Did you know over half of all videos are viewed on mobile? Whether it be ads or branded content, consumers are watching and increasing exponentially on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. If you’re creating content, it’s time to adapt it to the most engaging formats.
Think about you use your mobile. Do you find yourself frequently flicking or scrolling through really quickly? Do you always have sound on or off? Do you turn your phone around or are you watching it vertically? When you take into consideration your own habits, you’ll find that it’s not too dissimilar to most others.
On mobile, people are consuming content fast because their attention span is short. Facebook has confirmed that "47% of a video’s value is delivered in the first three seconds, and 74% is delivered in the first ten seconds - after that, attention starts to decline”. This means that the old school thinking of placing your logo at the end of your 30-second spot is no longer the most effective placement.
"But it’s too expensive to create additional ads for socials”, I hear you say? Well, not necessarily! This can be a rather low-risk and cost-effective exercise if you were to optimise your existing assets for mobile. You don’t have to reshoot any new content. Assess what you do have, and repurpose it. Married with the right branding, relevant messaging, and targeted audience, you’ll have creative that you can test, learn, and maximise for every campaign.
Below is a checklist for adapting your existing assets for Facebook and Instagram:
You have 3 seconds to get the viewer’s attention. Include your brand. Make it iconic, think M&Ms, McDonald's, Red Bull, Nike… what makes them memorable? Is it the font they use? The colours, the tone, or the language?
Set the scene quickly and communicate your campaign message using graphics, motion, or a captivating visual to convey your message. Exchange your original ad voice-over for text or graphic overlay instead to provide context and drive the story quicker.
Have an intriguing and attention-grabbing cover or thumbnail for your video to get your viewer to stop or scroll back up.
Vertical and square videos perform better compared to horizontal ones so optimise your videos to spec. 4:5 ratio for Instagram and 2:3 for Facebook feed.
Get creative and make it dynamic! Incorporate split screens or grids, adopt a montage, turn it into a GIF, loop it, or increase speed to add more layers and detail to your story.
Your product or promotion needs to be front, centre and obvious. There’s no time to waste!
Your ad should work with sound and without sound.
Explore alternative outputs for in-stream at 6-seconds and 15-seconds.
In summary, if you’re looking to create a bigger impact, think big but with small changes. Sounds easier than it is, but when you take on the challenge and see the results for yourself, you’ll understand that it’s worth the time and extra effort.