There’s no doubt video marketing and Facebook video ads in particular are a hot topic right now for many reasons. First, because according to comScore, 64% of consumers are more likely to purchase products after watching a video about them. Secondly, according to Forrester research, one minute of video is equal to 1.8 million words, making video marketing so much more effective than other traditional marketing channels.
However, since most people abandon videos after a few seconds, it’s absolutely critical your video ads on Facebook are captivating.
There are a few steps to follow to create engaging and effective Facebook video ads.
Step 1:
The first step before even creating a Facebook video ad is to know who you want to address in your video. In other words, who your customer avatar will be for each video you plan to produce. This will not only shape the content of your video but also the targeting you choose when launching the Facebook video ad.
For example, if your ad aims at selling a 10-day detox and weight loss program, your customer avatar could be any of those:
- Athletes who want to increase their performance
- Stay at home mums who don’t have time to exercise
- Executives who travel a lot and can’t commit to gym memberships
- Diabetics
And the list could go on an on. Since you won’t speak the same way to executives the same way you speak to diabetics for example, it is critical you know your customer avatar. Once you have, go into further detail by listing their demographics and psychographics.
Demographics are their age, gender, location, employment, income level and education.
Psychographics are their personality, values, opinions, attitudes, interests, and lifestyles.
Step 2:
The second step is writing the script of your Facebook video ad. The first 10 seconds of your script should grab attention. There are many ways to grab attention, it could be from showing a very original image, to asking a question.
Your Facebook ads video script should also build interest. You know you’re building interest when people raise their eyebrows, according to Sam Horn (an expert on creating intrigue and a world-renowned author), so make sure your Facebook ads video will make people raise their eyebrows!
Interesting statements or statistics are an effective way to build interest, such as:
“80% of people who diet, end up putting back on more weight.”
Questions are also a very effective way to build interest and engagement, such as:
“Have you ever been on a diet to only ending up putting more weight on?”
You can also create interest by inviting your audience to imagine something. For example, you could say:
“Imagine being able to reach your ideal weight, without dieting, without going to the gym and without unhealthy and ineffective diet pills”.
Step 3:
The next step in your script is persuasion. Your Facebook ads video script needs to persuade your audience that you know what you are talking about, and that’s why they have to continue listening to you. There are many ways to create persuasion, including proof, either through demonstrating how a product works, before and after pictures, testimonials, educating the audience, etc…
Step 4:
Then, end your video Facebook ads script with a strong call to action. You can state your call to action throughout your video, as people might not watch the whole video until the end and miss the opportunity to be directed where you want them to go. You can say for example half way through the video Facebook ads, “you can learn more about ways to reach your ideal weight without ever dieting by clicking on the link in the post”. Calls to actions are absolutely vital and never assume people will know what to do after watching the video. State soft calls to action throughout the video and end your video with a stronger one, such as “make sure you click on the link right now”.
Step 5:
Once your script has been written, you will need to record it. When recording your video Facebook ads, basic equipment is required. The equipment required is:
- A camera (phone cameras are now good enough to produce quality videos)
- A tripod (to keep the camera steady). If using a phone to record your video, phone tripods can be used.
- Lights can be quite pricey, so if you can’t invest in professional lights, use natural light.
- A microphone. Quality sound is very important. If you don’t have quality sound, your video can look unprofessional. We recommend using lapel microphones which can easily be clipped on clothes and remain discrete like this one.
- A teleprompter. A teleprompter is optional but can come in handy if you plan to record a long script and avoid forgetting what to say or avoid pausing to find your words. We recommend “Prompt-it Maxi Teleprompter”.
Step 6:
Once you have recorded your video, you can edit it using editing software such as Camtasia (should you be using a Windows PC) or Screenflow (should you be using a Mac computer). Editing software will allow you to remove unwanted parts, add sound effects, add music, add text on your video and add images.
Step 7:
Once your video is ready, simply access your Facebook advertising account by going to “create ads”.
Should you wish to increase brand awareness with your video, select “Get video views” and then follow the prompts.
Should you wish to convert video views into leads and sales, select “send people to your website” and then follow the prompts.
Video ads on Facebook are shown in the newsfeed (on desktop computers and mobile phones) and will usually play automatically but be muted. The viewer needs to click the video player to un-mute it. If viewers don’t un-mute the video, make sure you also tell the story visually.
Remember, the first 10 seconds of your video are key. So to make sure the first 10 seconds grab attention, test different introductions for your video. After promoting your different video ads on Facebook with different introductions, you should be able to identify the best introduction.
So I hope you’ve enjoyed this video on how to create killer Facebook video ads. Remember to leave a comment below and subscribe to our Youtube channel to receive the latest social media tips straight to your inbox.
About the Author
Corinna Essa is known internationally as the go-to person when it comes to social media marketing.
Corinna owns a social media marketing company helping businesses around the world leverage the power of social media without doing any of the legwork. Her company has been featured in many media outlets including Sky Business news, Working Women magazine, Ymagazine, Tasmanian Times, Channel 7 and 101fm.
Corinna is also the author of 2 bestselling books “Money On Demand – The 16 Fastest Ways to Becoming a Millionaire Online” and “Reach: The SECRETS to converting your social media audience into your network marketing downline fast”
Killer Facebook video ads? Keep it short, captivating, and tell a story! Use visuals and subtitles, and don’t forget a clear call to action.