How many of us have scrolled through reels on Instagram to arrive at a video ad? Even if we didn’t see the entire video ad, we at least were a few seconds in before we scrolled up. That is the power of video ads.
Don’t believe us?
Take a look at these statistics:
– 68% of marketers claim that the ROI for video ads is better than those from Google ads.
– Marketers see an increase in leads when they use video content in their marketing strategy.
– Almost 75% of brands make use of video ads on Facebook. This could be because Facebook Watch garners close to 2 billion daily users that spend 26 minutes consuming videos daily.
But there’s no denying that creating these video ads take more resources in terms of money, time, and people.
Worry not! There’s a way out for brands. And it’s through UGC video ads. Let’s find out how.
Why should you invest in UGC video ads?
Below are six reasons why UGC video ads are becoming so popular among brands:
- A studio-filmed video ad might have all the best elements, like the right actors, animations, sound effects, and locations. But shooting such ads demands a significant investment. For example, professional video production services charge anywhere from $1200 for a basic video to more than $50,000 for a premium video.
On the other hand, creating UGC video ads can cost far less because you don’t have to invest in things like recruiting actors, paying a fee for video editing, or hiring professional agencies. - A UGC video ad is more relatable to your prospective consumer. This is because user-generated content is seen to be more genuine than content created by the brand. It also seems less commercial; thus, people are bound to trust these ads more.
For example, Glossier is one brand that exclusively uses UGC video ads for Facebook advertising. They put their product into action, featuring their regular customers and making it more relatable to their general audience.
Here’s one video ad by Glossier.Image source - UGC video ads increase user engagement. According to Shopify, ads that feature UGC garner four times higher click-through rates and a 50% reduction in cost per click as compared to regular ads.
This could be because the ad features product users, not just people promoting the product for a fee.
BarkBox, a dog-centric subscription service, managed to garner a 16% higher conversion rate and an 8% reduction in cost per conversion when they featured UGC content in their Facebook video ads.Image source - If some known influencers in your niche are using your product, you can get in touch with them to create UGC video ad content for your brand. This further adds credibility, and you can reach a wide audience too.
For example, brands like Nike and GoPro often pair UGC with influencer marketing to create ads and video content that result in many views.
You can repurpose UGC video ad content for many other platforms. For example, if you’re showcasing a UGC video ad on Facebook, you can repurpose this content and turn it into a reel for Instagram.
Similarly, if you have created a UGC reel that has gone viral, you can easily turn it into ad content by adding a unique CTA and caption.
For example, this UGC reel on Apple’s Instagram page garnered a whopping 7.2 million views (greater than their average view count)
Image source
Can Apple turn this into ad content by adding a witty caption? Absolutely! After all, who doesn’t like seeing cute marmots in action?
- UGC video ads build stronger relationships between brands and audience. Many people flocked to social media to escape the ads they showed on television. When you showcase UGC content in your ads, it doesn’t seem too promotional or commercial in nature. A reason why people don’t feel that UGC video ads are too invasive.
How to get started with UGC video ads?
You may have a plan for designing great video ad campaigns. But how do you source the content? Here are three ways your brand can get started with UGC video ads.
- Interact with existing customers. Reach out to your loyal customers loyal who have been using your products/services for a long time. You can ask them for feedback on your products and take it forward by inviting them to create content for your brand. You could offer some store credits in return or some discount if they are willing.
Create branded hashtags. Like Apple’s #ShotoniPhone, many brands have created branded hashtags that their users can use in their posts. For example, here’s how Adobe Photoshop promotes its branded hashtag on its profile and encourages users to use this hashtag while uploading their pictures.
- Make use of tools. Many online tools, such as Billo, help you create high-quality UGC videos for a fixed fee. While you can use this at the start, we would recommend instead switching to the above two methods to create genuine and trustworthy content.
Are you ready to level up your marketing game?
Video ads are going to be a game-changer in the coming years. If you’re still not jumping on this trend, you’re missing out on great engagement and opportunities to build brand awareness and improve conversions.
While there are a lot of best practices, like making your video ads short, highlighting the brand early, and designing for sound-off, you can implement these gradually and start with the basics first.
If you need help designing your ad strategy, reach out to our experts at Intent Farm.