audience’s news feed. With Facebook’s detailed audience targeting system, this has been a game changer in video advertising. Facebook has even released an advertising guide for their video ads.

Using Facebook’s video ad feature is easily done with a few clicks of the mouse. Actually creating a great video ad is a whole other story, and it’s going to take a lot of work. That’s why we’re going to share a few tips and tricks with you that will help you make a fantastic ad.

Get your point across as fast as possible

With any type of advertisement, it is crucial that you establish a connection with the viewer. This is most effective if you can do it sooner rather than later, as most people have a short attention span when it comes to ads. Identify the problem that your product, service, or brand can solve, and show it to your audience. If you’re able to this within the first few seconds, you’ll have a much higher retention rate on your ad.

Higher retention means that people are interested in what your video ad’s message. When people are more interested, they’re more inclined to check out your product. It is an easy concept, and very effective if you are able to do it correctly.

Use Facebook’s targeting tools

One of the biggest reasons that so many people choose to advertise on Facebook is the huge audience. There are hundreds of millions of Facebook users logging in every single day. Facebook also helps you narrow down the scope of who is going to see your video advertisement. You can use their features to send your ad to specific age groups, locations, and people with certain interests.

No matter how great you make the video itself, it won’t be effective if the wrong people are watching it. For most people, ads will appeal to a large number of people. But, compared to the hundreds of millions using Facebook, that number seems small. If you simply ignore these targeting options, your ad will show up in front of a lot of people who won’t care about it.

Have a Call to Action in the advertisement

Every ad needs a CTA (call to action). Without anything directing viewers to view your website or try your product, the ad is going to be ineffective. Putting a CTA in your video ad isn’t difficult, and it doesn’t need to be anything extraordinary. A good strategy is to have a visual CTA appear after you’ve grabbed the viewer’s attention. You can also do a verbal reminder, along with a reprise of the previous CTA at the end of the video.

Facebook video ads are meant to drive traffic to your destination immediately. Don’t try to make a video ad that will just generate a broad interest in your brand. Put the viewers in a position where they feel the need to follow your link right away. The fact is, most people aren’t going to bookmark a link for later, especially if it’s an ad. Offering a coupon code is one simple way to create immediacy and drive traffic from an ad.

Keep it entertaining and unique

Last but not least, make sure you don’t just make a boring informational video. Video ads have evolved so much over the past decade, and the potential is largely untapped. Research other ads from companies and influencers in your niche, and use them to come up with unique ideas. If it’s appropriate, use comedy to add entertainment value to the advertisement.

If you’re lucky, you just might make a video advertisement that happens to go viral. Viral ads are amazing because they need no additional effort to bring in tons of new traffic. Want an example of this? Check out the Squatty Potty, which has a video ad with almost 20 million views for a surprising product.

How to Make a Facebook Video Ad Great Again

Once you’ve created your Facebook video ad, start trying different campaigns. Test out different combinations of targeting and see what works best with your specific advertisement. If you’ve got multiple video ads, try them all with different ad campaigns. For extra leverage, put your video ad on YouTube, and send it views. With all these variables, certain combinations will be much more successful than others. The key is to always try to improve upon what you’re already working with.

Date: March 5, 2016 / Categories: Tips, / Author: Rich Drees