If you’ve been wondering if it pays to make the leap from online image ads to short-form video the answer is most likely a resounding, YES! Even with the added production costs, video is too powerful to be ignored.
According to Social Media Today, video is the best performing content type on all social platforms. Video wins on engagement, response, shares and other metrics.
Consider these mind-blowing video ad statistics:
- Facebook: Video gains 2-3x higher click-throughs and a 20-30% increase in conversions compared to image ads (adQuadrant)
- Instagram: Video posts gain 60% more engagement than photo posts (Hootsuite)
- Twitter: Video delivers 10x more engagement and 50% savings on cost per engagement (Social Media Today)
- LinkedIn: Video delivers 3x the engagement as text posts (LinkedIn)
- YouTube: Best ROI for video with 34.6 billion visits per month (the world’s second most popular website after Google).
What qualifies a short-form video ad? Anything under 1-minute.
66% percent of video ads are less than 30 seconds. That makes sense given the well-known fact that you only have 2 seconds to gain a consumer’s attention. After that, you must compel viewers to click as quickly as possible – before they lose interest and blow past your ad.
What length is best? That depends.
Video ads are growing shorter along with our attention spans. That said, your video length should be driven by the complexity of your product or service and how long it takes to communicate your primary selling points to a given audience. If your ad is highly targeted and super-relevant, then you can probably achieve more with less.
Prefer ads that can’t be skipped? Go ultra-short.
Most pre-roll ads on YouTube and other platforms can be skipped after 5 seconds. If you design your ad to fit within that constraint it will be viewed in its entirety almost anywhere to make a quick impression. YouTube also offers non-skippable ads in formats up to 20 seconds.
These ultra-short video formats are best for general awareness, preheat campaigns or for echoing the key message of a longer video ad withing the same campaign.
No matter how short a format you choose, the popularity of video is on a permanent upward trend that cannot be ignored. As with any tactic in a direct marketing campaign, it pays to perform A/B testing and integrate with other media for optimal click-throughs, leads and conversions.
