Things move quickly online, sometimes even faster on social.

To help keep your head above water, Facebook has released best-practice guidelines for video advertising in the mobile era. Here’s the low down.

Get in quick

Just like TV isn’t a visual radio, mobile’s aren’t mini TVs. Users are in full control on mobile, determining what they want to watch, and when.

And they’re doing it quickly. Users scroll through the mobile News Feed 41% fast than on desktop. When videos auto-play, users watch them for 16.7 seconds on average.

Facebook video ads are watched for 5.7 seconds on average. So the traditional 30 second TV advert is dead. In fact, YouTube recently scrapped un-skippable 30 second ads.

Bright, shiny things

So how can you make your content stand out amidst all this noise? Facebook recommends a few things.

First, create bespoke, short-form content for mobile. Videos should reward the viewer and tell its story, even if it’s only in the first few seconds.

Secondly, step up your measurement. Many brands re-organise and test their adverts every few months. Facebook reckons this cycle should be weekly. 

Be sure to measure results, not just seconds watched. Video measurement tools are now reasonably sophisticated, drilling down much deeper than views.

Mix it up

Finally, it’s important not to recognise the difference between platforms, even on Facebook.

So a video advert will require a different creative approach to a longer-form video in the News Feed, or in TrueView or Instagram. One size does not fit all.

Facebook encourages marketers to experiment with new forms of storytelling. While attention spans are dwindling, users are more hooked on their phones than ever. Can you capitalise on this?

Facebook believes that we’re on the cusp of a golden age of advertising on mobile. Do you agree?