Social media use is steadily growing each year. Research in 2017, shows that U.S. digital consumers spent an average of 2 hours and 15 minutes on social platforms every day, up 45 minutes since 2015. On average, users spent 35 minutes of that time on Facebook alone.

In the past view years, the consumption of video on social media has exploded. Live streaming accounted for 73 percent of global IP traffic in 2016 and is expected to reach 82 percent by 2021.  Views of sponsored videos on Facebook also saw a massive increase in 2017, up 258 percent from the previous year. The data shows that video gets more attention on social media platforms, presenting an opportunity for marketers to reach more people. Unfortunately, video ads can get expensive and not all companies have the means to produce them.

Facebook, however, has come up with a solution for companies who want to run mobile video ads without breaking the bank— Create to Convert. The social media platform’s new tool can turn still images into engaging videos.

Creating Videos From Stills Converts Leads

Facebook’s Creative Shop is the power behind Create to Convert. This production framework allows companies to transform still images into far more interesting video ads for their mobile audience.

According to Facebook, brands have four options to animate still images—by adding basic movements, animating the brand, using animation to focus on the benefit, and providing an animated demo on how an application or feature is used.

• Basic Motion: Animate still images by integrating one to two motion elements. This can create a video that’s a few seconds long and which contains a call-to-action (CTA).

• Benefit in Motion: This style can produce a short clip that focuses on a key message (ex. special offer or testimonial) or benefit (ex. variety of products). Targeting those vital points will emphasize its value to the customer. Meanwhile, the presence of a CTA will help the audience to take the next step towards lead conversion.

• Brand in Motion: This style brings a logo or brand to life with a few animated elements. It can be used to boot brand recognition. The addition of a CTA card at the conclusion of the short video can drive action.

• Demo in Motion: As the name implies, this ad gives a short demonstration of how an application, feature, product, service, or website work. The CTA at the end will help push prospective clients to take the right course of action.

How Effective is Create to Convert

Turning still images into a direct-response video appears to be very effective at improving conversions. Facebook conducted a study involving 40 brands that used the basic animated effects. Results from the study showed that 69 percent of the brands saw their conversions improve.

One participant, Shopback, utilized a Create to Convert video ad and saw a 5.5 times boost in its conversions. Meanwhile, their registration costs went down 7.7 times when compared to their previous still ads. Interestingly, running both video and still, ads saw a 17 percent increase in conversions as opposed to only using still ads.

Company owners and marketers alike understand the challenges that accompany a mobile-first marketing strategy, especially if it involves video. Kim Weiner, VP of Shuttlerock North America, acknowledged that finding the perfect balance between the quality, speed, and the scale of producing a video can be difficult.

“We’ve found that by partnering with Facebook on creative considerations for lightweight video we can eliminate some of those barriers to deliver value for both people and businesses,” Weiner said.

[Featrured image via Facebook]