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Do Video Ads Work?

video ads

Video ads seem to be everywhere – but do they actually work? Marketing on social media can be difficult, so we put this guide together to help address some common questions. Keep reading to learn more about video ads, the types of platforms you can share them on, and what kinds work best.

What Are Video Ads?

This type of marketing strategy involves leveraging videos to advertise your brand, products, and services. Many companies use them for promotions, presenting how-to guides, live streaming events, and even customer testimonials.

For example, if you are launching a new product, you can use a video ad to increase customer awareness. Another way you can use videos is to target existing customers and offer upgrades to their current services!

Video ads can be very versatile because you determine the goal of the marketing campaign. Unlike traditional photo and text ads, you can add things like music and video clips to capture your audience’s attention and boost engagement. Likewise, you can carefully craft your message to resonate with your target audience and maximize the impact.

The numbers behind video ads don’t lie, either. Users are more likely to engage with your brand organically through video advertising than they are with any other type of advertising!

The Various Platforms You Can Promote Them On

One of the many reasons that video advertising is so popular is the wide variety of platforms you can share them on. Here are a few of the top video ad platforms:

Facebook

Facebook is the most frequently used social media platform, and more than half of its users open the app multiple times a day. It also has one of the largest user bases in the world, second only to YouTube!

The average video ad is about 15 seconds in length but note that the audio is muted by default. Most brands add captions and subtitles to address this.

YouTube

As we mentioned, YouTube has the most users out of any online platform. Many advertisers choose to place video ads on this site to increase their reach and boost engagement. Unlike many other options, YouTube keeps the audio on as the default.

Instagram

Another great platform for video ads is Instagram. Although the length is capped at 16 seconds, the fact that it uses Facebook’s targeting algorithm makes it an ideal place to launch your marketing campaign. Instagram also has a much younger audience and is growing at a rapid pace.

The Video Ads that Work Best

It’s important to note that not all video ads are created equally – some work better than others!

The best video ads focus on telling a story. They are not focused on blasting a call to action or selling a product – customers don’t want hard sell while they are watching a video. Instead, make it interesting and compelling enough that your viewers will want to keep watching.

Getting the right video length is essential too. A lot of the platforms allow users to skip an ad after 5 to 15 seconds, so the beginning needs to be as engaging as possible. Consider using humor or another marketing strategy that grabs people’s attention right away.

Similarly, don’t forget to consider SEO optimization with your video ads. Without adding the proper tags and backlinks, they won’t show up on the right audience’s news feeds!