How to Make Dropshipping Ads for Social Media

It’s a competitive world out there for dropshippers. Getting your brand seen and heard is difficult enough, but convincing qualified customers to buy your products? That’s a whole other challenge.

Giving yourself an edge over the competition means employing the most effective online sales techniques at your disposal. It’s no secret that people love watching videos online, so why not leverage the power of video in your ecommerce marketing? Last year alone, 88% of the top selling products were marketed using video ads.

You don’t have to be a video expert to make professional, high-converting video ads. Here are some useful tips for creating videos that convert.

Determine your target audience

Who are you marketing to and where do they spend their time? If your audience is on Facebook, you wouldn’t want to prioritize posting video ads on Pinterest. Determine your target audience by studying your users’ behavior and analyzing your competition.

Google Analytics & Search Console

Google stores a lot of key insights that are available to us FREE of charge. Google Analytics and Google Search Console are tools that help you see how users found your website, and what those users do once they land on your site.

Google Search Console shows you the important organic search metrics, like what keywords users are searching to find your business and who’s clicking on them. This is valuable to your overall search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, but it also helps you decide what keywords to target in your video ads. Keywords that have more clicks are obviously of greater interest to your target audience, so it’s important to target these keywords in your paid strategy.

Google Analytics gives you the lowdown of how users act when on your website. You can see what pages they go to, how long they’re on each page, and what specific actions (or goals) they complete. As an ecommerce merchant, you should analyze user behavior on your product pages to determine which products are of the most interest to your customers.

Analytics also shows you things like your users’ demographics, physical locations, and even the devices they’re using to get a better understanding of who your customers are and where they reside. There are also funnel visualizations available to help you see the page-by-page progression.

Facebook Audience Insights

After Google, the next best place to find actionable insights is Facebook. Your Facebook Business account will show you tons of useful metrics about your page’s engagement, and most importantly you’ll be able to determine which pieces of content have worked best with your audience in the past. If you find that a certain type of post (like a product showcase) has accrued many more likes and shares than other types, you’ll want to incorporate that content into your video ad.

Facebook also relays key analytical info about your audience, including a detailed demographics breakdown: things like location, relationship status, hobbies, and even home ownership status.

Customer surveys

Perhaps the best way to collect honest information about your audience is by asking past customers directly. A feedback form can be a quick, non-invasive way to gauge their experience and learn about ways you can improve the purchasing process.

What if they’d rather speak to you directly? Even better! Always provide an option for them to directly communicate with your team.

In either of these scenarios, effectiveness lies in your preparation. Don’t ask too many questions, ask the right questions, so that a) you’re not wasting their time, and b) you’re getting the best benefits from the follow-up.

Examples of questions would be:

• Where did you first hear about our product?
• What excited you most about our product?
• What features would you like to see improved?

All of these insights can go a long way in helping you improve your product and craft video ads that address your customers’ pain points.

Competitive research

Check up on your competitors across social media platforms. See where their followers are located and what types of their content receive the most engagement. If you see a competitor focusing on a particular social platform, it’s usually a good indication they have found success there and you should follow suit.

Top social media channels for video ads

Having trouble deciding where to post your video ads? Here are the most popular social media channels you’ll want to consider:

YouTube

Since YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, it seems like an obvious option, but did you know that cost-per-click for YouTube video ads is relatively low? Especially compared to the average cost of Google search ads. YouTube provides a handful of ad types to suit your video needs:

Skippable video ads: these are short video ads that can be skipped by the user. Because of this capability, you have to make the video intriguing from the start so that the viewer will stick around. These can be inserted before, during, or after the primary video.

Non-skippable video ads: these video ads can be skipped after five seconds, and can appear before, during or after the video content. Since viewers are forced to watch them before their main video resumes, these video ads tend to cost a little more money. They are ideal for brands with larger ad budgets who are trying to bolster brand awareness.

Bumper ads: these are non-skippable videos of up to six seconds that must be viewed before the video can start. This option enables skippable and bumper ads to potentially appear back to back. These ads are typically shown once the viewer is acquainted with you, and have seen other ads from your brand.

Facebook

Dropshippers love advertising on Facebook, and it’s easy to see why. Facebook and its ads account for 80% of all social referral share to e-commerce websites. Facebook has multiple ad types but its video ads are preferred by many e-commerce professionals. Here are the types of FB ads that allow you to incorporate video:

In-stream video ads: these ads run in the middle of another video. On mobile devices, they are shown after 60 seconds of the main video content being played. They are most effective when relevant to the topic of the main video.

Facebook Marketplace video ads: one of the most popular ad types for ecommerce pros, FB Marketplace ads appear when a user is shopping on the Facebook Marketplace. They provide a convenient way to advertise specials, relevant product offerings, and more.

Facebook Stories ads: Similar to IG Story ads, these video ads appear between organic Facebook Stories. It’s a seamless transition that usually feels quite natural for the viewer.

Facebook Video Feed ads: These display between organic videos on the Facebook Video Feed. This scrollable Video Feed appears whenever someone clicks to watch a video from their News Feed.

Instagram

Retailers know that Instagram is a powerful visual channel for showcasing products. Video ad campaigns can be created and launched via a Facebook business account in minutes.

Story ads: Instagram Stories are a 24-hour encapsulation of peoples’ lives. You can have your ad seamlessly placed within them, allowing viewers to stumble upon your content effortlessly. At the bottom of each video is an option to “swipe up,” which gives you the ability to incorporate a link to your product or website. It’s a valuable feature on Instagram, since the only other place you can post a link is on your Instagram profile.

In-feed ads: These are probably the least invasive option provided. Users can land on these ads simply by scrolling through their Feed.

Carousel ads: You can create multiple videos that tell a story, and allow your viewers to quickly swipe through each one in quick succession.

Canvas ads: These show up in your Instagram Stories, like Story ads. Canvas ads are just a little more mobile-friendly and they essentially allow you to provide a user experience that feels more like visiting a website.

Explore ads: Introduce new concepts to Instagram users through the Explore section. This will expose them to products that are in line with their interests.

Collection ads: Create a fun collage of product images to show off your latest collection, a great tool for showing users the full range of your product line.

Twitter

Yes, Twitter has a video ads option too. These are great for racking up views and are replayable in a couple of clicks. Twitter video ads are an extremely direct way to interact with your fans and receive feedback instantly, good or bad.

Pro Tip: Adding captions to your Twitter video ads ensures that viewers who are scrolling through quickly will see your content. It can make them more likely to stop and watch the entire video.

Examples of video ads for dropshippers

Every video ad has a purpose. It may be the grand unveiling of your latest product, or perhaps a quick instructional video to show customers how easy it is to use.

Here are three of the most common types of dropshipping video ads you’ll want to create.

Promo videos

Create a buzz around your latest product with colorful images, catchy text, and upbeat music. Product promo videos are usually 15-30 seconds long, and they offer a stylish look at the newest offerings. It’s just enough time to pique your audience’s interest and get them excited for the product’s release.

Explainer videos

Explainer videos are a great way for your brand to go viral. Anytime you explain a recent trend, present interesting data, or show people how to do something new, they are highly likely to share the video with friends. Even if it’s an ad.

These types of videos will make your brand look smart and informative, which is the perfect recipe for gaining likes and followers. People will see you as an authority on the topic and they’ll be more likely to buy your products in the future.

How-tos and demos

Show your audience how to use your product firsthand with a helpful how-to video.

Take them step-by-step from the time they’ll receive your product to the moment they’ll start using it. Add some real-world use cases to help them envision the possibilities and see what your product has to offer.

How to create a dropshipping video ad

Creating a professional video ad has never been easier, let’s explore your options. You can hire this job out using a discount service like Fiverr or Upwork, but the quality of the work may suffer. If you take the opposite approach and hire a high-priced video editor, you’re going to bust your budget.

Creating a video ad to promote your drop shipping

Your best bet is to go with a professional video ad making software that will give you stellar results using less time, effort, and frustration than those other approaches. Relax, you don’t have to be a video editor by trade to produce amazing video ads for your dropshipping business. You also don’t need to purchase expensive video cameras, lighting equipment, or hire SAG actors to make an effective video ad.

With a video ad maker like Animoto, you can upload your product photos and video clips into a template and have your video ad posted in a matter of minutes.

If you’re taking the DIY route, the video ad creation process looks like this…

• Select a video template. Our templates are designed to make it quick and easy to create high-performing video ads that convert. Choose a template that aligns with your narrative to get started. Don’t worry, all of our templates are customizable so you can make the necessary changes to make it your own. If you’re looking to start from a clean slate, you can opt to start your video from scratch.

• Upload photos and video clips. Easily add your product photos and video clips into your project dashboard to begin the editing process. Simply drag and drop your photos and clips into the project to replace the placeholder media. If you don’t have images, that’s not a problem. You can stick with the media that’s already in the template or check out our Getty Images stock library with over 1 million video clips and images.

• Customize to make it your own. From fonts to background colors, make your video ad unique to your brand with Animoto’s plethora of customization tools.

• Add royalty-free music. There’s nothing like a catchy tune to make your video ad come alive. Choose something that’s engaging and speaks to your audience. Animoto’s music selections are free of charge and are great for any occasion. Already have a signature sound? Animoto makes it easy to upload your own tracks as well.

• Preview, tweak, export, and share. See your new video before exporting the file and make last minute changes as you see fit.

Tips & tricks for creating ads that sell

Call to actions

Your video ads should always include text with contact details and an intriguing statement to get people to reach you. Something like, “get yours today!” or “for more information visit our website.” CTAs are what drive the user to perform a desired action.

Aspect ratios

“Aspect ratio” might sound like a scary phrase if you’re not technically savvy, but it simply refers to the size of your video. Depending on the platform where you post your video ad, the dimensions will need to be horizontal, square, or vertical. For example, Facebook and Instagram support vertical and square videos while YouTube supports horizontal videos. There’s no need to lie awake at night worrying about this, Animoto makes it super easy to set your video dimensions before editing, and to change aspect ratios mid-project. You can also export the same video in every dimension to create three videos in one.

Start with a hook

You have about five seconds to stop the scroll and get your viewers’ attention. There’s no time to waste! Start with a bold graphic or motion effect to catch their eyes. Use bright, bold text to present a problem your product solves or ask a question that entices them to keep watching. If you have an offer or promotion, lead with it up front. You don’t want to bury your discount at the end of the video since many viewers will only watch a portion of your video.

Branding elements

Lastly, don’t forget to add key branding elements to your videos. Add your company logo in the corner of your video as a watermark. This will ensure that your brand is seen throughout the entire video and not just at the beginning or end. Place your website URL on the bottom of the video to help bolster your brand’s recognition and get more people reaching your website.

The best software for dropshipping video ads

There are many options for creating professional videos online, but Animoto is preferred by so many users thanks to its intuitive interface and an extensive suite of editing options. You can easily personalize your video ad to gel with your branding. Use music to engage your audience and keep things interesting so that they’ll be more likely to convert.

Now, everything is right at your fingertips. Make stunning video ads for any social media platform right here with Animoto.