How to make a video ad that works on Facebook and Instagram

A video ad that works is short, designed for mobile, and understandable without sound. Video keeps taking up a bigger share of social media consumption, and a well-made video ad grows both awareness and sales. Below are six practical tips to make a video ad stop the scroll and get your message across.

1. Design for mobile first

The vast majority of video ads are watched on a phone. A vertical video, with a 4:5 or 9:16 aspect ratio, fills the screen and grabs attention better than a horizontal one. So design the frame vertically from the start, don’t crop a horizontal shot after the fact.

2. Keep the video short

A scroller gives any single piece of content just a moment. Meta recommends videos of roughly 15 seconds at most, and a short ad is more likely to be watched to the end. If the message fits in ten seconds, don’t stretch it to fifteen.

3. Get to the point right away

The first three seconds decide whether the viewer stays. Bring out the most important thing right away. The traditional dramatic arc, where tension builds toward the end, doesn’t work on social media, because no one sticks around for the end.

4. Show the brand early

Show your logo, brand colors, or another recognizable element right at the start. When the brand appears in the first few seconds, it sticks even when the viewer scrolls past before the end.

5. Design the video to work without sound

A large share of social videos are watched on mute. The ad has to get its message across with visuals and captions alone, and also work with sound for those who are listening. It’s always worth adding captions.

6. Deliver value to the viewer

A good ad entertains, teaches, or convinces. Show how the product is used or what it’s good for, don’t just present it. Consider where in the buying journey the viewer is.

Bonus: don’t wait for perfect

A video ad doesn’t require expensive gear. Even a little movement in the frame is enough to catch attention, and testing different versions shows you what works. The best format is often a mix of static and moving images, since video isn’t everyone’s preferred way to watch.

We help with planning and producing video ads as part of visual ad production.