New Facebook Video Advertising is Standing Out

You may have recently noticed that video advertising on your Facebook newsfeed have begun to play automatically as you scroll past them.  You may have also noticed that these videos do not include audio until you click and enlarge them.  Why this change in formatting, and what does it mean for businesses sharing their marketing videos on the social media platform?

Just as Facebook’s text advertising allowances prove, the company understood that it needed a marketing and advertising solution that would satisfy sponsors while keeping the average user interested and un-hassled by obtrusive advertisements.  According to Josh Constine in his article on Tech Crunch, “The company knew that if it was going to grow to reach its full potential and become one of the most used parts of the Internet, advertising had to be subtle and it had to fit in…The strategy worked. Users were pestered by the ads, but not enough to quit the social network, and Facebook continued to grow into the 1.19 billion user juggernaut it is now.” Since so many businesses have come to understand the power of video advertising, Facebook took the same attitude when creating new guidelines.  Users will be forced to see the advertisements, but they do not have to tune in fully unless they choose to do so.

Though this was a sensible, logical move on Facebook’s part, these new protocols may bring about some difficulties for companies and their advertising departments.  Now, if they want their videos to succeed on the social media channel, they will have to create video advertisements that rely solely on visuals to gain audience attention — a task that may be harder than one would think.  Of course, advertisers could superimpose subtitles on their videos, but this measure alone is not nearly enough to engage viewers.

One way to overcome this obstacle is obvious: produce bold, striking visuals.  Facebook users have begun to see videos that are more color-saturated, contain bizarre images, and employ quick, sharp transitions.  Furthermore, ensuring that videos are of the highest quality is now of paramount importance for advertisers.

“This is good news,” says Producer, John Haslam, “as there is a growing need for high quality, creative content that can be guaranteed by large production companies such as Skystorm Productions”.

A great example of overcoming the silent advertisement dilemma comes from Summit Entertainment with their advertisement for the recently released film “Divergent,” which Facebook has been using as a test-run for the video strategy. Notice that the images are sharp and transitions are quick and crisp, and bold lettering helps reinforce the advertisement’s purpose.  These elements create a compelling trailer that urges viewers to enlarge the video and listen to dialogue.

Ultimately, treat your video advertisement as though it were a movie trailer.  Focus on the storytelling elements of your commercial, and remember to show your messages, rather than tell them.  With high-quality, engaging video, your audience will certainly take notice.