Facebook Promoted Videos: Are they for You?
Facebook is testing video viewing in the news feed, but soon advertisers may be able to use this space to reach a wider audience with promoted videos.
The question is, will Facebook promoted videos be right for your business?
The State of Video Viewing
Rolled out to a limited number of Facebook users last fall, video viewing meant that videos posted by friends, bands and musicians would auto-play in the news feed (you can never have too many videos of your friends’ crazy animals, right?).
According to Facebook, this feature increased the number of views, likes, shares and comments of videos by more than 10 percent.
With the success of video viewing, the social network is now working to make video ads available to brands.
Considerations for Promoted Videos
As with any advertising venture, it’s important to look at a product or service from all possible angles.
Here are a few to mull over before advertising with promoted videos:
User Response – In thinking about the type of video that you want to display, which audience(s) are you trying to engage? How do you want them to react to your video, and how can you create a video that encourages them to react that way?
Relevancy – Speaking of audiences, did you know that Facebook is no longer the most popular social network for millennials? You’ll want to factor this into the video creation and, later, the ad targeting.
Quality – Sight and sound are going to be big with this new feature, so you’ll want to be sure you don’t skimp on production quality.
Reputation – With Facebook promoted videos, your content will reach a larger audience, including those who aren’t already familiar with your brand. When creating the content, think, “What would Oprah do?” rather than “What would Justin Bieber do?”
Cost – Facebook hasn’t officially released any pricing for the new promoted videos feature just yet, but it’s a good idea to see where additional advertising could fit into your budget (including the costs for production, of course).
Strategy – How does Facebook promoted video fit within your overall online marketing plan? Does it make sense for where you need to go this year?
Facebook promoted video ads certainly look promising, and with a little investment up front you can ensure that your paid advertising is shooting in the right direction.
