Why Short Video Ads Should Be in Your Marketing Strategy

The impact of social media on nearly every part of our lives is apparent. Whether you’re on one platform or many, the way you engage with content has a trickle effect on your self-image, day-to-day decisions, shopping habits, and more. It’s also transformed the way businesses exercise the art of persuasion. According to a recent video ad study by Magna Global, it doesn’t take more than a couple of seconds to grab the interest of a prospective customer. And if you’re a small business owner or content creator, it may just convince you to start implementing video ads into your own marketing strategy (if you haven’t already).

The entire study is well-worth reading but here are the highlights. Almost 8,000 participants (ages 16-54) viewed video ads on a mix of platforms (Snapchat, video aggregator, and full episode player) across mobile and desktop/laptop. They viewed a mix of test and control ads at a variety of lengths: 15 seconds, 6 seconds (cut down from the 15-second ad), and a custom-created 6-second ad. A mix of well-known brands was featured within the ads, including Clinique and Lego.

The general takeaway is that ad length alone isn’t a clear indicator of an ad’s success. For the most part, factors like search intent and purchase intent don’t vary much between 6- and 15-second ads. However, the study shows that “:06 ads generate equal awareness, but :15 ads run the risk of feeling intrusive.” What really optimizes the performance of an ad is the “right combination” of ad length and platform.

For instance, the study found that 15-second ads resonate most on Snapchat while 6-second ads are more memorable on video aggregators. However, 6-seconds seems to be the magic number as they generally drive higher awareness and persuasion metrics across all platforms, regardless of age.

What makes this information especially valuable for creators is the fact that video advertising is easy to do on just about any social media platform, whether it’s through TikTok, Instagram Reels (which may soon be shareable on Facebook), Snapchat, and more. The Magna study starts off by asking, “does every second count?” If these stats are any indication, I’d say yes.

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