How to Repurpose Your Marketing Video for a Facebook Video Ad It's not as simple as cutting and posting.
By Torrey Tayenaka Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
If you've been thinking it might be time to create a new Facebook video ad and you already have some video content on your website, YouTube or social media, repurposing it can be a smart way to save time and money. But it's not as easy as cutting and posting.
Sure, a video already in your arsenal makes sense, and you can technically reuse anything that fits Facebook's ad specs, but the question you should ask yourself is "Will this be successful for the intended video marketing purpose?"
Related: How to Make Money With Facebook Ads
Remember that your audiences can vary greatly among different online venues, in terms of their state of mind, what they are looking for and the time they have available. If your original video production wasn't created with Facebook in mind, it can definitely affect how it will perform when transferred to this social media outlet. For example, if your company's video was originally intended for YouTube audiences, you'll need to update it to target the Facebook viewer, who is typically more hurried and distracted.
Putting a fresh spin on an existing video and optimizing it for Facebook viewers isn't that hard; it just takes a little planning. Here are a few options you might want to consider to successfully repurpose a marketing video for a Facebook ad.
Do a re-edit session.
Often a simple re-edit of the video can make the video more successful on Facebook. You want to engage your viewers in the first three seconds, so it might be best to get rid of that slow intro or title sequence and instead start with an engaging and attention-grabbing intro.
Related: The 3-Step Formula for Successful Facebook Video Ads
Shorten your video.
Facebook surfers have short attention spans, especially considering the fact that they weren't searching out your video to begin with and will see it as a disruption. Shortening the video significantly for the ad repurposing is sure to increase the amount of people willing to pause and watch.
Add graphics.
Since your original video was being played in a different medium, you probably assumed that your audience would be able to hear the content. But the vast majority of video views on Facebook actually don't include audio access, according to Digiday. Add clear graphics to make sure your viewer can get the full message without audio, just in case.
Add subtitles.
An easy way to update your video for Facebook is to simply add subtitles, assuring that your audiences will be able to easily understand what is going on in your video and understand whatever you are trying to get across.
Related: Not Getting Results With Your Facebook Ads? Here is Everything You Are Doing Wrong.
Use a creative title and description.
If your title and description grab Facebook browsers' attention, you may just entice them to click and watch your video ad.
Edit a custom thumbnail image.
Your video's thumbnail doesn't even have to come from your video. If you want to mix things up, design a bold, clever custom graphic to use as your video's thumbnail when you place it on Facebook.
Make it square.
This one involves a bit of a different approach, but if you format your videos to be square instead of the standard width-to-height widescreen at 16:9, your video will actually appear larger and perform better on Facebook feeds, according to Buffer Social. You'll catch more attention purely by taking up more space!
