Not using Facebook video for advertising?

I’m not going to beat around the bush. You’re making a mistake. In fact, I think Facebook video marketing may be the single best way to increase conversions and sales for your business.

That’s a bold statement, but I can back it up. People watch a huge amount of video on Facebook:

• Videos on Facebook get more than 8 billion views per day
• Facebook users watch more than 100 million hours of video on the platform each day
• Forbes estimates that half a billion people watch at least some video on Facebook each day
• Facebook videos have an engagement rate of 6.3%, which is almost twice as high as YouTube videos

See what I mean? Just a few years ago, video marketing on Facebook was seen as cutting edge. Now, it’s the norm. If you’re not doing it, you are losing customers to your competitors. It’s just that simple.

How to Capture Your Audience with Video Advertising on Facebook

So, you know you need to be using video to appeal to your audience. What you may not know is that there are some specific qualities your video most have to work on Facebook. Here are some of the things your video should do if you want your campaign to be successful.

Grab the Viewer’s Attention Quickly

A recent Nielsen survey found that as much as 70% of an advertising video’s impact can be felt in the first 10 seconds. That means you’ve got only a limited time to grab your audience’s attention.

Video ads on Facebook play automatically in the feed – we’ll talk more about that later. That means that you have a unique opportunity to grab a viewer’s attention as they scroll past.

The key is to use powerful visuals right at the beginning of your video. You’ll need something that is visually engaging, surprising, and gets your point across quickly.

One example we like comes from Purple Mattress. This video features two Sumo wrestlers on top of a Purple mattress and it’s designed to demonstrate the strength of the mattress pad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R436jo1Q1c

When you watch it, you’ll notice that the Sumo wrestlers appear at about 9 seconds. I think it might have been even more effective if they’d started with the Sumo wrestlers and then cut to the announcer. But as it is, the colorful video with its surprising visuals captured viewers’ attention.

To make the most of your Facebook marketing video, think of a strong visual story that demonstrates the uniqueness of your product. Then, introduce the story at the beginning of the video, ideally within the first 5 seconds.

Allow Viewers to Watch without Sound

The next thing your video must do is work without sound. Facebook videos in the feed play automatically, but viewers must opt to use sound. You can (and should) make it clear that they can click for sound, but your video should make its point even if a viewer doesn’t do that.

There are, of course, several ways that you can get by without sound:

1. Create a video that’s all about visuals and doesn’t require any sound at all.
2. Use bold titles and graphics on the screen.
3. Include subtitles in your video.
4. Create an animated video to tell your story.
5. Add a “tap for sound” reminder on the screen.

Some people may be scrolling Facebook in a place where playing the sound on your video is not an option. The reason you want to make your video compelling without sound is to capture their attention.

Here’s an example we like from the website Tastemade, which features recipes, cooking advice, travel videos, and more. They created their Tiny Kitchen series to capture attention on Facebook – and they did it without any sound.

Here’s one video they created. It shows a human chef preparing food in a tiny kitchen. The only sound is incidental. With the hands there for scale, it grabs attention immediately and kept viewers watching all 13 minutes of the demo – showing that a Facebook video doesn’t need to be short to be compelling.

https://www.facebook.com/tastemade/videos/1018515984902235/

This was a Facebook Live video that grabbed more than 3.8 million view and was shared more than 17,000 times. Why? Because its surprising content and visually compelling style made people stop and pay attention.

Tell a Story

There’s plenty of evidence to show that stories are an effective form of marketing. Stories engage our brains by triggering an emotional response. An effective advertising story may be moving or humorous. It can be long or short.

One of the most effective things you can do is to find ways to tell a story that supports your brand’s personality and message. You don’t necessarily need a lot of time to do that, but you do need imagination.

Here’s an example I like from the company MeUndies. They claim to sell the most comfortable underwear in the world, but their story is not just about comfort. On their website, they say, “Finding underwear that makes you feel good is an easy way to boost your mood and your confidence.”

How do they get that across in a video? Check out this short video – it’s only 21 seconds long – that features a man wearing the company’s glow-in-the-dark Star Wars briefs to act out his fantasy of being Darth Vader:

This video gets is message across quickly. It uses a pop culture reference to one of the most successful film franchises of all time with a dash of humor as the man in the video realizes that his towel looks like Darth Vader’s helmet.

MeUndie’s Facebook video campaigns ultimately reached more than 1.4 million viewers and garnered them a 97% increase in incremental purchases.

Capturing your audience on Facebook might not be easy…

But, it’s achievable if you follow these three key tips. Compelling visuals and an interesting story will ensure that people can appreciate your video even if they choose not to turn on the sound. And since most people will see your ad as they scroll down their feed, grabbing their attention in the first five seconds is a must.

And, considering that Facebook ads get a whopping 9.21% conversion rate across all industries, it’s time to stop pretending that you can afford not to create video campaigns on Facebook. Your customers are waiting for you on Facebook – and the right kind of marketing video can help you find them.