Facebook instream videosare short, engaging video clips shown in the middle of Facebook videos. Unlike other ad formats such as feed ads and stories ads, instream ads are embedded within the video content users are watching. They are more disruptive because they require viewers to watch the ad before they can continue watching the video, however, instream ads can have higher engagement rates than other ad formats.
What makes instream video ads particularly effective is their ability to take advantage of Facebook’s large video consumption culture. Facebook’s algorithm ensures that these ads are shown to the right audience at just the right time, increasing both engagement and conversion rates.
They are very effective for video monetization, helping content creators make money while providing marketers a means of attracting potential customers. So, whether you’re a small business owner, a digital marketer, or a social media marketer, this article will help you create Facebook instream ads that convert.
In this article
Part 1: Facebook In stream Video: Examples that Work
Facebook instream video ads have been used by brands across different industries to achieve various marketing goals—to tell their brand stories, create awareness, increase reach, or drive conversions. Here are a few brands that made it work:
Nike
Nike’s instream video ads showcase athletes doing their thing with a tagline encouraging viewers to “Just do it”. Nike’s ads tap into viewer’s emotions with visually appealing content that resonates with both athletes and fitness enthusiasts. It uses captivating visuals to sell a story that resonates with its target audience.
Why this ad worked
- It appeals to human emotions while aligning with Nike’s brand values.
- It has an ideal video length of 15 — 30 seconds and short ads that are impactful and retain the viewer’s attention.
- A fitting CTA: A “Shop Now” CTA encourages engagement and conversion without being pushy.
Headspace
Headspace ran an instream ad with soothing visuals and a calming voiceover that encouraged users to adopt meditation for better mental health. This ad was targeted to users interested in self-care and wellness.
Why this ad worked
- The ad passed a clear message that did not overcomplicate things or confuse the viewer.
- A fitting CTA: “Download the App” that guides users to take action immediately.
Proven Tips that Work
- Captivate your viewers in the first 5 seconds.
- Tell stories that communicate your brand values in your videos and connect deeply with your audience.
- Use a relevant and actionable CTA. “Shop Now”, “Sign Up”, or “Learn More” elicit different actions; know when to use either of them.
- Use Facebook’s targeting feature to adequately define your target audience based on interest, demographics, and user behavior.
- Experiment with different video lengths and CTAs to find what resonates better with your audience. Use A/B testing.
- Monitor your ad performance and adjust your instream ad strategy based on analytics.
Part 2: Facebook Instream Video Requirements
It is important to adhere to Meta’s technical requirements and recommendations when creating videos for instream ads on Facebook. Failure to do this may result in an ad video that isn’t displaying properly, doesn’t attract your target audience, and isn’t optimized for conversion.
Technical Requirements
- Video Duration:
- Mobile phone: 5 – 10 minutes
- Desktop: 5 – 15 seconds
- Maximum video size: 4GB
- Recommended video format: MP4, MOV, or GIF
- Aspect ratio: 16:9 or 1:1
- Video resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Text & Design Recommendations
- Video captions are optional
- Video sound is optional, but highly recommended.
- Text overlays should be minimal, so it doesn’t detract your audience from your video.
- Use your brand logo subtly but visibly.
- Many users watch videos with the sound off. Meta recommends the use of captions for accessibility.
- Recommended primary text character limit: 125 characters.
- Recommended headline character limit: 40 characters.
Page Eligibility Requirements
For your page to be eligible for instream ads, it has to meet these three criteria.
- You must have grown your audience to a minimum of 5000 followers.
- Your page must have created engaging content with 60,000 live and previously live minutes watched—including replayed minutes. This doesn’t include boosted watch time.
- Your page must have at least fiveon-demand or previously live videos that are active and created by you
Part 3: How to Create Facebook Instream Video Ads That Convert
Creating video instream ads on Facebook involves two phases; producing high-quality, engaging video content and setting it up as an ad on Facebook. You can create and edit your instream videos using tools like Filmora.
Phase 1: Creating the Instream Video Ad Using Wondershare Filmora
Wondershare Filmora is a versatile all-in-one video editing tool that offers different features for video and audio manipulation. If you conceive an idea for your business’s instream video ad, you can bring it to life using Filmora’s AI Text to Video tool. This tool allows you to create your ad video with just a text prompt and edit it using any of Filmora’s long list of features.
- Vast video/audio effects and creative assets.
- Powerful AI for effortless content creation.
- Intuitive, professional yet beginner-friendly.
- Works on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android.
Here’s how to create targeted brand videos on Filmora.
- Step 1: Launch Filmora on your computer. Go to Toolbox on the home screen and select AI Text to Video from the list of Filmora’s tools.
- Step 2: Write a detailed brief of the video you want to generate.
- Step 3: Select your video language and your preferred voice. Set your Video Ratio to 9:16 if you’re targeting video ads in reels and 16:9 if you’re targeting instream ads in videos or on desktop. You can use the Clone Video feature to clone your voice and add it to the video as a voiceover. Click Text to Video when you’re done.
If you’re unsatisfied with your audio, you can disable the audio clip by selecting it on the timeline and clicking E on your keyboard. You have several audio editing options on Filmora; you can add a voiceover or audio from Filmora’s audio library, use Filmora’s Text-to-Speech feature, upload your prerecorded audio, or use Filmora’s Smart BGM Generation feature.
To add a voiceover, select the Record icon on the timeline toolbar. Alternatively, click on Alt + R on your keyboard. Record a voiceover and click Ok. The voiceover will automatically be added to your video clip on the timeline.
To use Filmora’sText-to-Speech feature, go to Audio > Text to Speech on the toolbar and select Start.
Type in your audio script, select a language, and a preferred voice type, and select Generate. The voiceover will automatically be added to your video on the timeline.
To upload a prerecorded audio, go to Media on the toolbar and click on Import Media. Upload the prerecorded audio from your device, then drag and drop it on the timeline to add to the generated video.
To use Filmora’s Smart BGM Generation feature, click the arrow “>>” on the timeline toolbar and select Smart BGM Generation. This tool will analyze your video content and generate background music that matches your video. The generated audio takes seconds and will automatically be added to your video on the timeline.
Customize your export settings and click Export.
Phase 2: Creating the Instream Video Ad on Facebook
Instream ads for videos and reels is an ad placement you find in your Creative setup when creating an ad. So, create your ad as usual and make sure instream ads placement is enabled.
Once your video is ready, follow these steps to create and enable the instream ad on Facebook.
- Step 1: Go to Facebook Ads Manager and click Create to create a new campaign.
- Step 2: Select a campaign objective that aligns with your marketing goals. Click Continue The goal of this ad is to drive traffic.
- Step 3 (optional): If your ad falls under any of these categories—financial products, social issues, real estate, housing, elections, or politics—it is recommended you select your ad category to help Meta run ads that comply with its advertising standards to prevent potential ad rejection.
Enable Advantage Campaign Budget, to effectively manage your ad budget to get more results. This enables ad set spending limits and is a great idea if you’re on a budget or looking to get the most out of your ad budget.
Enable A/B test to test different versions of the instream ad and find out which resonates better with different groups of your audience.
Click Next.
- Step 4: Next, set your Conversion settings according to your Conversion goals. Set your Performance goals, ad budget and schedule, and audience segmentation including targeted demographics and user interests. Click on Next to continue. You can view the estimated daily reach in the lower right corner of your screen.
- Step 5: Turn on Partnership Ad if you’re collaborating with a brand, business, or another creator. Skip this step if you’re not.
- Step 6: Set up your Ad Creative. Select Video Ad.
You will access a popup to add website links, video thumbnails, your ad video’s primary text and headline, the ad description, and a fitting CTA. Upload your ad creative video and select your desired placement. Click Done.
- Step 7: Confirm that your ad media placement includes instream ads. Then hit Publish.
How to Turn on Instream Video Ads for Facebook Live
Facebook allows you to show your ads before or during your live broadcast. To manage this setting, go to Monetization > In-stream ads > Setting on Meta Business Suite and leave ads on or off by default for your live or previously live videos.
To change ad settings, go to Live Producer > Monetization > Instream ads and turn ads on or off. Note that if you turn off instream ads before you go live, you can’t turn it on once you’re live.
When your live ends, Facebook will give you the option to post your live video on your page with ads. The setting will be on or off depending on your settings for previously live videos in Monetization > In-stream ads > Setting.
If you turned on instream ads before your live broadcast and you don’t want them published with the video, you can turn them off after posting the video. Simply go to Meta Business Suite > Content and select your video from the list. Click Edit post in the Post details panel, and turn off Instream ads. Click Save.
Part 4: How to Measure Success of Instream Ads on Facebook
What’s the point of a marketing effort if you can’t measure the results? Successful Facebook instream ads do not stop at creating instream videos and publishing ads on Facebook.
Measuring performance is important to understand if your instream ads work or not. When you run instream ads on Facebook without measuring performance, you risk wasting resources on ineffective campaigns.Facebook Ads Manager provides detailed insights about your instream video ad. Focus on these metrics to measure your ad performance.
- Reach: This counts the number of unique Facebook users who saw your ad.
- Impressions: The total number of times your ad was displayed—including repeat views.
- Engagement Rate:This tracks how viewers interact with your ad.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): A strong CTR shows that your ad successfully drives viewers to take action.
- Video Completion Rate: This measures how many people watched your video to the end. Short concise ad videos usually perform better in this metric.
- View-Through Rate (VTR):VTR measures the percentage of viewers who watched your ad video to the end. A high VTR means your ad video is engaging enough to hold attention.
- Cost Per Result (CPR): CPR measures how much you’re paying for each specific action or conversion. A low CPR means your ad campaign is cost-effective.
Conclusion
Facebook instream ads are a great tool for marketers and business owners using social media to achieve their marketing goals. You can craft ads that resonate by understanding their uniqueness, using the right creative tools—like Filmora—and following Meta’s guidelines. The Facebook in stream video exampleshighlighted in Part 1 of this article explain how successful brands create instream ads that work.
Use Filmora to create and edit your instream video ads, and publish them on Facebook. However, this is just the beginning. After publishing, track key metrics to ensure you’re meeting your goals and achieving maximum impact with your ad.
