Tailor your social media ads to your audience’s behaviors

Before writing a script or shooting footage, dive into your audience’s online behaviors to see what they engage with. This will influence the type of video you create, the story you tell, and the social media platforms you use.

Here’s where to start:

Look at your highest-performing social media content. Which videos had the highest engagement or brought in the most sales?
Which social media platforms are your customers most active on?
What social media video trends is your audience engaging with the most?

For example, if your followers are more likely to like and comment on 30-second tutorial videos, you may want to create a short “how-to” ad. Or maybe you see a higher tick in sales after a customer shares a day-in-the-life video highlighting your product. You have the opportunity to create an ad where your brand is incorporated into someone’s daily routine.

In many cases, you can repurpose organic video content into ads as long as they adhere to platform guidelines.

If you have limited data to pull from within your own content, take a look at Meta Ad Library or TikTok Creative Center to see current video trends and performance analytics.

Use storytelling techniques to drive your video marketing strategy

Video storytelling is all about crafting a narrative through visuals, narration, and sound to captivate your audience. The best video marketing ads have a seamless beginning, middle, and end.

When framing your story, here’s a simple three-step framework you can follow.

The beginning: Hook people within the first 3 seconds

This is a crucial part of your video ad because it determines whether or not people will watch until the end. When creating your hook, think about what will spark viewers’ curiosity.

Use intriguing visuals, ask a question, or give a quick teaser of what the video will cover. Think about how you can evoke an emotion, like humor, suspense, or excitement, to keep people invested in how the story unfolds.

The middle: Call out the problem you’re solving

Look back on your audience research and identify common challenges and how your product or service alleviates that pain point. This is where you solidify your brand message.

For example, you can demonstrate a before and after scenario or use a customer testimonial to highlight a transformation. Take viewers through a day in the life of an ideal customer and show how your product or service made their life better. You can also think about using visual metaphors to symbolize the problem you’re solving in a creative way.

Remember to focus on benefits over features. People want to see results and how your product or service will help them.

The ending: A clear call to action

If viewers are staying until the end of your video, you have to guide their next action. Whether you want people to make a purchase, sign up for a course, download an ebook, or learn more about your services, be clear about the next steps you want them to take.

See how these brands incorporated storytelling into their video content

How to Make Your Social Media Video Ads Compelling