5 Tips for Creating Compelling Facebook Video Ads

Business 11/06/2019 3 min read

Whether you are a Facebook lover or a Facebook hater, one thing is for sure, it’s one of the best ways to get in front of a targeted audience to help you sell your products or services—and Facebook videos ads are a high-performing option.

The Facebook ad machine generated over 17 billion dollars in 2015. Much of that in video ads. See, Facebook also gets 8 billion video views a day. In other words, people love watching videos on Facebook. So logically, creating video ads for Facebook is a good idea.

However, just randomly creating video ads and throwing them up in the feed will not guarantee conversions. Here are some key components to think about when creating video ads for Facebook.

Facebook Video Ad Tips

1. Capture Attention Quickly

Facebook has a built-in feature that will autoplay a video as soon as the user scrolls across it. This means, your video will get a chance to be seen without any effort from the user. However, Facebook serves up a ton of content, and users can’t be expected to sit for too long if they are bored.

You need to get their attention quickly. Make sure your video has a compelling intro that will immediately hook them in. Whether that means you start with a bang, with a laugh, or just give them important information right away, don’t waste any time. Every second counts.

For inspiration on engaging video openers and intros, check out the Motion Array marketplace!

2. Promote the Call to Action Earlier in the Video

Along that same train of thought, don’t push your call to action to the end of the video. There is a very common formula for TV ads that puts a call to action at the end of the video. Tell a story and wrap it up with a call to action. This was great when we were all forced to watch ads all the way through.

But when a user can quickly move on (and they likely will), it’s best to get a call to action in sooner. You can still wrap your video with the traditional call to action. But assume that your viewer won’t make it to the end, so start prompting them as early as you can.

3. Optimize for Muted Videos

We talk a lot about the importance of good sound in your videos. The right music, sound effects, and quality VO can go a long way. But remember that with Facebook video ads that might be a moot point. Or should we say a “mute” point?

By default, Facebook video ads run without sound. A viewer can choose to turn the sound on, so good sound is still important, but about 85% of video ads are actually watched without sound.

This means that all of your important information needs to be conveyed visually. Motion graphics and subtitles can really help here. Try watching your video without sound to make sure that it’s clear, and test it with people who haven’t seen it before without sound, so you know nothing is getting lost in the silence.

4. Be Concise

All of the points above lead to one thought. Be concise in your video. While a great and engaging story can perform very well under the right circumstances, most viewers will be quickly scrolling by, catching a glimpse without sound, and moving on if they are bored.

Be as concise as possible in your messaging, and make sure you have the best chance to inform the viewer with as little time and information as possible.

Long story short…. keep the long story short.

5. A/B Test Video Variants

If you have the opportunity, one of the best ways to really maximize the potential of your video ad is through A/B testing.

To do this, create a few different versions of your ad. Try using a different type, rearranging your timeline, or even altering your message. Then run both ads for a little while and see which performs better.

If you create one ad and run it, it can be hard to tell what works and doesn’t. But multiple versions will let you figure out what works best and save money in the end.


Creating a compelling Facebook video ad is part art and part science. You can never be completely sure what will work and what won’t. But following these tips will definitely give you a leg up as you float through the “feed” of your potential customers.