10 Best Facebook Video Ad Examples for Your Company
Social Media
11-11-2021
(Updated 10-02-2024)
12 min
The Video Advantage: Trends & Strategies for Content Marketers 2024
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. This ebook is designed to help you take advantage of the biggest content and video trends this year.
If you’re looking to reach as many people as possible, Facebook is the place to be. It’s the world’s third most-visited website — it boasts nearly 3 billion active users, over 1.5 billion of whom visit every day. Considering Earth’s population is about 7.7 billion people, that’s a jaw-dropping number, and it creates a huge opportunity for advertisers.
The catch? Organic reach on Facebook is an uphill battle, which means marketers who are serious about getting value from the platform need to be using it for paid advertisements.
That’s where video ads come in. On Facebook, video ads outperform other formats by a long shot, bringing in twice as many clicks and up to 30% more conversions.
But the ability for your product to reach that massive demographic also means stiff competition. Hundreds of thousands of product marketers are competing for their target audiences’ wallets, attention, and eyeballs, so to stand out and deliver results, your ads need to be truly exceptional.
That’s why we’re here. We’ll explain how to create beautiful, captivating Facebook ads that really work, and share some examples to get you inspired. This way, you’ll be sure to grab your audience’s attention!
Video performs so well on Facebook for the same reasons it does well everywhere else. It’s the most engaging, direct, and effective way to share information!
Viewers remember 95% of the information they learn through video, compared to just 10% through text. That spells serious ROI on social media, where videos are shared 1,200% more widely than text or link-only posts.
On Facebook, video ads have been shown to result in a 47% higher click-through rate (CTR) and a 20-30% higher conversion rate. Simply put, wherever they are in your marketing funnel, video ads perform so much better that marketers are throwing away money if they don’t make the most of them.
They’re especially powerful in tandem with Facebook’s sophisticated advertising technology, like lookalike audiences, pay-per-click models, customizable campaign budgets, and other targeting options that help you reach the people you want since Facebook is able to collect so much personal data.
It’s not a coincidence that people respond so well to video content. Today’s world is more virtual than ever before, and real-life interactions with brands are few and far between.
Unleash your creativity with PlayPlay's innovative platform for Facebook video creation. Create Facebook videos and leave a lasting impression on your viewers.
What are the 7 steps for creating Facebook video ads?
1. Defining the objectives of your Facebook Ads video
First of all, make sure that your video ad is part of a strong social media marketing strategy. This helps you draw your attention to defining your business marketing objective for your Facebook Ads campaign.
You can choose from these 11 advertising objectives:
Traffic
If you’re looking to drive traffic to a specific page on your website, choose from several CTAs to encourage Facebook users to click on your link (such as “Learn More” or “Contact Us”).
Brand Awareness
Choose this objective if your goal is to increase brand awareness by reaching a wide audience or targeting a new one.
Conversions
If you’re looking to generate conversions and encourage visitors to perform a specific action on your website, add relevant CTAs such as “Shop Now” or “Sign Up”.
Engagement
If you wish to reach a wider audience and get more engagement on your Facebook Ads video, then prioritizing likes, comments, and shares is the best option in engaging your community and recruiting new fans.
App Installs
In case you’re looking to promote an Android or iOS ad, use this type of ad available on smartphones and tablets to lead users straight to the download page.
Catalog Sales
If you’re an e-commerce professional or online service provider, you might want to promote special offers or discounts. When using the Catalogue Sales option, people can then “See Offers” or “Shop Now”.
Store Visits
This option is for driving local shoppers to a physical store. Just define your catchment area and your ad will only be shown to users who are currently around your store.
Video Views
This option is for grabbing viewer attention and making more Facebook users watch your ads.
Lead Generation
If you want 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.
Messages
Choose this option if your goal is to connect with Facebook users and encourage them to contact your company through Facebook Messenger. They can click on “Send Message” to start a private chat with your page. You could then send them additional information or a personalized offer.
Reach
This option allows major brands to grab as much viewer attention and reach as many people as possible in their target audiences.
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!
This first step is essential to build a Facebook Ads funnel that is clearly in line with your goal—whether you are after awareness, consideration or conversion.
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!
2. Setting and adjusting your marketing budget
Now that you’ve selected the best objective for your Facebook Ads business 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. Since Facebook won’t spend your entire budget on day one, you won’t need to increase it over time, even if your ad is doing great.
PlayPlay Pro Trick for an optimal budget
Facebook Ads lets you choose between two payment models:
Cost per Click (CPC): This means you pay each time someone clicks on your campaign. Showing your ad to users is free and you’ll only be charged for performance (number of clicks).
Cost per thousand impressions (CPM, cost per mille): Here, you’ll need to pay for your ad to be shown. You’ll 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.
3. Creating a script and a storyboard
Now that we’ve covered your budget, it’s time to start working on your business masterpiece! To do so, you’ll need to write the best script and prepare a clear storyboard.
A script is the simple brief your video editor follows 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 the best storyboard for your campaign. This will give you a simple 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 for your business. A clear, simply illustrated PowerPoint presentation should work just fine!
Video Campaign Tip
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!
4. Editing your video
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.
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 specific rules. Here are a few examples :
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 for the best images.
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 clearly fit your brand identity and image 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 the best 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!
5. Publishing your ad - what format, what length, what placement?
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!
Preview your add
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!
6. 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. Here are a few examples:
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 new products or services 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 works wonders ! This targeting offers unlimited possibilities, as you could target people who have added your products or services 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 your business’s target consumers—remember this is linked to your main marketing objective! Creating user personas (hypothetical individuals that your products or services cater to) will help you learn more about the profile and the preferences of your target consumers.
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.
7. 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 simple 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’ll 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 consumers are 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.
10 examples of awesome Facebook video ads
If you need some inspiration for creating your business’s next Facebook video ad, check out these 10 examples that do the trick :
Canva
Instead of just showing off the designs users can make with their tool, Canva highlighted ones related to a relevant, timely cause — Pride!
In doing so, not only do they piggyback on the excitement of Pride celebrations, but they show off their values, letting their potential customers know that they care about equality and LBGTQ+ rights. Pretty good for 15 seconds!
Cafe Appliance
Customizable kitchen appliances aren’t exactly an emotionally-loaded topic, but good ads know how to tug at their viewers’ emotions. That’s why this example of a Facebook video ad from Cafe Appliance is so clever!
Instead of talking about their product or business specifically, they call out their user base and their individual personalities. Cafe Appliance shows how customizable products can create an emotional link between the customer and the product.
MailChimp
In just 6 seconds, Mailchimp shows off its product and service by highlighting its quick and easy templates. Mailchimp emphasizes the ease of creating an email campaign on their platform.
This video ad example works well at showing how B2B companies don’t need to keep things stiff, formal, or overly professional to get their point across. Copy this minimalist design and short time frame if you want to show users how easy your platform is to use !
Calm
This ad, from meditation app Calm, is an exercise in simplicity.
In just 20 seconds, it’s giving people a taste of Calm’s product, and letting the user try it out for themselves. In the headline and ad copy, Calm has included snippets of rave reviews from major publications, backing up their claims and offering some serious social proof.
Blinkist
An explainer video in 15 seconds might sound like a stretch, but Blinkist shows us it can be done in style!
With just a few convincing statistics, this example from Blinkist demonstrates what their product does and why we need it. And it’s all executed using beautiful, cohesive design that builds up Blinkist’s brand identity and image.
Sephora
‘Show, don’t tell’ is an oft-repeated bit of storytelling advice, and here, Sephora takes it to heart. This ad combines aesthetically pleasing video clips with a strategic snippet of text. In just a few seconds, Sephora shows us what they’re offering — great perfumes that will ensure you smell good!
Spotify
Celebrity features are one of the most powerful forms of grabbing viewer attention. Here, Spotify doesn’t waste any time mentioning BTS, a popular Korean boy band. Instead, they simply show the talented musicians they have on their platform.
At 5 seconds, this is the shortest ad example on this list — it’s arguably so short that viewers don’t even need to stop scrolling. But that’s all it takes to clearly link their product with a well-liked boy band to form a strong connection in viewers’ minds.
Kleenex
Remember how we said to start by understanding your goals? Well, Kleenex knew exactly what they wanted from this ad - to show the purpose of their product in a funny way!
This ad example also shows Kleenex’s wide target customer range by featuring a younger demographic. Copy this strategy to show who your customers are!
Design Pickle
It’s all about the customer in this video ad for Design Pickle.
Video testimonials from real customers build social proof and humanize the company, while the ad’s carousel style builds engagement by encouraging the user to stay and scroll through.
Hubspot
This ad is proof that your video doesn’t need a huge budget to be incredibly effective.
With a combination of screen recording and simple animation, Hubspot shows us how they address a common customer headache (dealing with unwieldy spreadsheets). Hubspot doesn’t just tell users how great they are — instead, they show them how they’ll actually solve their problems.
These Facebook ad examples are all effective in showing off a product or service ! Follow these examples’ strategies to create the best Facebook video ad.
Video is the marketing star
There you have it! On Facebook, video ads offer such wide reach, impressive results, and endless creative possibilities that there’s no reason not to embrace them. There are so many ways video ads can fit into your marketing plan, whether you’re a content marketing lover, lead-magnet aficionado, or lead-generation whiz.
If you know your goals, fine-tune your marketing strategy, and focus on what your users want, video ads are examples of unbeatable tools to help your brand find its people and grow its community online. Try PlayPlay to make video creation fast, fun, and easy, and you’ll be a Facebook video ads master in no time!
Find out more about our free trial and try PlayPlay yourself today.
Melissa Francois
Head of Global Content & Comms
With over 10 years of experience in the wild world of SaaS, Melissa cares about building great brand stories and driving community engagement through engaging content. Off the clock, she enjoys long walks and a pint in a cozy country pub.
The Video Advantage: Trends & Strategies for Content Marketers 2024
Whether you’re a seasoned marketer or just starting out, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. This ebook is designed to help you take advantage of the biggest content and video trends this year.