How to run a social media video ad campaign

Start with one clear goal

Decide what the campaign is for before anything else: awareness, website visits, enquiries, sign-ups or sales. The goal decides the platform, the length of the video, the call to action and how you'll measure success.

Pick platforms by audience, not habit

• Instagram and Facebook for broad local audiences and retargeting.
• TikTok for younger audiences and content that feels native rather than polished.
• YouTube for longer stories and search-driven viewers.
• LinkedIn for B2B, recruitment and government audiences.

Hook people in the first few seconds

Most people are scrolling, so the opening moment matters most. Start with movement, a face, a question or the payoff, not a logo. Put your brand in early, but don't lead with it.

Design for sound off

Many people watch social video without sound. Burn in captions, use on-screen text for the key message, and make sure the story still works on mute.

Shoot for every shape at once

Plan the shoot so one day gives you vertical (9:16) for Reels, Stories, TikTok and Shorts, square or 4:5 for feeds, and 16:9 for YouTube and your website. Framing for all of them on the day is far cheaper than trying to fix it in the edit.

Make several versions and test them

Cut a few variations with different hooks, lengths and calls to action. Run them side by side with a modest budget, then move spend to whatever performs best.

Keep the call to action simple

One clear next step: book, call, enquire, apply. Make sure the page people land on matches the ad and loads quickly on mobile.

Measure what matters

Look past views. Watch-through rate tells you whether the video holds attention; clicks, enquiries and cost per result tell you whether it's working. Refresh the creative when results start to drop.

Where I fit in

I plan and shoot campaigns so one shoot delivers a full set of cut-downs, captioned and sized for each platform. Your team or media agency can then run and optimise the ads.

Questions