Why Facebook Says Your Video Ads Should Be Silent

The social-media giant has new features and recommendations to help businesses make videos that can be watched without sound.

learn more about Catherine Clifford

By Catherine Clifford

Twin Design | Shutterstock

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

The mid 1920s were a big deal in the world of film because the first "talkies," or movies with sound, came out. Now, almost a century later, there is a move to go back to silent movies.

Social-media behemoth Facebook just released a new set of features and recommendations designed to help businesses create and feature videos that don't depend on sound.

If a video in a Facebook feed starts playing sound loudly when people aren't expecting it, then four out of five people will react negatively both to the platform on which the video is playing and the advertiser, according to the social-media giant's research.

Therefore, Facebook says, advertisers should be making videos that do not depend on sound. To help business owners, Facebook says it will be unveiling a tool in coming weeks that will allow businesses to opt in for automatic captions on videos, rather than having to independently add them. Also, businesses that advertise on Facebook now have access to a new reporting metric that displays what percentage of people watch video ads with sound.

Related: The 4 Pillars of Stellar Video Marketing

In addition to not offending a viewer with sound, your video content needs to engage the viewer's attention quickly. Almost half of the value of a video ad is delivered in the first three seconds, according to research that Facebook commissioned from audience ratings and research company Nielsen. Seventy four percent of the value of a video ad is delivered to the audience in the first 10 seconds.

One common element of effective video ads -- as reported by Facebook after researching video ads on the social network as well as Instagram -- is an engaging image that displays before a video starts playing, Facebook says. Also, be sure that if your video does have sound, it does not depend on the audio to get the message across. Four out of 10 video ads on the platform do not make sense without the audio, according to Facebook.

The takeaway for businesses trying to get customer's attention with video? Get to the point fast, and do it quietly.

Related: Check Out the 4 Original Shows YouTube Is Launching
Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

Everyone Wants to Get Close to Their Favorite Artist. Here's the Technology Making It a Reality — But Better.
The Highest-Paid, Highest-Profile People in Every Field Know This Communication Strategy
After Early Rejection From Publishers, This Author Self-Published Her Book and Sold More Than 500,000 Copies. Here's How She Did It.
Having Trouble Speaking Up in Meetings? Try This Strategy.
He Names Brands for Amazon, Meta and Forever 21, and Says This Is the Big Blank Space in the Naming Game
Business News

American Airlines Sued After Teen Dies of Heart Attack Onboard Flight to Miami

Kevin Greenridge was traveling from Honduras to Miami on June 4, 2022, on AA Flight 614 when he went into cardiac arrest and became unconscious mid-flight.

Leadership

How to Detect a Liar in Seconds Using Nonverbal Communication

There are many ways to understand if someone is not honest with you. The following signs do not even require words and are all nonverbal queues.

Leadership

5 Winning Habits That Will Transform Your Leadership Skills

Ready to take your leadership skills to the next level? Discover the five winning habits that will transform you into an exceptional leader!

Growing a Business

3 Considerations for Driving B2B Business in the Order-to-Cash Process

If the payment strategy doesn't keep up, the entire order-to-cash process sinks. Here's why.

Franchise 500 Annual Ranking

The Anatomy Of A Franchise Disclosure Document

Here's a break down your most tedious -- and valuable -- franchise research tool so you understand the ins and outs before signing.