Facebook is making the bet that, in the future, most of the content on the site will be video. You have probably seen videos playing automatically in your Facebook feed. Some of these videos, as you may have noticed, are actually ads. You will find videos about everything, from how to make a pie to how to unplug your sink with a lemon.
To run a successful Facebook ad campaign, Facebook recommends that your video ads include both art and science so that they grab attention and help your business reach its goals. People are more likely to watch and take action after watching a well thought out and creative video.
This means that you need to make sure your budget and the people you hire to help you create the video engage the right audience in the proper way.
It is important to know your buyer or target audience. You need to tailor your video ads for your different audiences. For example, if you are targeting a company, a CEO may have different concerns than the marketing department or sales department, so make sure you have done the research necessary to help you succeed.
The services allow you to select people who will see the ad. If your target audience likes a certain type of breakfast cereal, you can reach just those people.
If your target audience happens to be CEOs who like granola and have VW vans, the ads would just play for them. Whatever you do, make sure that the video actually speaks to that target audience.
A good video is hard to create and is expensive. A bad video will fail to convert followers. If you can’t find the right balance between creativity and budget, maybe it would be best to stick with regular Facebook ads.
Be careful about using a company that offers video templates because there is a good chance that your video will end up looking like other companies’ ads. In the end, it might cause people to think they have already seen your ad.
Setting up a campaign is fairly straightforward. Make sure you have everything you need before you get started. If you have to leave the page for any reason, you lose your work. Hopefully, in the future, they will allow you to save your work and come back to it at a later time.
In order to run a Facebook video ad, you must upload videos directly to Facebook. You can upload a new video use an existing video, or you can create a slide show. Most Facebook videos will auto-play, and this presents a unique opportunity because the video will play without sound.
You need to make sure your video is visually interesting in the first few seconds so that people will click on it. This isn’t easy because you have to pique their interest. You need to be able to tell your story visually without words.
Speaking of words, your ad shouldn’t be all text. While captioning your ad is encouraged, having too much text in the ad is bad. Facebook’s policy is 20% text. That is all that’s allowed in any of the ads on the site.
Not all videos will play automatically. To make the video ad play automatically, the video must be uploaded to Facebook directly. It will also depend on what type of ad you run. Other factors to consider are: if the user has turned off auto play in their settings if they have a bad internet connection and if their device or browser doesn’t support auto play.
Facebook also gives you the option to place your ad on Instagram. Before you do that, make sure your target audience is actually on Instagram. Video ads that are going to be on both Instagram and Facebook can only be 30 seconds long.
Another thing to keep in mind is that you can choose where the ad will be seen. For example, do you want it only to play on Mobile devices or desktop computers?
Facebook allows you to include a call to action. The options currently available are:
- Shop now
- Book now
- Learn more
- Sign up
- Download
- Watch more
I think this a great way to remind brands that they need to have a goal for their video. In the last few years, many brands created videos that did little or nothing to provide an ROI.
The services allow you to choose a budget for your campaign just like Google AdWords. You are only charged if someone watches more than 10 seconds of the ad. I think early adopters have been rewarded because this was something new.
As this service continues, it will be harder and harder for brands to stand out using any type of Facebook ad. Fortunately, Facebook ads that are properly set up will have great relevance to the target audience.
Looking for more Facebook marketing advice? Check these posts out!
- Here’s What Your Facebook Posts Should Look Like in 2018
- How to Sort Your Facebook News Feed
- What are Facebook Dark Posts and How to Use Them
- How to Write Facebook Comments That Trigger Positive Feedback
- Ways to Overcome the 20% Text Rule for Facebook Ads
- Facebook Mid-Roll Video Ads: Are They the Right Call?
- Understanding Those Mysterious Facebook Spam Messages You May Be Receiving
- Is Your Facebook Business Page DEAD?
- Why Your Facebook Live Videos Aren’t Working
- Facebook Ads Placement: A Simple Guide to Getting It Right
- Facebook Ads Text Limit Rule Change: What You Should Know
- How to Add an Email Subscription Form to Facebook
- The Difference Between Facebook Profile, Pages and Groups
- Facebook Marketing Strategy for Small and Medium Businesses
- 10 Rules for Effective Facebook Marketing
Join my newsletter!

Subscribe to get my latest content by email as soon as I publish it.
Leave a Reply