Over the past few years, I’ve discovered that many of the businesses I consult with are getting the Highest Return on Investment (ROI) from running video ads on Facebook and Instagram. This is great news for marketing professionals like me who know that people respond in higher numbers—and buy more—from video ads than any other format. Another bonus, Facebook and Instagram allow you to specifically target the prospects you’re looking for, which in my experience makes them the two most powerful social platforms for promoting rapid business growth.
Content is King
“Not brute force but only persuasion and faith are the kings of this world.” ~ Thomas Carlyle
One of the early lessons I learned in TV advertising was that video content is more important than video production quality. This has become increasingly true with the proliferation of mobile devices. Everybody is a videographer! As a result, we have become far less dazzled by slick production value. A great example of this is in the creation of consumer testimonials. Reliably, the footage I snag on the fly at a trade show booth with a hand-held camera ALWAYS works better than a nicely produced talking head in a studio—and for considerably less cost. This is even truer with online video. People are used to watching inexpensive, self-produced video every day, like the kind you might capture on your mobile phone. Just like the testimonial example above, there is an authenticity to this home-grown content that we’re familiar with and used to responding to.
Know Your Viewer
“Never write to a crowd. Crowds don’t write checks or even read. Individuals do. Write to your brother, sister, or best friend, never to a targeted prospect.” ~ Jim Rutz, copywriter
Facebook has a targeting system that is second to none and because of the amount of data Facebook collects, you can accurately target just about any group you’re after. Also, because Facebook ads are connected to Instagram ads, you can run both in a single campaign, connecting you to audiences on both platforms. Because the goal of these platforms is to put your content in front of users—without waiting for them to find you—marketers buying ads on Facebook and Instagram have a tremendous advantage. The key to converting these ads into sales is to ensure that your content is going to appeal to your end viewer.
Here’s how I classify the three major categories of buying audiences:
Cold: A “cold audience” is generally not ready to purchase your product. They likely don’t know or care about your brand. Cold audiences will usually respond to direct response video ads that offer links to more information, demos, video brochures, free e-books, and video links.
Warm: A “warm prospect” is aware of the problem your brand is addressing, and they want to make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase your solution. I find that if I can deliver more information about my product to this audience, then my brand will become authoritative and trustworthy. Warm audiences respond best to direct response videos that offer more information, promotions, e-books, and tools.
Hot: This sub-set of prospects is highly aware of their problem and they’ll choose your brand’s solution if you can ensure them that their particular concerns will be addressed by purchasing your product. “Hot audiences” are most susceptible to direct response videos that call for direct sales and/or leads.
Kurt Bullock, founder and CEO of Produce Department, a Facebook Ad Agency, is one of the best at developing relevant content and delivering to these targeted groups. Kurt built his own brands from scratch using paid ads on Facebook and his “trial by fire” experience has placed him in an ideal position to advise his clients (mostly Shopify stores). I found Kurt through an email he sent out about using video on Facebook. His philosophy on video really resonated with me, and his success in driving sales using Facebook and Instagram ads especially appealed to me as I am now using both in my own marketing campaigns.
Following are highlights from a conversation I had with Kurt earlier this year, the full transcript for which is in my new book, Video Persuasion.
- For top-of-funnel content (“cold audiences”), get the founder/inventor of the product to turn the camera on themselves and tell viewers what business they run and why they do it. People love these direct messages—where they see for themselves what the company does and how their products get made. This authentic approach can be a lot more believable than other kinds of ads.
- Square, a new placement recently introduced by Facebook, works well across both Facebook and Instagram platforms, and it is especially effective with top-of-funnel (and middle funnel) audiences.
- Social proof ads work effectively for middle funnel (“warm audiences”) and bottom funnel (“hot audiences”) audiences. A simple slide show, for example, with five slides, including a product image, a lifestyle image, and five stars followed by a short review, help convince this consumer group that your brand has the solution to their problem.
- Vertical video is also effective for converting sales among warm audiences, particularly in Instagram story format, because it takes up the whole phone screen and really grabs the viewer’s attention.
Tips for Making Videos
I asked Kurt how he makes his videos, and his answer reinforced my own experience that content matters more than high quality production value. While he said he tries a variety of approaches, he often starts by getting the founder/inventor to do a walk-through video. This is a process I’ve talked a lot about in my earlier blogs—the art and science of creating video that sells; of finding the key that unlocks the safe to your marketing sales. Kurt and I both agreed that solving the mystery of what makes your video work is the most fun of the entire process!
For more information about the steps involved in creating video ads for Facebook, check out the great information that Facebook itself has assembled for you at https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/video-ad-format. Also available by Facebook and Instagram are the following resources:
- “The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Video Ads,” also from Digital Marketer, at https://www.digitalmarketer.com/blog/facebook-video-ads/
- For more information on Instagram ads https://www.agorapulse.com/blog/instagram-ad-features
Finally, if you want to move on from producing simple videos on your smart phone, here is the best resource I’ve found that covers basic video equipment needed:
Digital Marketer https://www.digitalmarketer.com/blog/video-marketing-tools/
To get more great video marketing information, please visit my website at rickcesari.com and you can download, for free, my e-book on the three most effective types of online content. I go into great depth explaining this information, how to create it, and how it can benefit you.
Have a question? The answer is only an email away.