Why You Should Choose Video Over Static Ads

In the past decade, social media advertising has become commonplace for businesses of all sizes. B2C and B2B businesses alike have found new ways to target potential clients using sponsored static and video posts via social media. Video is quickly emerging as the more engaging medium, particularly with newer digital marketing channels like over-the-top advertising. Over 86% of businesses currently use video marketing, and if your company isn’t already producing similar content, you could be falling behind. 

Learn More: Social Media Video Ad Specs & Placements Guide

Why You Should Use Video Marketing

Video goes beyond static marketing by combining audio and visual cues. On average, people retain  95% of what they see in a video versus 10% of what they read in an ad. Video ads are effective, consistently delivering a high return on investment. 

When polled,  93% of video marketing professionals said they had gained customers through social media videos. Watching videos is one of the most popular activities on Facebook with over 500 million people watching each day. Let’s quickly double-click into Facebook and how marketers use the platform to leverage video.

According to a recent report by Databox, while marketers leverage videos and static images in an almost equal balance (52% versus 48% respectively), when it comes to the results of each asset, that gap is far greater. When looking at Clicks, marketer’s found that videos drove almost 30% more clicks than simply static image assets. When asked why this is, Taylor Hurff from 1SEO theorized, ““As consumers, we’ve gotten better at digesting content while scrolling, making it easier to scroll through images without giving the posts the time of day. With videos, you inherently have an extra second to grab the user’s attention. Capitalizing on this with engaging video content to back it up is key.”

Producing engaging video ads lets you reach these millions of users while they’re already online and engaged. 

RELATED: How to Turn Photos into Video Ads That Stand Out

The Pros and Cons of Video Ads 

Video ads let you catch and hold a user’s attention. Whether you’re creating a sponsored video for social media or a short, 15-second ad that runs over other video content, an engaging ad helps you build brand recognition. Videos can improve organic searches for your brand by as much as 157%. 

Video lets you reach mobile users as well. Mobile video streaming is consistently increasing in popularity.  Creating video ads helps potential customers find you when they’re on the go and in your area. 

Time commitment is a potential drawback to creating video ads. It takes skill and creativity to master the art of video production. You need to understand the basic principles of video and design to create ads that are engaging and memorable. 

Video marketing production is also more expensive. While you can shoot and edit videos with most mobile phones, higher-quality video ads usually require at least some up-front investment. Without knowing how to compose and shoot a video or create an animated video, your ad could end up looking less professional than ads by your competitors. 

The Pros and Cons of Static Ads

While static ads aren’t as successful as video, there are still instances in which you might want to consider them. Static ads are easier and less expensive to produce, and they typically let you reach a wider audience. Since you build static ads with a wide range of customers, you can place them on many different platforms. 

Static ads also put your call-to-action front and center. You can create static banner ads with strong copy that clearly communicates your benefit to potential users and entices them to click on your website. If you’re running an ad with a simple message and you don’t want to invest a lot of money in the campaign, a static ad might be more appropriate.  

But static ads are far less effective than video. Video ads usually have a  25% higher impression rate than static ads. They also drive more social media engagement

How to Create the Best Video Ads

You have a lot of options available depending on which channel you use to run your video ads. Make them memorable by following these best practices. 

Lead With the Important Information

Many platforms, including YouTube, give viewers the option to skip videos after 10-15 seconds. Put important information at the front of your video to hook your viewers before they have the chance to skip your ad. 

Optimize for Mobile

Since mobile customers will see your video while scrolling social media, make sure your video looks good on these devices. When you create your ad, see how it looks on smaller screens. Look at it both ways on a mobile device to see if any of the messaging gets lost in this format. 

Stay on Message

Fun and engaging videos are great for catching a viewer’s attention, but they should align with your brand. Use your video to show how your product or service adds value to potential customers. Focus on showing how you can meet the customer’s needs instead of using an overly creative concept that has nothing to do with your company. 

LEARN MORE: 5 Best B2B Video Marketing Types for Brands

Video Ads versus Static Ads: The Takeaway

It should come as no surprise that we think video ads are the only option for marketers to make impressions in our modern content ecosystem. While “pivot-to-video” became a far more complex industry shift than anyone would have anticipated, the lesson to be learned is clear: you can’t compete without producing video ads.

If the thought of producing your own video ads makes you break into a cold sweat, we can help. Our experts will work with you to create high-quality videos that fit into your brand and appeal to your customers. 

We use a data-driven approach to ensure that your ad campaign aligns with your company goals.  Contact us today to learn how we can take your video ads to the next level. 

FREE INSPIRATION: How to Turn an Idea into a Video Ad

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