The Guide to the creation of mobile video advertising for social networks

According to statista.com, 81% of users are on social networks. It is no wonder, that marketers redirect budgets to SMM and targeted advertising. The time of scrolling the feed is stunning. Facebook and Instagram users spend several hours a day at least, so the influence of social networks in the promotion is rapidly gaining momentum.

Video advertising is a particularly promising segment. In confirmation, we give a few statistics:

• YouTube – users every day initiate 5 billion views;
• Facebook – about 500 million people watch videos every day;
• Twitter – 82% of the audience track video content;
• Snapchat – the counters fix 10 billion views every day.

Forbes predicts that by the end of 2021, video will account for 80% of traffic. There will be a strong preponderance towards the mobile.

The approaches to creating mobile videos for different social networks differ from each other. In this article we will place cards on the table and tell you about competent promotion through video content.

YouTube Video Ads

Ignoring YouTube as a promotion channel, mobile marketers make an unforgivable strategic mistake. 60% of the videos on YouTube are viewed on smartphones. The share ratio in the mobile is incomparably higher than in the desktop.

Not so long ago, video hosting rolled out updates for users of the YouTube application. They included:

• redesign of key elements;
• more "air" interface;
• the ability to view in portrait mode.

Recommendations for creating video ads for YouTube are reduced to a short checklist:

1. The ideal length of the promo for sponsor content is up to 5 minutes. Pay attention to the title. If the image of the brand allows, then do not show disinclination to clickbaits.
2. Be short in prerolls, midrolls and postrolls. It is advisable to fit in 15-30 seconds.
3. In image advertising, avoid keyword targeting. Start your interest-oriented campaigns.
4. Aspect ratio should be 16: 9.
5. Include a call to action in your ad.
6. Choose the right format for the action button, for example, "Go to the site", so that users know exactly what will happen if they click on the advertisement.
7. The best time interval for the appearance of a call to action is from 10 to 30 seconds from the beginning of the video.
8. Choose colors and fonts that match the brand.

Video ads for Facebook

In 2017 – early 2018, Facebook's management was actively pushing video content. Frequent and useful updates encouraged marketers to bet on native videos. The advertising format appears in the news feed and does not irritate users.

To increase the profit from video campaigns running on Facebook, use our tips:

1. Avoid downloading through third-party sites, otherwise quality may be lower.
2. The preferred aspect ratio is 16: 9.
3. Funny videos, DIY video, unpacking cause the greatest positive response (likes, reposts, comments).
4. Facebook promotes the fresh function of Live Streams. Be sure to use the feature on your business pages. This will add you «karma points" on subsequent launches.
5. Stream in hours with the peak activity of your audience.
6. The recommended video length is 1 minute. When this limit is exceeded, viewers lose interest.
7. Maximize the description. Pay attention to readability. Dispose of users from unnecessary work, let them immediately go to view.
8. Think properly about the first 3 seconds of the video. That’s how much the user spends on the solution, whether click on advertising or scroll the feed down.
9. Always use captions, because the clips are played without sound.
10. Make sure that the visual component of your business page echoes the video.
11. Facebook recently unveiled the "Creator" tool. It greatly simplifies the creation and promotion of streaming video.

Video ads for Instagram

There are 800 million active users on Instagram every month. 

Social media was originally created for the mobile. The potential of the platform is hard to overestimate. Many brands smoothly migrated to Instagram. Successful promotion of products consists of 2 factors: the correct video and the correct start time.

Separately worth noting Instagram Stories – an interesting tool for image advertising. 10 second videos are guaranteed to view the users. Although at this stage of the format development, external links can not be attached, the story shows high efficiency in sales. It is advisable to use Stories if you sell goods from an Instagram account or promote a well-known brand.

Using the format you can:

• show exclusive content;
• demonstrate backstage;
• tell how to use the product;
• start a countdown;
• conduct voting;
• to report on shares.

Recommendations for creating video ads in Instagram:

1. The ideal length for video in the feed is from 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. The optimal duration of the story is 10 seconds.
3. Aspect ratio – widescreen or 1: 1 for the feed and portrait mode for Stories.
4. Optimize titles and comments with hashtags (this will increase the likelihood of subscribing to an account by 12%).
5. Use third-party tools such as Boomerang and Layout.
6. To draw attention to the product, include the dynamics in the plot from the first seconds.
7. Do not forget that all the videos in Instagram are played without sound.
8. Choose an intriguing miniature image.
9. Pay attention to the reactions of users.

Video ads for Snapchat

Snapchat brought many innovative features. His appearance led to the emergence of trends in the mobile, which affected the entire structure of Internet marketing. Snapchat provides the user direct access to streams. The platform is a social media in real time.

There are many ways to use Snapchat for marketing. With the help of the network brands conduct live "diaries", telling them about the opening of new stores, daily events, music and social events.

1. The optimal duration of the video for Snapchat is 10 seconds, although not so long ago the social network was updated and allowed you to publish video up to 60 seconds.
2. Aspect ratio – 18: 9, because the users often watch videos vertically.
3. Be sure to set the static first frame, because 22% of viewers leave after the first contact.
4. Motivate the audience with exclusive content or special discounts.
5. Constantly monitor the degree of interaction with the rollers.
6. Do not forget that advertising on Snapchat should be funny and personalized.
7. Mix video with images to create more interesting content.
8. Stay in touch with the targeted  audience 24/7 .

Video ads for Twitter

Twitter is the platform in which news is the most active. Keep in mind, native video on Twitter attracts more attention than links to third-party resources.

General recommendations for mobile video ads running on Twitter:

1. Duration – from 30 seconds to 1 minute.
2. Aspect ratio – 2.39: 1.
3. Choose a clear and understandable miniature to encourage people to watch the video.
4. Add text-based pods to the video, preferably, express an opinion from the first person.
5. To increase the coverage, you can use Twitter Amplify.
6. Check how ads are displayed on different types of mobile devices.

We wish you a successful campaign,and hope you generate millions of views!