With Facebook averaging 8 billion video views per day, there’s no questioning why Facebook ads are an absolute must for marketers today. Video is easy to consume, gets straight to the point, and is easily shareable! Now before you up and leave to begin producing the next viral Facebook ad, keep in mind that while there’s no step-by-step strategy to make your Facebook video a viral sensation, we can guarantee that these 3 tips will greatly improve your chances of reaching Facebook video #goals!
5 Second Rule
Facebook has been generous enough to give marketers 60 seconds for video ads, which would be awesome if people’s attention spans weren’t shorter than that of a goldfish. To be effective, video ads have to accomplish two things: grab your viewer’s attention in the first 5 seconds and have a short duration, probably no more than 20 seconds total. After successfully capturing your viewer’s attention, lead them to your brand’s website to provide further details.
Customize Your Thumbnails
Scroll, scroll, scroll… ooh what’s that!? Many Facebook users have deactivated the autoplay option on their mobile devices, so they need to click on your video ad to make it play. Triggering curiosity with your thumbnail will be key to getting views. You can go the default route of selecting from a range of images Facebook randomly pulls from your video, or you can take an extra step to design an engaging thumbnail to upload yourself – but be careful! Some marketers who’ve taken the custom thumbnail route put too much focus on making their design stand out, to the point where it appears too “clickbait-y.” Rule of thumb: stay on topic and avoid clickbait.
Include a Call-to-Action
You got to have a call-to-action if you want any action, right? Even if you think it’s super obvious, let your fans know exactly what to do. Keep directions simple and avoid leading your audience through a never-ending funnel. Facebook makes it easy for marketers by letting us choose from different call-to-action buttons such as: “Book Now,” “Shop Now,” and “Learn More.” You can also use “Watch More” to send viewers to other videos on your site.
Now, it’s your turn! Get started on your Facebook ad, keep these 3 tips in mind, and begin experiencing some initial success. As always, remember that Facebook is constantly changing its advertising platform, so stay on top of any new developments and apply them accordingly.
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