Creating Social Adverts That Deliver
Creating social adverts that deliver is always stressful, however many times you do it. It’s even more of a challenge when you opt to create social advertising videos. Why are we focusing on video? Well video adverts have a better conversion rate on average. However compared to still photo adverts there are even more pitfalls on the way to conversion.
This is especially true now the market place is so very crowded. To stand out you need to make it eye catching, enjoyable to watch and, well, special, because boring videos just don’t engage unless you are desperate to learn what they are telling you (such as how to put that flat plan wardrobe together).
The social advertising video that is going to stand out and work to increase conversions must be as much of an artform as a feature film, even if you do only have less than two minutes in which to achieve that!
21 Point Guide for Creating Social Adverts That Convert
- You have 2 minutes, but 30 seconds is optimum.
- Tailor the video to match the audience segment you are targeting – don’t make it too general or generic.
- Don’t go full out on the sales pitch – it’s a turn off, and people will click off.
- Make it look lovely and write a good script – the best adverts feel more like films than adverts
- Be clear about what you’re offering – you will lose them if you are vague.
- Start with an enticing cover image that ‘sets the scene’
- Clearly explain how they buy/sign up/book an appointment.
- Tell them if there is a special offer or limited times/availability.
- Choose one overall statement to explain why it’s important they use your product or services to answer their particular needs.
- Don’t go in to every tiny detail – it will distract from your message and CTA and, anyway, believe they are quite capable of finding out the details themselves from your page or website if they are interested.
- Think about the positioning of the video in the frame – on Facebook you will have captions running along the bottom (up to 2,200 characters), so don’t place all the important stuff in the bottom third of the screen.
- Don’t spend ages setting the scene and getting going – social adverts need to be interesting from the first frame. Remember you’re competing with all those cat videos!
- It’s a fact that 85% Facebook videos are watched with the sound down, and most people rush to switch down YouTube advert sound as well, so the visuals must be compelling from get go.
- And on the subject of audio, how clearly do you speak? Clear annunciation matters, as does delivery speed – too fast and they won’t be able to hear you properly, too slow and they may very well click away out of frustration. Consider using a voice over artist if appropriate.
At the Beginning…
- Explain briefly who you are and what you do, as it immediately rules out non-ideal customers, but don’t go in to huge detail.
- Mention their specific problem and tell them that you can help them – this gives them a taste of what you will be showing them in a moment and hopefully is enough of a fit to keep them watching.
In the Middle…
- Explain exactly how you can solve their problem or answer their specific needs.
- Use an example if you can. Make it to the point and a compelling short story: “X had this need/problem BUT we did this WITH this good outcome”. If you can get a face to camera testimonial in here from said client, even better.
At the End
- Tell them how to find it/buy it/book it if appropriate.
- Finish with a CTA (call to action).
- Remember you can use the captions here for emphasis and to share the CTA link.
