3 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Facebook Video Advertising

3 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Facebook Video Advertising

It is now possible to make money with videos on Facebook. Finally, the social media platform is taking video as an advertising resource seriously. Previously, videos on Facebook have not had advertisements; however, last year, an announcement was made that ads would begin playing prior to the actual videos. This got brands thinking about ways they could start leveraging videos on Facebook.

Over the previous year, in-article advertisements have become very popular where ads show up between paragraphs of text, especially on mobile devices. These advertisements start playing (on mute) as soon as half of the advertisement pixels are revealed. For the sound to play, the user must opt for it.

But now? Facebook videos will be using what are known as mid-roll advertisements as well. After several seconds, YouTube will allow users to sip pre-video advertisements. However, on Facebook, the mid-roll advertisements will be inserted into videos that are at least 90 seconds long and the advertisements won't begin playing until about 20 seconds in. So, for users that want to continue watching the video they started, the mid-roll advertisement will need to be watched in full.

Thanks to this new development, it is possible for platform as well as content creators to capitalize on this boom. It has been projected that the consumption of video is going to continue to increase in the coming years. In fact, research shows that video streaming and downloads will take up over 80 percent of consumer online traffic by the year 2020. This is pretty good news for small business owners and entrepreneurs.

A Blessing and a Curse All Wrapped into One.

Since the beginning of commerce, merchants from all over have been trying to exploit marketing strategies that are the most effective. Think back to the first person who stood out on the street trying to capture the business of passersby by yelling at the top of their lungs. It didn't take long before this attracted other like individuals. The next day, the street was crowded with others vying for business.

Just like with other advertising tactics, the aforementioned effective strategy was adopted and later exploited until it was seen so frequently by consumers that they weren't impressed. Instead, they were eventually repulsed by it because it was disrupting their overall customer experience.

And this is still happening in today's day and age. This is why with so many videos being posted online you need to make sure that you have a story to tell in your video that is resonating with your audience so that you are able to stand out in a crowd.

The best thing you can do is to fully understand your audience, as this will help you to maximize the full potential and relevant of your advertisements while also making each view count. However, here are a few other elements that can help boost the reach and power of your Facebook video advertisements as well:

1. Go Big or Go Home

It is crucial that you utilize larger fonts and graphics to ensure that your audience can see them clearly. After all, there is a good chance that users will be viewing the video on a mobile device, which means the screen is smaller and small text and graphics are basically illegible. BuzzFeed videos are excellent examples of what you need to have.

To ensure that your video ads are as effective as possible and reach as many devices as they can, you will want to take the time to create mobile versions of each one and run them independently of your desktop version. Keep in mind that the smaller screens will impact the experience that the viewer has. According to research, videos on mobile devices are not as likely to aid in brand awareness when compared to videos viewed on desktop computers due to the fact of the mobile's decreased visibility of the video.

Also, since filming is expensive, you need to make sure that you take the time to film multiple variations of the key elements of the video and get feedback so that you can optimize the performance of the advertisement. This little bit of planning can save you a lot of time and money later down the road.

2. Keep Things Short

When creating your video advertisements, you want to try to keep them to 15 seconds or less. It may take some time to get your advertisement to this, but it is worth it in the end. You can also create both a 15-second and a 30-second video and put them up for an A/B test to see which one of them performs best. Use your targeted audience(s) and examine the viewing statistics to determine the best length for your particular situation.

As a general rule, mobile videos need to be shorter than those that will be showing on desktop computers. However, shorter videos just perform better overall. Believe it or not, it is possible to get your point across in 15 seconds, though it may take a little bit of creativity. Also, just because you are creating a short video, it doesn't mean that it won't contain valuable information for your audience. Make sure that you are highlighting your target audience, your product/service, and where they can purchase it. If it isn't available yet, then let them know when it will be and briefly mention why they need/want it. You want to pique their interest.

3. Make Indirect Pitches

You need to try to focus on the way that you can solve your audience's problems rather than installing buttons that say "click me" everywhere. Brainstorm and create a list of several real-life benefits that your service or product will give your customers. Then, in your video, bring them to life. This will help to connect your viewers with the feeling that they will get when they use your service or product upon buying it. For instance, if you are selling sunglasses, in your video, show a man, on the beach, wearing the sunglasses, instead of a pair of shades sitting on a counter.

The CEO of Xero Shoes created a video that showed viewers how they could make their very own minimalist sandals without needing to purchase a single thing, while basically demonstrating his brand's product to viewers. The video ended up resulting in some sales, but it also resulted in more than one million views, which means a lot of exposure and the potential of sales.

By now, things are getting crowded over at Facebook in terms of video advertising, which goes to show just how successful this marketing method is. The challenge now for Facebook video campaigns is to be able to grab the attention of your target audience with a compelling narrative and eye-catching visuals in mere seconds -- and this could require that you abandon some of those traditional methods that you have come to know and love regarding direct selling in order to give way for building a more engaged digital following and the power that it can provide for your brand. Just don't forget to keep things short, simple and to the point and that your captions are big, bold and legible.

If you need help getting your Facebook video campaign up and running, don't hesitate to give us a shout at WebDetail.