While social media advertising is more accessible than ever, it is still young as a creative medium. This is something that customers always see, especially traditional sellers who want to enter digital media – the classic narrative arc of TV ads seems to be embedded in their subconscious.
Social media platforms are very different from TV, and brands need to keep the following limitations in mind:
1. Capture attention within three seconds
In digital advertising, brands must start with the climax – the problem that the brand’s product solves, and how the brand’s product solves it. Then, gradually let the audience know about the brand.
2. Make the product the hero
Whenever possible, make the product itself the protagonist of the advertisement. If you think the product is too boring, you will tell the other party that there are no boring products, only boring writers.
In practical application, this means showing the product as soon as possible. Unlike TV ads, which focus on the characters or scenes and then introduce the product to the scene, the product itself needs to jump out of the audience immediately.
3. Create ads for mobile devices
Another side effect of TV ads is that production studios tend to create content in 16:9 (widescreen) and then scale it down for mobile devices. Because 95% of people access social media on their phones.
This means brands must create content that can be viewed on these devices, rather than treating social-friendly formats as an afterthought.
4. Create with the sound off
Of course, this depends on the platform. Facebook and Instagram News summaries state that ads will play with the sound off. This means brands must add subtitles to their videos so that people actually read the ad while it plays, rather than just watching it.
On Snapchat, TikTok, and IG on vertical formats like Stories, ads are often viewed with sound on. Test with and without subtitles to see what engages better.
5. Make sure the brand is clear and easy to read
In an environment where attention spans are milliseconds, the point of a brand’s ad must be understood immediately. A brand’s target customer must get the point of the ad from the jump, and this often depends on the clarity of the brand’s text. That’s why brands need to adapt their social media strategies. If a brand style guide conflicts with best paid social practices, sellers need to change it.