Facebook advertising is an effective method of engaging with a highly targeted audience base. However, there are many decisions you must make beyond what location and demographics to target. The most pressing of these decisions is whether you should invest in Facebook video ads or a Facebook image ads.
Quality Is Key
When it comes to image ad vs. video ad, quality must be the first thing that must come to mind. If the image quality is poor or irrelevant, or the video quality is poor—your ad won’t convert. That being said, FB does have some built-in features that help to ensure that a high level of quality is delivered.
Not Every Ad Needs A Video
When you read the impressive rates of engagement of the average Facebook video ad campaign, you might assume it is the only way to go. However, some ads simply don’t need a video to be engaging. A powerful graphic, relevant cartoon, standout quote, or an attention-grabbing photo and headline is often enough to encourage engagement. Since your audience is hyper-targeted, your ad is only going to populate with pre-qualified leads. In comparison to most other types of image ads, you are already ahead of the game. Don’t write off Facebook image ads until you have tested at least a few different angels. It’s also easier to test image ads, because it’s more cost-effective to create a new headline and/or image than it is a new video.
Video Can Be Quite Powerful
Facebook video ads receive 10 to 30 percent more views, and populate up to 11 times larger in news feeds. A short and sweet, yet relevant video is more impactful and more memorable. Video is also more likely to be shared—then say an image ad featuring your five top selling bottles of wine. You can also experiment with the engaging videos that are less product or service focused, and more target-audience centered. Again, testing a few different videos is the way to go. At the very least, test the same video with a few different headlines.
Don’t Forget That You Can Add More Than One Photo To A Facebook Image Ad
Another thing to keep in mind when weighing image ad vs video ad, is that you can create a carousel slider with multiple images. This allows you a visually engaging alternative to video, and provides you with multiple options to display what you are advertising. For example, you could show three different handbags—or the same dress from a few different angles.
Regardless of which way you go, you certainly can’t underestimate the value and power of a well-thought-out Facebook ad. As with anything new, be strategic by starting with a low test budget, and testing at least two different ads. Also, play close attention to the analytics provided by FB—which are designed to help you further target and improve your ads next time they go live.