Are you looking to drive more traffic to your website with your social media strategy? Maybe you’re interested in increasing brand awareness or even generating leads? Whatever your objective, know that Facebook video ads are the most efficient digital marketing lever!

Facebook is still the number 1 social network to date, which makes it a strong advertising channel as well.

Did you know that…

  • Facebook had 2.89 billion monthly users at the beginning of 2021.
  • Over 8 billion videos are watched on Facebook daily

So why don’t you get started with Facebook video ads? The platform has become essential when it comes to reaching your target audience and generating sales, just like Google AdWords or SEO! 1/3 of the world’s population uses Facebook after all…!

While investing in Facebook video advertising is a must, creating a relevant and efficient video marketing campaign can be challenging and several specific factors need to be taken into account.

Read on to find out how to launch successful video ad campaigns on Facebook and how to optimize it to increase its performance!

Here are the 7 steps you should follow to create an effective video for Facebook Ads :

Contents

Defining the objectives of your Facebook Ads video

First of all, make sure that your video ad is part of a strong social media strategy. This will help you define the marketing objective of your Facebook Ads campaign video.

You can choose from these 11 advertising objectives:

  • Are you looking to drive traffic to a specific page on your website? Select the Traffic objective and choose from several CTAs to encourage Facebook users to click on your link (such as “Learn More” or “Contact Us”.
  • If your goal is increasing brand awareness by reaching a wide but qualified audience or targeting a new audience, the Brand Awareness objective is ideal.
  • To generate conversions and encourage visitors to perform a specific action on your website, select Conversions and add a relevant CTA such as “Shop Now” or “Sign Up”.
  • To reach a wide audience and get more engagement on your Facebook Ads video (likes, comments, shares) or to get more users to attend a Facebook event, Engagement is the best objective. It will help you to both engage your existing community and recruit new fans.
  • In case you are looking to promote an Android or iOS ad, App Installs is the way to go. This type of ads is only available on smartphones and tablets and will lead users straight to the download page!
  • As an e-commerce professional or online service provider, you might want to promote special offers or discounts. In that case, Catalogue Sales was made for you. People can then “See Offers” or “Shop Now” and visit your shop.
  • If you want to drive local shoppers to a physical store, select Store Visits. Just define your catchment area and your ad will only be shown to users who are currently around your store.
  • To make more Facebook users watch your Facebook Ads video, Video Views is the best objective.
  • Use Lead Generation to generate leads within your conversion funnel—you can collect info from people with this objective, which means you will be able to contact them at a later point. This is a popular format for those advertising services like contracting.
  • To connect with Facebook users and encourage them to contact your company through Facebook Messenger, the Messages objective is best suited. They will be able to click on “Send Message” to start a private chat with your page. You could then send them additional information or a personalized offer.
  • As a major brand wishing to show a video ad to a wide audience, the Reach objective will allow you to reach as many people as possible in your target audience.

This first step is essential to build a Facebook Ads funnel that is in line with your goal—whether you are after awareness, consideration or conversion.

💡 Fun Fact

98% of internet users do not make any purchase during their first visit to an Adroll website.

That’s why it’s essential to track users that have not yet converted by showing up on their News Feed. This is called Facebook Retargeting!

Before launching your video campaign, be sure to install a Facebook pixel to turn website visitors into leads or, even better, into customers.

Setting this up is easy:

  • Visit the Facebook Ads Manager
  • Click on the left-side menu, then select “Pixels” under “Resources”
  • Select “Create a pixel”
  • Lastly, just add the generated code to your website, either manually or directly through the Ads Manager by selecting your current CMS (WordPress, WooCommerce, Shopify etc.), and you’re good to go!

Setting and adjusting your marketing budget

Now that you’ve selected the best objective for your Facebook Ads video, it’s almost time to start working on it. But first, take some time to think about the marketing budget you want to allocate to the campaign.

Of course, there is no one-size-fits-all budget.  The amount of money you should spend mostly depends on your expected results, which is why you should always set a specific budget before launching a campaign.

Our tip here would be to set a slightly higher budget for the beginning of your video campaign. As Facebook won’t spend your entire budget on day one, that means you will not need to increase it over time, even if your ad is doing great.

If you are a total beginner, know that a 5€/day budget will definitely be enough! You can always adjust it after launching your campaign if you decide to spend less— or more! Trial and error is the key here.

💡 PlayPlay Pro Trick for an optimal budget

Facebook Ads lets you choose between two payment models:

  • Cost per Click (CPC): This means you will pay each time someone clicks on your campaign. Showing your ad to users is free and you will only get charged for performance (number of clicks).
  • Cost per thousand impressions (CPM, cost per mille): Here, you will need to pay for your ad to be shown. You will be charged every 1,000 impressions.

Wondering how to pick the right model? Just think about your marketing objective again. If your goal is to increase brand awareness, CPM makes the most sense. For traffic generation or to recruit new fans, CPC is more suited.

Creating a script and a storyboard

Now that we’ve covered your budget, it’s time to start working on your masterpiece! To do so, you’ll need to write a script and prepare a storyboard.

To put it simply, a script is the brief your video editor will follow to create your video. It should be written according to your commercial and communication goals.

Your brief should detail the following points:

  • What is the objective of your video, its budget and the message it should communicate?
  • Sound design: background music, voiceover etc.
  • Visual aspects: colors, fonts, illustrations  (GIFs, photos, animations etc.) etc.
  • Text-based aspects: subtitles, headings etc.

Once these have been defined, you can start drawing your ideas to create a storyboard. This will give you a visual overview of your Facebook Ads video and should include information about the opening jingle, end screen, story line, rhythm, visuals and keywords.

Don’t worry, there’s no need to be an artist to create an efficient storyboard. A simple, illustrated PowerPoint presentation will absolutely do the trick!

💡 PlayPlay Pro Trick

You should follow the agile approach while creating a video campaign as this will allow you to adapt and optimize your strategy at all times and according to your results.

As opposed to traditional advertising, Facebook Ads allows you to show up to 6 different ads to different target audiences within a single campaign. This system is called split-testing.

Take advantage of this opportunity and test several versions of your videos with different storylines or hooks. For example, if you are a clothing retailer, you might notice that a video featuring red shoes performs better than one featuring blue shoes. Sometimes, running a few tests is all it takes to get more conversions!

Editing your video

Feeling creative? That’s perfect for this 4th step!

Your task here is to create a catchy video that will get your target audience’s attention and will make them want to click… within 3 seconds! After that, your audience is likely to keep scrolling.

You can make this happen by experimenting with various creative options: motion design, fun transitions, color grading etc.

In case you aren’t an Adobe Premiere or Final Cut expert, know that Facebook has its own simple video creation tool, although it doesn’t offer a very wide range of features. If you want to create a professional-looking video easily, with PlayPlay's Facebook video editor, you can turn your ideas into captivating videos in minutes, without any prior editing experience. You can try PlayPlay for free — just give it a go!

One last thing—remember your editing should make your video stand out on a user’s News Feed. You’ll be competing against over 6 million active advertisers after all…

To get noticed by your target audience, remember to follow these rules:

  • Always use high-quality images: If you don’t have any current material, free stock video libraries will help you out. We recommend taking a look at Pond5 or PlayPlay.
  • Choose bright colors: Facebook is all white and blue, so using bright colors such as red, orange or yellow will make it easier to stand out. However, be sure to use colors that fit your brand identity too.
  • Create an eye-catching thumbnail: Your thumbnail image is the first impression your audience will get. Create an image that catches the eye and is linked to your message. If you do not have good Photoshop or Illustrator skills, Canva is a great alternative.
  • Be sure your message is relevant and easy to understand. Your video should demonstrate your expertise and highlight your USP. Use a unique tone-of-voice and include keywords that will resonate with your audience. You should also know that as much as 85 percent of video views happen with the sound off, according to Digiday. Therefore, subtitles are essential!

Create a Facebook Ads video in minutes

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Simultaneously, Facebook has implemented strict Advertising Policies to define what can or cannot be promoted on the platform. These rules mostly focus on forbidden content and video ads specifically, but also include useful tips to help you create a successful video, such as:

  • Ads must not contain deceptive, false or misleading claims
  • Ads must not contain images that portray non-existent functionality, such as fake play buttons or notifications
  • Ads must contain good grammar and punctuation, and the copy must be free from plagiarism.

Be sure to read Facebook’s Advertising Policies before launching your first campaign!

Publishing your ad - what format, what length, what placement? 

Now that your video is ready, it’s time to publish it and start showing it to users so that your Facebook page becomes a hot topic on the platform!

Writing a good video ad on Facebook

Before publishing your video, here are some things to remember to create a successful Facebook video ad:

  • Add a catchy caption (this is the text that will appear above your video). You can use up to 125 characters here and should focus on triggering emotions, for example by using storytelling or emojis.
  • Always publish your video natively (directly on Facebook) as this will increase your reach by 10 (Socialbakers).
  • Your title should be informative and engaging and shouldn’t exceed 25 characters. Stick to just one sales argument here to keep things straightforward.
  • A CTA will guide your audience and help turn viewers into prospects and customers.

Want to see more? Discover examples of Facebook Ads video!

Now that you know what makes a successful Facebook ad, it’s time to prepare your own. Remember to use words that are easy to understand and make sure your text tells people:

  • What you are selling (product or service) and how you are providing value.
  • How they can benefit from it and how your product can be an answer to an issue they are facing. Mention discounts or free trials if relevant.

Your copy should be as straightforward as possible—now is not the time to get poetic.

Facebook Ads video: 4 technical aspects to keep in mind

Before sharing your Facebook Ads video, double check that it fits these 4 major technical requirements.

We like to call them the Fantastic Four :

  • Video format: Depending on whether your video will be displayed as a Facebook story or within your feed, it is absolutely essential to make it high resolution. You can then choose from several aspect ratios: Landscape (16:9), Square (1:1), Vertical (4:5) ou Portrait (9:16). Keep in mind that the majority of Facebook users consume video content on their phone.
  • Video length: According to a SocialBakers study, keeping your video short is your best bet to make sure people watch it until the end. The average length of a Facebook video is 44 seconds, but Facebook recommends creating micro-videos that have a length of 15 seconds or less.
  • Video placement: Facebook Marketplace, right column or Messenger are some of the placements you can choose for your video ad. Our recommendation is to focus on News feed ads as it allows for larger visuals (600px wide). Your click-through rate should be higher!
  • Video sound: While using sound is not a requirement, we strongly recommend using music to make your messaging more impactful. Music is a strong emotional stimulant and will help set the tone. Use an opening and closing jingle or add background music to make your ad more engaging. You can find free stock music on dedicated websites such as SoundBlend, Jamendo or PlayPlay. Just take a pick!

💡 PlayPlay Pro Trick

To make sure your ad looks good for mobile users, on desktop and on the News Feed, always use the preview tool you can find at the bottom of Facebook’s Ads Manager page.

Once you are happy with your ad, just click “Confirm” and wait until Facebook notifies you of your ad’s approval. Easy as pie!

Showing your ad to a qualified audience

Every online marketer knows that figuring out the algorithms of a social media platform is a true headache. Since January 2018, Facebook has been featuring updates from a user’s friends and family members more prominently than branded content.  

Thankfully, a plethora of micro-targeting options are available to help you reach exactly who you want to reach:

  • Location: Target users based on their city, region or country.
  • Gender: Target men, women or both.
  • Language: Target people by language.
  • Age: Target Facebook users by age.
  • Interests, tastes & lifestyle: Target users interested in fashion, food, sports or animals.
  • Behavioral targeting: This lets you target users depending on their shopping behavior, interactions (likes, comments, shares) or actions (website visits, newsletter sign-up…)
  • Connections: Target or exclude people who have already liked your page. You can target existing fans to promote a new product or exclude fans to reach a new audience.
  • Custom audience: Target existing customers or prospects by using an internal file, a list of subscribers or your Facebook pixel. This targeting offers unlimited possibilities, as you could target people who have added your product to their shopping cart but haven’t completed their purchase, people who have participated in a webinar you hosted or your own top fans. Just remember to prefer quality over quantity! It makes more sense to target 100 people who are frequent customers instead of all customers.
  • Lookalike audience: This is an essential targeting option that allows you to reach people that have a similar profile to your current customers. For example, if you are trying to enter the UK market, you could use that feature to find Facebook users that are similar to your existing customers but based in that country.

This is no rocket science: the success of your Facebook Ads video depends on how well you will select its audience—remember this is linked to your main marketing objective! Creating user personas (hypothetical individuals that your product or service caters to) will help you learn more about the profile and the preferences of your target audience.

💡 PlayPlay Pro Trick

A lot of brands make the mistake of selecting a target audience that is too narrow.

If your goal is to recruit new customers, you should make sure to collect enough data so that you can reach out to potential clients at a later point.

We suggest building a broad target audience and narrowing it down as you go. This will help you optimize your ad spend.

Always keep in mind that efficient targeting is the key to maximizing your ROI.

Tracking and optimizing your performance

Congratulations! You’ve officially made it to the final step: tracking the performance of your Facebook Ads video campaign.

You should keep an eye on your main KPIs to be able to optimize your campaign as you go.

The good news is that you won’t need to focus on dozens of KPIs—monitoring just a few indicators is enough to get a better understanding of your campaign’s performance.

You should look at your cost per action (CPA) first, which will tell you about your campaign’s performance in relation to its cost. This is one of the main ways to evaluate your ROI. The action you will look at will depend on your campaign’s objectives: are you trying to generate clicks, app downloads, purchases…?

You should then consider the relevance score, which measures the way your target audience is receiving your ad. This is similar to Quality Score on Google AdWords. This rating is measured on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Your score will help you assess how well your campaign is doing, but it also has a direct influence on your costs: a highly relevant ad will be shown more often in your audience’s News Feed, which means its costs will go down.

Lastly, the 3rd main KPI is your conversion rate, which is calculated by taking the number of conversions (purchase, sign-up, download etc.) and dividing that by your campaign’s total reach. According to WordStream, the average conversion rate on Facebook is 9.21%.

💡 PlayPlay Pro Trick

Even if you follow the 7 rules presented in this article, you might still struggle to turn visitors into customers. Maybe the issue isn’t linked to your ad itself but to your landing page, so remember to take a look at that too.

A quality landing page will help you improve the user experience—monitor your page speed. Using Google’s PageSpeed Insights is an excellent way to do so.

Generally speaking, our suggestion would be to focus on just 2 or 3 KPIs. Looking at too many indicators at once might prevent you from getting a clear understanding of your campaign’s performance. Why bother looking at CPM when running a conversion campaign? Similarly, there is no need to look at traffic if reach was your objective!

However, don’t rush analyzing your results. You should wait 7-14 days before making any major changes, as this is the time needed for most of your target audience to have seen your ad.

One last thing—if your click-through or conversion rate seems low, you should try and make some changes such as adjusting your tone of voice or the keywords you are using. Try using a different CTA too—changing a small detail might make a huge difference.

Well done—you now know everything about launching a successful video campaign via Facebook Ads! Remember to give yourself time to learn and to keep testing, adjusting and learning. Good luck!