How do I make a good video ad?
By Dan BartleyUpdated 3 minute read
The short answer
Show the product in the first second, say one thing, and end with a reason to buy now. Keep sales ads short (Meta suggests 6 to 10 seconds for direct response), build them vertical for Reels and Stories, add on-screen text so they work with the sound off, and make several versions with different openings so the results pick the winner.
What should go in the first three seconds of a video ad?
The product, or the problem it solves, straight away. Meta’s creative checklist says to highlight the brand early, within the first three seconds, and to use thumb-stopping visual techniques.
- The product moving from the first frame: turning, pouring, unfolding
- The result first, then how it got there
- A close-up of the texture or detail that makes the product different
- The problem the buyer has, shown rather than described
- The offer, when the offer is the news
Leave out slow fades, logo animations and anything that asks the viewer to wait.
How should a video ad be structured after the opening?
In three parts: the opening that stops the scroll, one piece of proof, then the offer and what to do next.
| Part | Its job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Opening, the first 1 to 3 seconds | Stop the scroll | The cover pulled back on a made bed in morning light |
| Proof, the middle | Show the one thing that matters | A close-up of the weave, then the fabric moving in a hand |
| Offer, the last seconds | Give a reason to act now | The product name and the offer on screen, with a clear call to action |
Keep to one message per ad. A second benefit belongs in a second ad, which also gives you something to test.
How long should a video ad be?
Short, for sales ads: Meta’s checklist suggests 6 to 10 seconds for direct response. That is long enough for an opening, one proof shot and the offer.
Longer cuts earn their place when the product needs explaining, such as a mechanism, a set of features or a founder’s reason for making it. Make the short version first, and test a longer one once the angle has proven itself.
Should a video ad work without sound?
Yes in Feed and Stories, and sound still earns its place in Reels. Meta’s checklist says to design Feed and Stories for sound off, and to design Reels for sound on.
- Put the message in on-screen text, not only in a voice-over
- Caption any speech
- Use music licensed for ads, or a track from Meta’s royalty-free Sound Collection
- Keep text and logos away from the edges of a vertical video, where the profile name and the call-to-action button sit
Which format should a video ad be made in?
Vertical 9:16 first, because Meta recommends 9:16 for Reels and Stories on both Facebook and Instagram, and for video in the Instagram feed. For Facebook Feed, Meta recommends 4:5.
A wide 16:9 video suits a homepage or a desktop product page better than an ad: Meta’s checklist lists 16:9 for in-stream placements only. If you have only wide footage, plan the vertical version from it before the edit rather than cropping afterwards.
How many versions of a video ad should I make?
Several, with genuinely different openings or angles, because nobody can know in advance which one will stop people. Change the first three seconds first: it is the part that decides whether anyone sees the rest.
Judge versions on cost per purchase, and use hook rate (3-second plays divided by impressions) to see which openings stop people. Hook rate and hold rate are explained on the product video hub.
Bartley Studio makes product videos for this, planned, directed, generated and edited in-house from photos of the product, as 9:16 hooks for Reels, Stories and phones. Three 10-second videos are $830 and five are $1,130, in AUD excluding GST.
Other questions people ask about this
Do I need a voice-over?
Not for most product ads. On-screen text and music carry a short sales ad; a voice suits ads that explain, such as a demonstration or a founder’s story.
Should I put the price in the video?
When the price or the offer is a reason to buy, yes: at the end, or at the start when the offer is the news. Leave it out when price is not the selling point.
What are the most common mistakes in video ads?
A slow start, too many messages, text too small to read on a phone, and a wide video squeezed into a vertical placement. Each one costs attention in the first seconds.
Still have a question? Ask us