When Silent Films Make a Come Back: How to Optimize Content for a Muted Newsfeed
Recent stats about newsfeed video has caused some jarring conversations to happen within the advertising industry — roughly 75% of viewers aren’t watching past the first three seconds, and about 85% are watching without sound. So how do you use this data to inform the future of newsfeed video?
Here at BBDO, we are invested in identifying the various creative elements that get more people to engage longer with our content.
To do that, we started with the key consumption considerations that make viewing in the newsfeed different to that of other mediums:
- Newsfeed video autoplays — what is your “hook” to grab attention?
- Newsfeed video is primarily viewed with the sound off — how does no sound impact message comprehension?
- Newsfeed video is primarily viewed vertically — how can you optimize for this space?
- Newsfeed video is consumed quickly—how can you better retain viewer attention in such a cluttered environment?
Below you will find key creative elements that ladder back to these considerations. It is critical to start folding these elements into newsfeed video in order to create impact, aid with message comprehension, and ultimately increase view through rates.
Autoplay
Use a Compelling Opening Frame — Prioritize the most eye-catching frame upfront.
Don’t Bury the Leading Content — Don’t wait until the end for reveals.
Leverage Brand Iconography — Include distinctive branding elements.
No Sound
Use Title Cards — Contextualize the story upfront.
Integrate Supers — Use copy as part of the narrative.
Show Product/Branding in Situ — Show the product/brand in use.
Consider Carousel — Utilize multiple frames and associated copy to tell a VO heavy story.
Vertical Viewing
Crop for Mobile — Cut the video to 1:1 to maximize mobile real estate.
Focus In on Key Characters — Give the narrative a clear focus.
Use Oversized Text — Utilize big supers to maximize impact.
Newsfeed Environment
Provide a Reason to Watch — Outline the key benefit for watching.
Simplify Key Messages —Tell the absolute simplest version of the story.
Shorten the Duration — Tell the absolute shortest version of the story.
Quick Cuts —Increase the pace of the story where possible.
Start with a Question — Create personal relevancy with the viewer.
