In the past decade, Facebook has become a household name. Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that this is one of the most powerful platforms for sharing, posting, and watching online videos. Indeed, users watch over 100 million hours of videos every day. However, the user behavior on Facebook differs from that on YouTube or even television. With people mostly watching Facebook videos on their smartphones, the platform came up with Facebook silent video ads.
As a result, publishers and brands have to compete in a soundless environment on this social network. They have to keep one thing in mind:
- To attract customers, you should use videos, but make them work without any sound.
Admittedly, this is a challenge for advertisers. There’s a chance that their video ad with intense music and shocking revelation isn’t going to excite attention as viewers scroll down the feed while commuting with the sound off. What does this imply? Well, it means that they need to rethink the whole idea of “video” for Facebook.
In the past, Facebook said that 40% of video ads weren’t as effective without the sound on. Even though the audio is gone, brands still feel the pressure to convert as many customers as possible. Therefore, businesses need to change their perception of videos and, more importantly, silent videos because of this new environment.
We know the journey won’t be an easy process. That’s why we’ve created this guide to Facebook silent video ads to help you. Let’s see what we have for you!
Facebook Silent Video Ads: No Verbal Storytelling
Although Facebook is hosting around 8 billion video views per day, a vast majority of these views happen in silence. To be specific, 85% of video views occur with the sound off. This creates a completely uncharted territory for marketers. How can you deliver your message in silence? Believe it or not, it’s possible, but you need to master telling a story without saying anything.
We have some tips for you on how to achieve this.
Your Script Needs to Work With or Without Dialogue
Every video production starts with a script. But in the world of Facebook silent video ads, you have to create a script that doesn’t depend on dialogue.
If you’re a content creator, you probably know that readers often skim your articles or leave the page before the end. You can create the most compelling content, but sometimes you can’t win against the short attention span of your readers. Similarly, most Facebook users won’t listen to your videos.
Furthermore, this might seem odd because traditional videos usually combine visuals and audio. But trends are always evolving, so you need to adjust to every change in the industry. When creating Facebook silent video ads, you need to come up with a script that will work even without any sound. This means that some video types aren’t destined to be on this social media platform. You can immediately forget about interviews because they won’t be as effective.
Here, context is key, and you should use a powerful visual narrative.
Use Bold Visuals
Okay, there’s no audio to reach your viewer’s ear. But there is something eye-catching. We’re talking about visuals. To avoid users not seeing your video ad, make sure to use bold and big images in it. Otherwise, they’ll just scroll past the ad and focus on funny posts, celebrity gossip, and viral videos.
Choose the images that are so effective they’ll stick in your customer’s mind even when they move to some other content on their mobile devices. If they remember your digestible silent content, viewers are more likely to slow down and watch new posts from you.
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Place the Call-to-Action Strategically
Call-to-actions (CTAs) are an essential part of videos. Although technically not in the video itself, CTAs play an important role in conversions. You need to make two decisions here. Firstly, you need to decide which CTA will produce the best results. Secondly, you need to determine where you will place the CTA in the video.
Ultimately, the CTA is there to urge people to click the button. If you can’t make the above two choices, you can always rely on A/B/n testing and try different variations. For instance, you can place the CTA:
- At the opening
- In the middle
- At the end
So, we’ve covered this silent storytelling. Let’s now see which visuals you can use to become successful at Facebook silent video ads.
Facebook Silent Video Ads: Visual Aid
True, there’s no sound which is a bummer, but at least you can still use visuals. Images to the rescue! If you wonder how to pull this off, we’ve prepared some tactics you can use to create engaging Facebook silent video ads. There’s no way a user will scroll down Facebook’s news feed without noticing the following visuals.
Use Animations
As moving images, animations are probably the best choice for silent videos. They help you make an easy and effective transition to these videos. If you can’t set aside a huge budget for video marketing, animations are a great alternative. After all, animated videos don’t require sets, cameras, actors, or similar. So, you won’t incur extra expenses.
For animations to be effective, you need to create a script that can work without a voice-over. In this way, the silent ad will be more suitable for Facebook’s requirements.
Make Graphics Large
Do you need some extra help to get your point across without any audio? Then you can take things to the next level and start using large titles to emphasize the key parts of your video. Also, if you want your video ad to be really eye-catching, you can add flashy transitions. But make sure that they go with your brand. Don’t forget to retain consistency as well.
What’s more, another trick is to keep the title or point at the top of the video throughout its duration. This is quickly becoming popular among brands because it helps them overcome the silent issue. Namely, with these titles, viewers know what the video is about even if they didn’t pay attention at the beginning.
Add Subtitles
Sometimes you might feel like you can’t really deliver your message without using words. If this is the case, you can always add subtitles to your videos. Luckily for you, Facebook actually has a software that helps you automatically add captions.
However, before you publish your Facebook silent video ad, it’s wise to review the captions. Although advanced, this technology can’t get every word right. So, locate errors and edit them to provide clarity for your viewers.
Hook Your Audience as Soon as Possible
Every veteran content creator knows how important it is to capture your audience’s attention right away. According to Facebook, 65% of people who watch the first three seconds of a video ad will continue to do so for at least ten seconds. So, you should come up with videos and thumbnail images that can hook your viewers immediately.
To achieve this, you can try using your brand colors, themes, and imagery. It’s time for you to show your creativity. Pique your customers’ curiosity. Develop an introduction that makes people stop and think: “Wait, what is that?”
Additionally, look for inspiration around you. You might want to review movie trailers or commercials that stand out for you and take a cue from them.
Facebook Silent Video Ads: Silence Won’t Stop You
Today, every social media platform looks to create the best user experience. For Facebook this means silencing video content so that it doesn’t disrupt that experience. However, having no sound in your video ads shouldn’t stop you from succeeding. There are many other ways to attract the attention of your customers without any music. We hope that our article on Facebook silent video ads will help you master them and reach a wider audience.
