You’ve probably experienced how effective videos are for your own organic marketing. They capture your audience’s attention, create the know-like-trust factor, and keep you competitive in your industry (81% of businesses are now using video for organic marketing) but I want to share some staggering statistics with you…

• People watch an average of 16 hours of online video per week, which is a 52% increase in the last two years.
• Social video generates 1200% more shares than text and image content combined. 
• Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text.
• 96% of people have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.
• 86% of people would like to see more videos from brands. (source https://www.wordstream.com/)

The data is impressive and supports the use of using video to get your message out online.

That’s why video is fabulous for organic marketing and paid marketing!

But, not just *any* video should be used for an ad.

Before you invest money in running video ads on Facebook, consider the following best practices:

Video Marketing Best Practices

• Short videos are best. The audience is busy and distracted. To keep their attention, keep your message short. I recommend less than one minute. 

• Always caption your video. 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. Captions are essential on all videos, paid or organic.

• Film in horizontal orientation. Vertical videos do not fit all ad placements so they will be cropped to fit. It would be unfortunate to have your head, or other important aspects of your video, cropped out!

• Don’t overthink production quality. You don’t need to hire a videographer! A video of you walking down the street filming with your smartphone works great! It’s authentic and real. People love that! That style of video typically blends in with the newsfeed so it doesn’t stand out as an “ad.” You can also reuse your Instagram Reels for your ads. Those are working really well right now.

I often get asked WHAT people should say during their video! Here’s my 5 point formula that helps clients stay on topic and get their message across in under a minute!

5-Point Video Script for Successful Video Ads

1. Hook the viewers in by speaking to their pain points or desires. This helps them understand immediately that your video is for them.
2. Introduce yourself in one or two quick sentences, positioning yourself as the authority in your industry and why they should listen to what you have to say.
3. Introduce your offer. 
4. Share the transformation your offer provides and why they need it! This is an essential piece of the formula. Be sure to address how you can help relieve their pain points or achieve their desires.
5. Call to Action. End your video with the information the viewer will need to clearly understand how to get your offer. You can say, “Register now.” or “Click the link to download.”

Once you have outlined your video script, practice it a few times to test the timing. 

Then, create the video. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Keep it natural and conversational.

If you feel like you are rushing to get done under 60 seconds, cut some of the script out by shortening a sentence or two. It’s amazing how efficiently we can share our messages if we plan ahead!

Want more insight to assist with your video marketing strategy?  Connect with me on a call! https://calendly.com/ngadvertising/call