Video ads: 10 tips to create tailor-made videos for your social media

Make sure you have a clear idea of who your target is. Of course, you should know already the customer base you refer to, but when it comes to videos, it is important to stop and analyze carefully all the details. Age, interests, and are elements that can help you to maximize the impact of your content on your referring target and get the best result from your video advertising campaign. Details make the difference, always.

We have to accept it: as the years go by, people are becoming lazier: they consult social media hastily, mainly from their mobile, and we do not have a lot of time to capture their attention between one scroll and another. So, if you really want to impress them with your video ad, make it short, especially if you choose Facebook as the reference social for your campaign as the immediacy of the message is crucial. A 30 seconds video will give you enough time to present your products, and it will be short enough not to bore your users. If you manage to reduce it even further, without sacrificing quality and clarity, even better.

If not getting users bored is difficult, engaging with them is even harder. It must be done at the beginning of the video (or better in the first 5 seconds) and perhaps it is the most important goal during the creation of your video. You need to “hook” your audience giving a valid reason to keep watching it. Most of the users decide within seconds whether to stop a video, and your goal is to make them get past this “delicate” first phase.

The right words are crucial when delivering your message. Try to avoid using too technical vocabulary and always think about the audience you’re addressing. Use a clear language to ensure that the audience understands your message and identifies with your values. Think of a striking slogan, something that will remain imprinted and always invite the user to take action: whether it’s visiting your website, clicking “buy now”, or sharing the post. The video ad is not the end, but the means to achieve your goal.

Once you have thought about the target, the message, and user engagement, it’s time to think about the content. The sound, for example. Finding the right music is not as difficult as it may seem: it simply should not be a distraction, but rather reinforce the video’s engagement. Besides the music, you should think also to the visual content: whether it is a graphic animation or a particular shot, the most important thing is that it’s good of quality and consistent with your message. If you don’t feel comfortable creating the video yourself or need something special, rely on a professional or choose from the stock videos available online.

Create a high-quality and well-balanced video is absolutely central, but, once this is done, the work is not finished. Editing phase is as important as the ideation and creation one, because it’s where you can correct any mistakes, improve things you don’t like, and optimize the size and weight of the video for a smooth and enjoyable viewing on the channels where you’ll distribute it.

Never underestimate the influence of a thumbnail (the preview image) on your video. Especially if autoplay is disabled, thumbnails are the first thing audience sees and can determine whether they choose to watch it or not. It is the real cover of your video. Make sure to create a compelling and impactful thumbnail that gives the audience a hint about the content of your video and the desire to start it.

Once you have created your video, think about how and where you want to use it. Choose the most suitable platform for your marketing strategy. Probably the most interesting platform for your video is Facebook because, in sponsored content, it allows you add direct call-to-action buttons like “buy now” or “learn more”, maximizing user responsiveness. You can also integrate a product video into your store’s landing page or organically on your Facebook page to increase conversion. But Facebook is not the only option. Instagram and YouTube, depending on your goals, can be winning channels.