11 Tips For Optimizing Video Ad Performance in 2025
By Toby Skinner, Founder, Big Up Consulting
Video advertising is an essential component of any growth marketing strategy in 2025. Video ads help businesses and brands reach potential customers, capture audience attention, and inspire engagement. Whether you’re a tech start-up looking for feedback and leads or a local store promoting a new product, video ads lead to higher engagement rates and increased brand awareness.
Over 90% of businesses are expected to use video marketing strategies in 2025. (source: invespcro.com)
Short-form video ads will account for about 82% of all internet traffic in 2025.(source: insivia.com)
Energize your business message with these top trends and best practices for creating compelling video ads on YouTube, Meta, and TikTok.
Embrace Mobile-First Design
With over 90% of social media consumption happening on mobile devices, it's crucial to design your video ads with a mobile-first approach. Use vertical or square formats that maximize screen space on smartphones.Vertical video ads have shown higher engagement rates compared to horizontal formats, as they're optimized for mobile viewing. Vertical video formats are best for TikTok and Instagram Reels.
2. Leverage Data-Driven Insights and A/B Testing
Utilize analytics tools within each platform to gain insights into your video ad performance. Track metrics such as view-through rate, engagement, and conversions to understand what resonates with your audience. By A/B testing different ad variations on Facebook, we can identify the most effective campaign elements, colors, and messaging, including thumbnail images and call-to-action buttons.
3. Incorporate Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Every video ad should have a clear purpose and guide viewers towards a specific action. Whether it's visiting a website, making a purchase, or signing up for a newsletter, your CTA should be prominent and compelling.Example: Dropbox's YouTube ads often end with a clear CTA to start a free trial, directing viewers to take immediate action.
4. Short-form Video Content
Short-form video content continues to dominate platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts. Brief, attention-grabbing videos (15-30 seconds) are designed to capture the attention of viewers in a crowded and fast-moving digital landscape. Businesses should leverage this short-form video content to deliver concise, impactful messages that resonate with audiences scrolling through their feeds.
5. Tell A Compelling Story
Create compelling narratives and visuals that evoke emotions and connect with your audiences. Your messaging should be genuine, original and relatable and align with your conversion goals. Successful short-form videos often employ humor, surprise elements, and emotional storytelling to make an impression that drives engagement.
6. Personalization
Personalization in video advertising has evolved beyond demographic targeting. Data-driven approaches allow businesses to tailor content to specific audience segments based on behavioral and contextual insights. Personalization can include customizing videos based on a viewer's past interactions, purchase history, or real-time factors like weather and location.
Advanced AI algorithms are being employed to dynamically adjust video elements, such as product recommendations or calls-to-action, to match individual viewer preferences. The goal is to create a more relevant and engaging experience for each viewer, increasing conversion and brand loyalty.
7. User-Generated Content (UGC)
Authenticity is key in advertising. Leveraging user-generated content into your video ads can build trust and relatability with your audience. This approach can be especially effective on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Check out GoPro's video ads that feature user-submitted footage, showcasing real-world adventures that inspire viewers.
8. Interactive Elements
Interactive video ads are transforming viewing experiences into engaging conversations. Elements like polls, quizzes, or clickable hotspots can boost engagement and gather key first-party data.Interactive features capture the attention of viewers and provide immediate feedback and insights into viewer preferences. For example, a beauty brand might use an interactive video to allow viewers to virtually try on makeup shades, and a tech company could use a quiz to guide users to the most suitable product.
Successful interactive video ads strike a balance between entertainment and information, ensuring the interactive elements don’t distract from the core message. As technologies like 5G and augmented reality become more widespread, expect even more sophisticated and immersive interactive video experiences in the near future.
9. Augmented Reality (AR) Integration
AR features are becoming increasingly popular across social media platforms. Incorporating augmented reality elements into your video ads offers an immersive experience, allowing users to interact with your products virtually. IKEA's AR app demonstrates how AR can enhance the shopping experience.by letting buyers visualize furniture in their homes.
10. Shoppable Video Ads
The line between content and commerce is blurring. Platforms are introducing features that allow users to make purchases directly from video ads. Shoppable video ads enable direct purchases within the video ad experience. Instagram's shoppable video ads allow viewers to tap on products featured in the video and make purchases without leaving the app.
11. Silent Friendly Design
Silent-friendly design has become crucial in video advertising, catering to users who browse with sound off. This approach emphasizes visual storytelling and incorporates clear, concise captions to convey the message effectively. By using eye-catching graphics, expressive body language, and compelling text overlays, marketers ensure their videos remain impactful and engaging, even without audio.
How to Measure the Success of Video Ads
Define Clear KPIs
Before launching your video ad campaigns, establish clear key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your marketing objectives and growth stage.. These might include view counts, engagement rates, click-through rates, or conversion metrics. For example, a brand focusing on awareness might prioritize view counts and reach, while a direct-response campaign would focus on click-through rates and conversions.
2. Implement Cross-Platform Attribution
Understanding how your video ads contribute to the overall customer journey is crucial. Implement cross-platform attribution models to track how users interact with your brand across different touchpoints. Google's Data-Driven Attribution model uses machine learning to analyze conversion patterns and assign credit to various touchpoints in the customer journey.
A Few Tips on Video Advertising
What is the ideal length for a video ad?
The optimal length varies by platform, but generally, shorter is better. On YouTube, 15-30 seconds is often effective, while TikTok ads can be as short as 9-15 seconds.
How can I make my video ads more engaging?
Focus on storytelling, use eye-catching visuals, and create content that resonates with your target audience's interests and pain points.
What are the most important metrics for measuring video ad success?
Key metrics include view-through rate, engagement rate, click-through rate, and conversion rate. The importance of each metric depends on your campaign goals.
How often should I update my video ad content?
Regularly refresh your content to prevent ad fatigue. Consider updating every 4-6 weeks or when you notice a decline in performance.
What's the difference between organic and paid video content?
Organic content is shared without paid promotion, while paid content is distributed through advertising channels. Both can be effective when used strategically.
ABOUT BIG UP CONSULTING
Big Up Consulting is a unique collective of highly experienced marketing experts, providing strategic marketing services, including paid media, video ad creative, content, website development, SEO & GEO, brand positioning and performance tracking for diverse industries and startups. For more information on how we can help you create high performing video ads that achieve results, contact Toby Skinner at toby@bigupconsulting.com.
MEET THE AUTHORS
Toby Skinner, Co-founder, Big Up Consulting
Toby Skinner has helped launch and grow brands in the SaaS, Fintech, D2C, e-Commerce, Climate Tech and Healthcare industries for more than 22 years. Working from pre-launch to pre-IPO, Toby has helped numerous startups and businesses exceed their marketing and growth goals, always with a laser focus on revenue optimization and growth. He is also a speaker and contributor on several podcasts and panels on topics such as AI enablement in marketing.
Robin Leigh Kessler, Co-founder, Big Up Consulting
Robin Leigh is a passionate content creator, writer, editor, strategist, and digital marketing expert. With 25+ years of marketing agency experience, she creates engaging and impactful content for people, brands, and search engines across the digital universe. Robin’s superpowers include content development, writing, editorial leadership, UX strategy, SEO, product building, AI enablement, design collaboration, communications, and branding. Robin Leigh weaves creativity, innovation, and bold ideas into compelling narratives.