In the fourth quarter of 2023, “Meta’s Family of Apps (FoA) attracted almost four billion users per month.,” according to Statista. I want you to sit and think about that for a minute. It’s as if there is an endless number of people you could be reaching with your ads! However, it is pertinent that advertisers capture social media users’ attention RIGHT away and take a unique, fun, and personable approach. Your ad needs to stand out.
Think about how much time we spend online or on our phones browsing through social media. We see ad after ad, and most of the time, users are more than inclined to ignore the ad since they constantly see ads that don’t make them stop scrolling. The Meta feed and other placements are SO crowded and busy, so how do advertisers capture attention in such a crowded space?
Well, they create unconventional, thumb-stopping ads! Let’s dig into five examples of paid social ads I have noticed on Meta that have demonstrated the ability to make me stop scrolling and give a click or maybe even a purchase!
Ad #1: Sheertex
This video ad caught my attention right away! The video beginning by showing a cute little dog was the lock-in point for me. Then, once I realized what the dog was doing (climbing on top of its owner on her TIGHTS), I realized that this was an ad for tights, not a dog! I was amazed at the product because of the way the ad showcased the benefits and unique selling points (USPs) of the tights.
Often, advertisers forget that their potential customers probably don’t understand the usefulness of their product. Your ad should answer the following questions for your potential consumers:
- “Why should I buy this?”
- “What will I gain from this product?”
- “What are the benefits that I will reap?”
Sheertex relates to its potential audience by providing them with real customer testimonials to show authenticity while showcasing the product in use and how strong the tights are to validate these customer testimonials.
My favorite part in this ad is the ending when the text “Never go back.” appears on the screen. I honestly felt like if I bought this product right now, I would never go back to another pair! That is how well the video ad was and how convincing it was that these tights really do work and can stand the test of time. On a side note, I like the funky music, the woman having fun, and the red color scheme with the clear, concise text overlay. And it’s only 17 seconds! Talk about applying Meta’s best practices for videos!
Ad #2: SHEIN
This carousel ad is dreamy! ☁️ This ad from SHEIN is a perfect example of how it doesn’t take much to make your ad stand out. This ad is also a great example of how playing around with design can really pay off!
SHEIN utilizes a dreamlike, cloudy background with cut-outs of their models placed as “stickers” on the image. I love that they matched the font color to the dress color, as seen on the model. The big and bolded font immediately draws my attention to the savings callout of 20% OFF.
The Meta ad has everything in it that you would need to know while remaining straightforward and uncluttered. The carousel ad emphasizes its USPs by using text overlay to give users the most important context.
Ad #3: Hismile
This video ad on Meta has a lot of intriguing and engaging bits, and it definitely made me stop scrolling! The video promotes a teeth-whitening solution that seems to be magical! Not only was the video entertaining, but it was also educational in an easy-to-understand way. The color theory part had me saying, “Wow, that seems so simple! How have other companies in the teeth-whitening business not thought of this yet?”
I was taken aback when the speaker of the video tossed the product to himself through the mirror. What a creative way to engage your audience! Engaging users is most likely one of the biggest challenges advertisers face, so this element in this video is crucial because it for sure made me more engaged and made me want to keep watching.
The video calls out a BOGO promotion, too, which will oftentimes make someone more inclined to buy. The video features popular influencers who are shown using the product and testifying that it really does work. For me, I always trust a brand more when I see other people like me using the product and revealing the benefits – it’s just more authentic.
Ad #4: Temu
Everything about this Meta video ad is perfect. These are the types of videos that always captivate my attention. Within 19 seconds, each compartment of this suitcase is shown. It’s important to keep your video content short as users are developing less and less of an attention span. It’s always a tricky concept because it can be tough to get your product offering across within such a short amount of time.
I am here to tell you that videos like this one are a good way to approach your video content. It will come with a lot of video editing, but in the end, it could pay off with a purchase! I like that the video kept the original audio but put light background music over it. Keeping the original audio gives a sense of authenticity and can enhance the user’s sensations, helping them to relate to the product more.
Ad #5: Loop Earplugs
This video ad gave me a good laugh, and it’s relatable! I have always been someone who is easily triggered by background noise, and this ad connected with me because of that. However, there are other elements to it that made me stop scrolling my thumb.
It’s funny! A lot of ads are so product-focused, which can be overwhelming to users in a space where all they ever see are product-focused ads. It’s nice to see a funny video, and honestly, in my opinion, these types of videos make me trust the brand more. Loop is not sugarcoating the reasons for wanting or needing earplugs in the workplace, they are telling it how it is. Another bonus is that the video includes subtitles, which is a recommended best practice by Meta whenever there is dialogue.
Even though the user-generated content is funny, it also provides us with information that could convince us to buy. When the guy puts the earplugs in, the video fades out the pestering background noise we were hearing, which demonstrates how the product works. There is also a mention of Loop’s warranty and that you can return them after 100 days. For me, this is an instant purchase.
Among these five thumb-stopping Meta ads, it’s easy to tell that video ads capture my attention more than static image ads do. Hopefully, the information in this blog is something that advertisers can take into consideration when weighing what types of creatives will captivate their audience.
Follow along in our paid social blog series to read more about thumb-stopping ads on TikTok, Reddit, Pinterest, and Snapchat.
