Facebook really knows their way into an agency’s heart. We’re not their client, we’re their partner! Our clients are their clients. Facebook helps provide us with the tools we need to stay competitive and keep up with the ever-changing “best practices.” StrataBlue was humbly invited to attend a Facebook’s live event called Platforms Built to Play at their Chicago Headquarters.
Platforms built to play outlined shifts in consumption and showcased how the Facebook suite of apps and services are optimally designed for the rise of video content and consumption. Here I am going to outline some of the key takeaways from this event.
By 2021, 1 million minutes of video content will cross the network each second. It is no wonder Facebook recently launched their new in-app Watch feature and IGTV. With the immense data that Facebook is able to collect from it’s nearly 2 billion users, they’ve got some pretty good insight on the trends in video watching and user experience. Facebook has uncovered two distinct categories of video experiences, on-the-go and captivated viewing.
On-The-Go Experiences:
On-the-go videos are comprised of short sessions, things that are unplanned, frequent, and often are about discovery and connection. Think influencers on this one. Have you noticed when an influencer posts quick vids while in the car or applying their makeup… on a daily basis. This would be considered an on-the-go experience. Many viewers like these experiences as they feel more real.
Facebook and Instagram Stories, Video ads in Messenger, and video ads in the news feed are all great placements for on-the-go videos.
Captivated Viewing:
Captivated viewing is more in-depth and often requires more planning and resources. Facebook identifies captivated viewing as longer sessions, panned, intentional, and designed to relax or entertain its audience. These videos aim to drive action from their viewers. That is why Facebook in-stream with a call-to-action is an optimal placement for captivated viewing experiences.
Good creative is good creative, but don’t limit your creatives potential by restricting it to one placement. Facebook offers a number of different placements including the news feed, Instant Articles, In-Stream Video, Marketplace, Stories, Instagram Feed, Audience Network, and Messenger. Facebook recommends utilizing their Automatic Placement option when building ads.
In conjunction with using automatic placement, you should also be customizing your creatives for each different placement. If you aren’t sure what the specs are for the different placements, feel free to pop on over to the Facebook Ads Guide.
Last but not least, always, always, always, remember to have a clear message and focal point! Facebook’s suite of services was built for the Play button and they have the tools to help your videos reach their full potential. Chat us if you have any questions.
