Originality In Facebook Video Ads [Contributed Blog]

July 4, 2019 - 9 minutes read - Contributed Posts, Digital Advertising, Facebook

The average person sees up to 10,000 advertisements every day (both online and offline). This means that when it comes to advertising, the competition is fierce, and companies need to be hyper-aware of what others are doing so they don’t get scrutinized as copycats. But how do you even begin to create something original when there is so much content out there already? Before we discuss those things, let’s establish the benefits of using Facebook video advertising as a platform for your brand.

Targeting large yet specific audiences

First and foremost, the biggest reason to utilize Facebook video advertising is because of the sheer number of users and therefore possible customers you could reach. Millions of people use social media every day, providing businesses and individuals alike with a platform to sell, influence and educate the masses. Of course, you’re probably not trying to reach every single person on the planet, however, videos have quickly become the most effective way of targeting large groups of people. Their ability to be ‘shared’ (and go viral!), ‘liked’ and ‘tagged’ provides businesses with further opportunities to encourage people to engage with them.

Impactful storytelling

Films and videos have the ability to make us laugh, cry, change our views on an important matter, inspire us, and much more. Even though we are usually watching actors and fictional circumstances, we get drawn in through their ability to convey a story or message, in an audio-visual medium. If you take the concept of filmmaking and apply it to your business, how much of an impact statement could you make about who you are and what you are trying to sell? Whether a product or service, there is much to be said for providing context and meaning to everything you put on the market, to make your customers care about and feel connected to your vision. People like to know they are doing good in the world and supporting businesses that care about their needs in return. Putting a friendly face and voice on screen is often a lot more effective when it comes to selling a brand.

Easy to measure the stats

One of the greatest aspects is being able to view statistics which measure the length of time customers spend watching the videos, at what point they exit the video, how many people have simply seen the thumbnail of the video but continued scrolling, and more. These statistics can help you determine whether the work you are creating is grabbing people’s attention, and your customers will start to recognize your brand as a notable online presence.

Show that you are digitally savvy

Anyone can post a photo online and write an essay’s worth of a sales pitch to go with it. But in the time it takes to read that amount of information, your customers could be influenced by a powerful visual story that draws them in. If your company can speak creatively through video, you will show the world that you’re digitally savvy and in tune with modern demands.

Video advertising ideas

How-to’s

If you’re selling products that would otherwise need an old-fashioned black and white manual with tiny writing and confusing graphics, consider making how-to videos as a replacement. Videos are much easier to follow and customers often find that a human showing them what to do is much more valuable than trying to figure things out by themselves. Sometimes, customers can be put off from buying things because of the complications involved in their set-up and processes. With video, you can smash through this barrier by having a real person do all of that work in a straightforward, engaging way. The full-length video could be posted on your company’s official Facebook page, and you could use shorter chunks of the clip to create teasers that make people want to know more.

Staff introductions

Who are the faces behind your brand? What do they do? Where did you begin? If you have a message or strong purpose behind what you do, sharing it through staff/member stories is a wonderful way to connect with customers on a more emotional level. You might even find customers who didn’t necessarily know they needed you because they connect with your purpose and vision. Consumerism is becoming a lot more story and relationship driven. So, if you are looking for ways to engage with people beyond simply showing them what you can sell, these types of videos are a valuable opportunity.

Contextual videos

As previously explained, consumers appreciate being given contextual information about who they are working with or buying from. If you have a unique story to tell about how you came to be where you are, consider making a mini-series of video ads giving insights to showcase this. If you’re part of a large chain or global corporation, highlight how customers can play a part in such a big brand. Whatever you have to offer, short, snappy insights are great ways of reaching new customers.

Store and products

If you have a physical HQ, locating your business in a video is a wonderful way to highlight your presence in a particular community – it gives your venue a sense of a ‘film set’ that people feel more inclined to visit and see for themselves. Similarly, showcasing products and demonstrating their usage can create a sense of intrigue and urgency for customers to get their hands on them.

Aspects to bear in mind

Attention spans

The average human attention span when watching an advert is around six seconds. So, if your business can’t grab your potential customers in those first six seconds, you can probably wave goodbye to that possible conversion. It’s all about visual storytelling. What is it you need to show your customers? A pair of trainers? A handyman coming into someone’s home and fixing something? An educational platform? Whatever it might be, your ability to communicate your message visually will hugely determine how much interaction you receive online.

You don’t always need sound

You may not be fully aware of it, but higher numbers of people are watching videos on their Facebook feeds without even playing the sound. Facebook has an autoplay function which often means videos start playing without sound, and if audiences are immediately attracted to the visual content, they don’t necessarily turn the sound on. This also means that subtitles are important for videos with more talking involved.

Video advertising is by no means a new concept, but its usage and quality are massively on the rise. If your company isn’t already leveraging the power of Facebook ads, you really should be.

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