Let’s agree on one thing: creating effective video ads is tough. Many businesses struggle with this. If you’re reading this, you’re likely facing the same issue. Don’t worry; you’re not alone.

This article is here to help. We’ll cover how to start iterating your ads, what advanced creative testing is, and how creating iterations can make your life easier. By the end, you’ll have clear steps to make better ads that don’t fatigue as quickly.

Scientific Video Advertising

In traditional advertising, you often throw a lot of ideas out there, hoping one sticks. It’s like playing a guessing game with your time and money. In paid social marketing, we do things differently. We try out many creative ideas without betting everything on one.

Experimenting with your ads helps you learn what works and what doesn’t. This process makes you a better marketer and sets you up for long-term success. By figuring out what connects with your audience, you can develop strategies that fit your brand perfectly.

How to Iterate a Video Ad

When it comes to iterating videos ads, focus on four main tactics:

1. New Ad Creative Concepts

2. Iterations of Winning Ads

3. Iterations of Promising Ads

4. New Formats of Winning Variations

Each type has its own set of steps and strategies. Let’s dive into each one.

New Ad Creative Concepts

Start your ad campaigns by testing concepts. To figure out these concepts, look at what successful competitors are doing. Concepts like Us vs. Them, Founder Story, Podcast, Street Interviews, Post-it Notes, Talking Heads, Shock Hooks all can scale your Meta growth.

Use tools like Foreplay, MagicBrief, Atria, or the Facebook and TikTok Ads Libraries. Scroll through TikTok and Instagram organically to see what’s working. This saves you time and resources.

If you have an internal team, another approach is to let everyone share their craziest ideas, which can lead to unexpected successes.

Iterations of Winning Ads

Once you know what works, expand on those ideas. Create different versions and use them over time to make the most of your ad efforts. Well-performing ads on one platform might not do well on another, so vary your concepts for different channels. Finding creative winners on TikTok and then duplicating them into Meta seems to work better than the other way around.

Visual Hook 1

Visual Hook 2

You need to be following a standard naming convention with each and every ad. When you find a winning concept, note its key components. This helps you understand why it’s working and plan your next steps. Using automation can streamline this process. Build a library of elements that you can easily swap in and out of your ads. You can easily swap in and out elements like hooks, bodies, call-to-action end cards, music tracks.

Iterations of Promising Ads

Sometimes, an ad shows potential but doesn’t perform well initially. Don’t give up on it right away. If you’ve come up with a great concept and initial performance metrics show it’s not hitting the mark, give it another try. Do not immediately discard it; create other iterations instead. Look at soft metrics like hook rate, hold rate, out-bound click through rate.

Focus on key elements like the hook, script, or the order of scenes. Be ready to move on if an idea isn’t meeting your CAC or ROAS goals after 3 rounds of iteration.

New Formats of Winning Variations

Every winning ad should be created in multiple versions. Consider these dimensions:

1. Lengths: Have short edits (6-10 seconds) and longer ones (over 30 seconds for platforms like Google).

2. Orientations: Use different formats like 16:9, 9:16, 4:5, and 1:1.

3. Export Formats: Follow the specific requirements of each ad network. Be mindful of safe-zones when exporting in 9:16.

4. Localizations: Adapt headlines and content for different regions.

The Video Ad Iteration Process

The Video Ad Iterations Process guides the internal iteration workflows. The process has four stages: Attention, Content, Ending, and Format.

1. Attention: Experiment with different visual hooks, branding, visual elements, and audio to grab viewers’ attention.

2. Content: Change the pacing, scene order, text hooks, captions, music, and screen captures to keep viewers attention.

3. Ending: Try different story endings, and call-to-action messages.

4. Format: Adapt your ads to different lengths, orientations, and platforms to reach more people.

Final Thoughts

Creative iterations are vital for your business. Focus on new ads, iterations of winners, and promising ads. Also, produce the necessary formats and localizations to cover all your bases. To make this process easier, use Sovran. This will help you get the most out of your best-performing ad creatives.