What You Need to Know About Video Advertising on Social Media Platforms

Ad varieties on Facebook and Instagram have been relatively stagnant since the social media giants became large advertising platforms for businesses and publishers years ago. Most ads feature a single photo with an accompanying message that users scroll through or view for just long enough to understand that they are looking at an advertisement – only to keep scrolling through their feeds. Now a known practice, regular advertisements lack the appeal that keeps consumers interested. This conventional advertising style is now being replaced by interactive video ads that allows consumers to move their mouse over a promo to access information about a brand in a new and exciting way. Facebook and Instagram are some of the first social media platforms to embrace the video format as they seek to help companies refresh their advertising strategies.

The new format has been tested by several companies, all of which saw incredible results through massive growths in view counts and clicks on their ads. These ads work particularly well on mobile devices, as the interactive features are much more effective through a touch screen. Apps like Snapchat have helped advertisers utilize video in a more effective way by making content fit better into the native user experience.

Companies such as Birchbox have seen significant increases in brand recognition and ad recall amongst consumers since employing social media video advertising in order to successfully interest users in their products. “Instagram has been an incredibly effective engagement-driver among our current customers, so we wanted to leverage the platform in a creative way to reach new audiences as well. This video series was fun, friendly and cheerful – authentically showcasing what Birchbox is all about – and we saw a significant lift in brand awareness as a result”, said Rachel Jo Silver, Director of Social Marketing at Birchbox.

Revolutionary interactive advertisements promise to engage more consumers than passive advertisements, which have conditioned social media users to recognize and ignore the presented information. Video ads captivate users through eye-catching content, capitalizing on genuine interest and creating a much more natural experience for advertising. The new approach holds great potential for all platforms as they seek to revive advertisement efficiency and interest.