It takes a lot to keep a paid social account performing these days. While budget, audiences, and account strategy can all have an impact, the biggest driver of success (or failure) is your ad creative. And the secret to having winning ad creative is to test a lot of it.

There are several ways to test your social media ads, making it hard to strike the right balance between launching new “big idea” ads vs. small tweaks, or iterations, of those big ideas. Thankfully, we’ve found a method that helps us find winning ads fast. We call it the Outlier Method.

 

The Outlier Method

At Primer, we have a simple, four-step approach for our creative tests that allows us to launch dozens or even hundreds of high-quality ads per month:

1. LAUNCH: Ideate and launch “big idea” ads based on key questions buyers have. (Get our step by step guide on ad testing here.)
2. WIN: Pause underperforming ads and determine the ads that beat the account average and become top performers — the “wins”  — we call these the Outliers. 
3. SCALE: Scale the budget for the “wins” and make creative iterations on them for your next test. 
4. REPEAT: Periodically start a new “big idea” process and repeat steps 1-3. We do this 1-2 times per month for our partners. 

With this method, it is easy to launch dozens or even hundreds of ads per month. In this article, we’ll define big ideas and iterations, explain why they’re important, and show you how to leverage both for your social media advertising.

 

Step 1: LAUNCH

What is a “big idea” in advertising?

In social media advertising, a big idea is a brand new idea, theme, or creative style. Generally, for every big idea, you should create 3-10 ads and launch them into one combined “big idea test.” This is also sometimes called research and development, or R&D, testing.

How to create big ideas in paid social ads 

When brainstorming big ideas, focus on concepts that do any one (or a combination) of the following:

• Emphasizes a totally different value proposition than your past tests
• Targets a different audience (e.g. change what gender or age range you’re targeting)
• Uses a fresh visual look 
• Includes all-new copy and headlines
• Is part of a larger, new “campaign” (e.g. ads that correspond with your brand’s current influencer campaign) 

Make sure your ideas are grounded in your buyer personas. Once you determine your ideal buyer, you can then figure out what types of questions they would ask before purchasing.  (Tip: Use our easy buyer decision question worksheet to figure these out for your brand.)

These “buyer decision questions” should guide your copy, headlines, calls-to-action, and more.

Resources for creating high-quality ad creative that converts

When you create new paid social creative, you have the opportunity to try a new style or new content for any of the following ad elements. Below, we’ve linked to a few of our free templates so you can hit the ground running sooner: 

• Copy
• Static Imagery
• Image Headlines
• Facebook and Instagram Videos
• TikTok Videos
• Calls to action (CTAs) — See a full list of Facebook calls-to-action and a full list of TikTok calls-to-action 
• Headline — This is usually a compelling value prop framed as a next step (e.g. Get 15% Off Now)
• Video thumbnails
• Landing pages

An example of a big idea test

For our partner, Farmstead, we wanted to test an idea that visually shows how much value a customer would get by using Farmstead’s grocery delivery service. For this test, we created 9 images and GIFs, each taking a slightly different approach to the concept.

 

Step 2: WIN 

What is a win?

Within 48 to 72 hours after you launch, you should start making adjustments to the ads within your test. Quickly pause the ads that are underperforming in order to focus on the wins. (Don’t sleep on this – you don’t want to waste money on poor performers.)

Find the wins. A “win” is a top-performing ad that is a performance outlier. Wins should have better performance than your account average by at least 10%. They should also have at least 10 conversions.

After figuring out which ads for a test are wins, you can then move on to step 3: SCALE.

 

Step 3: SCALE

Now that you have identified your winners you can increase the ad spend to the wins and then start to scale. The fastest way to scale is to create at least 3 ad creative iterations on your winning ads

What is an iteration?

An “iteration” is a variation of your previous top-performing ads (i.e., “wins”) in which you change one or two elements. By creating multiple iterations and testing those, you can thoughtfully scale your account’s wins.

By reusing key elements from past top-performing ads, you can also hone in on what really makes an ad work.

For example, let’s say we have an ad with the same image but a bunch of different headlines.

 

If multiple versions of that ad (with those different headlines) perform, it’s likely that something about the main image is leading to increased conversions. 

Once you have a top performer, iterations can help refine performance. Over time, you’ll be able to combine multiple winning elements from different ads (say, one top performer’s headline and another’s image) into a new Franken-ad.

 

Since each element has been proven to work multiple times over, you should see even better performance when combining them all together.

Tip: For every win, create at least 3 iterations. Focus on changing 1 or 2 key aspects of the ads (see a full list of what to test below).

How to create good iterations

Ways to iterate on landing page wins:

• Change the header section at the top of the winning landing page. You can include a new header/hero image, new headline, and a new subhead 
• Include a different call-to-action on your buttons
• Swap sections of the landing page around
• If you have a testimonial section, change which testimonials are there
• Keep the copy the same but change the landing page’s images
• Test a longer or shorter version of the page
• Test out a different signup or purchase flow after your button click
• (If applicable) Swap which product you feature
• (If applicable) Change what audience you’re focusing on (e.g. a women-focused page vs. a man-focused page for clothing)

Ways to iterate on video wins:

Select one or two core elements to test and change within your winning video, such as:

• Different testimonials
• Different call-to-action
• Different first frame
• Different thumbnail
• Change the order of the sections within the video (e.g. swap order of price and UGC sections)
• Keep the captions the same but swap the background imagery for something new
• Keep everything the same but swap for a new color scheme

Ways to iterate on image or GIF wins:

Select one or two core elements to test and change within your image/GIF, such as:

• Keep the copy the same but change the main image
• Keep the main image the same but change the main headline
• Change the call-to-action
• Add animation if there is none
• Change animation to static
• Add or swap the background music
• Try the same image with a different color scheme

How we used the big idea and iteration process to scale Farmstead

Step 4: REPEAT 

Keep this process going. As you continue to find wins, iterate on those wins. Then, depending on your budget, you should also launch new big ideas 1 – 2 times per month. This continuous pipeline of new tests ensures that your ad account is never going stale and that you always have ads that can support more budget.

 

Ready to find some big wins? 

Altogether, this method significantly and rapidly expands both the number of ads you’ve launched and the advertising spend you’re putting towards proven top-performers. It allows you to spend with a clear strategy for growth rather than wasting money on a series of mediocre, big idea tests.

If you’re ready to try out our Outlier method, you can D.I.Y. with the help of our step-by-step guide to ad testing for paid social. In it, you’ll find out exactly how often to test, how many ads to test each month, and how to structure your creative testing.

If you’re looking for help scaling and testing your ads, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll handle it all for you – the creative strategy, design, production, reporting, and media buying. You just enjoy the wins.

Just need help producing the creative? Try our new Primer On-Demand platform and get access to a team of expert marketing designers. Make unlimited requests for images, videos and landing pages.

Book a consultation to get started.

 

As a fast-growing, direct-to-consumer (DTC) business, it can be hard to stand out among the competition. Especially if your brand is among the largest DTC category: apparel and accessories. 

How can you create ads that stand out in TikTok, Facebook and Instagram? We’ve compiled 10 scroll-stopping ads from top DTC fashion apparel and accessories brands and broken down the winning features so you can apply them to your campaigns today.

 

1. AllBirds – Facebook Video A

What they’re selling: sustainable, lightweight footwear.

The ad:

 

Why the ad works:

• Shows the shoe in action. We can imagine ourselves running with these shoes more easily because the ad shows not just the shoe in action but also a person putting on the shoes before running in the woods. 
• End card with the logo. Instead of a static end card, we see the Allbirds logo flash before a video of the runner. 
• Highlights additional selling points in the headline. Allbirds takes advantage of headline and description real estate to share two more reasons to buy: “free shipping + free returns.”

 

2. Reformation – Facebook and Instagram Image Ad

What they’re selling: eco-friendly, upscale women’s clothing.

The ad:

 

Why the ad works:

• Highlights additional selling points in the headline. In this instance, “shop responsibly” speaks to sustainability. It subtly positions itself against the competitors (largely fast fashion retailers) with this headline.  
• The image headline appeals to buyers’ emotions. “Get some compliments” taps into their buyers’ desire.
• Uses a casual tone in its copy. “Thanks, it’s Ref” achieves a few things for this ad: it allows the brand to speak for itself; it converses with the headline in the image; and it stays true to the brand’s casual, “best friend”-esque tone.
• Plays with color. While most of the “thumb-stopping” ads you’ll find on this list utilize a bright color palette, this ad focuses on having the monochromatic outfit stand out against the bright background of the webpage. 

 

3. StitchFix – Facebook Video Ad

What they’re selling: a personal stylist box.

The ad:

 

Why the ad works:

• Includes a compelling testimonial in the thumbnail. The user quote serves as social proof of how awesome the service is. It’s particularly scroll-stopping in a thumbnail because that’s the first thing people see. Continuing the user-generated content (UGC) throughout the video also makes it feel relatable and approachable. Bonus that StitchFix says these are “real clients paid for their time.” 
• Shows unboxing footage. Not only is unboxing a current trend on organic social media, but it adds a sense of trustworthiness and excitement.
• Describes the process in easy-to-understand steps. The video breaks down what StitchFix is and how to use it very easily: we learn that you sign up, take a style quiz, and then have clothes picked for you delivered. 

 

4. Pact – TikTok Video Ad

What they’re selling: women’s underwear.

The ad: 

 

Why the ad works:

• Has a person in the first two frames. We’ve found that our best TikTok ads showcase a user in the first two frames. This suits the overall shift to more UGC-style content. Learn more about creating ads that work on TikTok. 
• Shows unboxing footage. Pact, like StitchFix, uses unboxing video to complement the rest of their ad. Here, it’s equally successful at making the video seem like a real customer’s journey, and thus being more trustworthy. 
• Shows a variety of style options. In multiple frames, we see different color and style options, including in the hand of the narrator, on a screenshot of the website, and laid out one-by-one. 
• Has captions (good for both sound on and off viewing). A bonus is that this particular caption style is native to TikTok and reflects TikTok’s “auto-generated” captions.
• Calls out some unique selling points that might appeal to an ideal buyer. (e.g. How Pact’s underwear is sustainable because it’s made from organic cotton.)

 

5. Alo Yoga – Facebook and Instagram Stories Ad

What they’re selling: workout and athleisure clothing. 

The ad:

 

Why the ad works:

• Adds a sense of urgency with “limited edition” messaging. By including “limited edition” in a rotating sticker, this ad not only adds a reason to buy right now (as opposed to later) but also implies an increased sense of exclusivity and competition. It fits with the higher-income audience Alo is likely targeting. 
• Shows a full outfit. Matching separates are in right now, and Alo’s ad is not only on-trend, but it also makes their clothing seem more wearable by styling an outfit for buyers right away. They made two versions of this ad: one with a bandaeu top and shorts, and one with a bra top and capris leggings. Tip: Swapping outfits but keeping the rest of your ad the same is a great way to test which product items have the most click-through interest. 
• Includes simple motion. One way to stand out from the crowd with your images is to make them GIFs. Here, Alo Yoga takes the static one step further by adding animation to key copy: “blue splash” and “limited edition.”
• Hints at the season in the description. Alo stays relevant to shoppers by including a nod to the current season. Here, we see it in a less prominent location: the description (“So essential for all your summer plans”).

 

6. Fabletics – TikTok Video Ad

What they’re selling: men’s athleisure apparel.

The ad: 

 

Why the ad works:

• Uses a conversational tone. This ad sounds like a friend talking to you, which makes it seem less like an over-the-top sales pitch.
• Shows the website and different color options. We’ve seen this before: showing the real user experience on a website and the variety of product options entices a variety of buyers and makes your brand seem more legitimate. This ad does something unique, though: instead of just using a screen recording of the website shopping experience, we get a video of the woman actually using the website on her computer. Having her hand in the frame makes this feel like a real user experience.
• Uses native-feeling green screen trend. By utilizing the green screen TikTok filter, this ad feels on-trend and native to the platform. You can also use this filter to keep a person in frame, even when showing off screenshots.
• Has native-style, “auto-generated” captions (good for both sound on and off viewing).

 

7. Mejuri – Facebook and Instagram Image Ad

What they’re selling: trendy fine jewelry. 

The ad:

 

Why the ad works:

• Shows a real number of customers. By including “over 20,000” in their sub-headline, Mejuri makes the positive reviews seem more tangible to potential customers. This is much more impactful versus saying something vague like “Thousands of five-star reviews.” 
• Visually shows the stars in the star rating. It may seem like a small thing, but we’ve found that ads that include the stars on the image when talking about the number of positive reviews perform better than those without that same imagery. 
• Adds two secondary selling points in the description. They make efficient use of the description space to pack in two more reasons to buy: “free shipping and easy returns.”

 

8. Rocksbox – Facebook and Instagram Stories Ad

What they’re selling: a jewelry rental subscription box.

The ad:

• *Made by Primer

 

Why the ad works:

• Image headline is a press quote. Press quotes, like user testimonials, add a sense of trustworthiness to positive feedback. Here, for example, seeing “the best” feels truer (and less like exaggeration) than if the brand were to claim this themselves. 
• Shows a variety of styles. There’s a style that works for everyone, from cute avocado earrings to refined gold chains. By showing a variety of options, you can entice a wider buyer base. People may click on the ad because one specific piece of jewelry caught their eye, and they want to sign up to get it.  
• Blue headline background stands out. The sold background color imitates Instagram story captions, while the specific color choice—a bright blue-purple— stands out against the pink background, making the press quote pop. 

 

9. James Allen – TikTok Video Ad

What they’re selling: custom engagement rings.

The ad:

 

Why the ad works:

• Walks users through the purchase. Videos that follow the “how to” format perform well because they guide the viewer through the buying process and let them know what to anticipate when ordering. This ad walks the user through every step of the process of buying a ring at a specific budget. (More video hooks here.)
• Shows users exactly where to look. Because this video is so jam-packed with information, it uses additional design elements, like arrows and circles to direct attention to the portions of the screen that the voiceover discusses.
• Shows the product on a real hand. After spending so much time on the James Allen website, the ad brings it back to a real person: at the end, they show this DIY’d ring on a real hand.

 

10. Warby Parker – Facebook and Instagram Stories Ad

What they’re selling: prescription eyeglasses. 

The ad:

 

Why the ad works:

• Regional call-out. When your goal is to grow in a specific market or with a specific product, it’s best to filter out unqualified customers by not only targeting the audience but also targeting the content to speak with those you want to reach. This Warby Parker ad creative speaks directly to their target: buyers in D.C. 
• Native text style in the image. The black text and white background combination in the image mimics the text style of both Instagram stories and TikTok videos, making this ad feel organic.

 

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What can we take away from these 10 outstanding fashion ads?

Here are 5 rules of thumb for making your content stand out on the feed:

1. Include native-style captions and trends to blend more organically into the platform you’re on
2. Walk users through the full buyer journey (decision making, after ordering, and unboxing)
3. Choose eye-catching, scroll-stopping colors 
4. Make use of the description to further differentiate your product
5. Use your ad creative to target your consumers

 Want to use paid social to stand out from your competition?

Primer works with several DTC apparel and accessories brands, helping them scale their business and hit their goals. If you’re interested in learning how Primer can help you, book a complimentary growth consultation.

Seeing examples of successful ads can help inspire you to create new creative that actually converts. In this post, we take a look at 10 image and video ads from Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok that made us click. We show you what they look like, break down why they work, and discuss how you can implement those principles for your brand.

Let’s dive into 10 compelling ads from food and beverage powerhouses like Daily Harvest, Hello Fresh, and Drizly:

TikTok Ads to Copy:

1. MUD/WTR | TikTok Video Ad

What they’re selling: a coffee alternative made from mushrooms.

Why the ad works:

• Sells a lifestyle. Rather than just a product, this video sells an entire lifestyle—idyllic, filled with wanderlust and beautiful sunsets, peaceful —with MUD/WTR at the center of it all.
• Emphasizes brand tone. The natural imagery underscores the brand’s desire to be connected with health and holistic wellness in contrast to its alternative, coffee, which is usually associated with city life and “the grind.”
• Shows the product in action. Demonstrates how easy it is to make a cup of MUD/WTR in step by step format.

 

2. Kencko | TikTok Video Ad

What they’re selling: powdered packets that rehydrate into a thick smoothie.

Why the ad works:

• Starts with a strong hook—”want a more nutritious way to start your morning?” This sets up the premise of the rest of the video and speaks to a key buyer decision question. See 101 more video hooks that will improve your ads.
• Displays flavor variety in the first frame. This can draw in people who may only like one or two smoothie flavors.
• Calls out key benefits, including daily servings of fruits and veggies, good taste, flavor variety, and easy to make.
• Shows the product in action. This makes it seem like anyone could use their product. It also highlights their proprietary blender bottle, which looks a bit different from the common ones on the market.
• Emphasizes sustainability. This is particularly important since it is a single-use product. Emphasizing its compostable packaging can help ease the minds of people worried about single-use plastic.
• Includes a clear CTA to tell viewers what to do next—“order yours at kencko.com.”

 

3. Daily Harvest | TikTok Video Ad

What they’re selling: a subscription to frozen smoothie mixes.

Why the ad works:

• Uses elements that look native to TikTok, including the “ask box.” This helps viewers engage more because it seems less like an ad interrupting their scrolling experience and more like…well, a TikTok.
• Shows the site and how to actually order a variety of flavors. This can help alleviate any anxieties about the subscription process by making it feel transparent.
• Highlights strong value propositions, including good taste, health benefits, and ease of use.
• Includes a clear CTA

Want to run TikTok ads like Daily Harvest? Learn how this hypergrowth company optimizes their TikTok ads, and how you can, too, in our free interactive teardown. We’ll break multiple ads down frame-by-frame and tell you why they work. (And some things Daily Harvest could improve.)

Facebook and Instagram Ads that We Clicked On:

4. Misfits Market | Facebook and Instagram Image Ad

What they’re selling: a food box that compiles less aesthetically-pleasing food that’s still good to eat.

Why the ad works:

• Shows a price comparison. This ad uses one of our favorite styles: “vs. competition.” Here, we see a picture of blackberries with two prices laid out—”ours” vs. “theirs.” Of course, “ours” is more affordable. This is a good way to simply and concisely showcase price comparisons.
• Uses strong headlines. The image headline and the copy headline both offer compelling commands: “Save up to 40% on groceries” and “Stop overpaying for groceries.” It’s nice that they convey the same value prop—saving money vs. the competition—in two different ways: if someone isn’t convinced to click by the image headline, they might be by the copy headline.
• Offers a secondary value prop in the description. What we can see of the headline before it is cut off introduces another reason to switch to Misfits Market: sustainability. It mentions fighting food waste and going green. While the headlines focus on saving the individual money, the description goes broader. This is a good example of a brand knowing its buyer personas and speaking to multiple levels of buyer questions.

 

5. Farmstead – Facebook and Instagram Carousel Ad

What they’re selling: free, local grocery delivery.

Why the ad works:

• Seamless carousel. For many accounts, carousels will work better than single static images because of the ability to highlight additional value propositions, the native feel (many popular Instagram posts are carousels), and, for Facebook, the variation from other posts on people’s feeds. For this ad, we chose to go the way of a “seamless carousel,” meaning each image interplays someway with the next. That way, the ad feels like a cohesive image instead of disconnected stills.
• Local call out. In the copy, we spoke directly to the local geography: “Hey Charlotte.” This helps scrollers feel like the ad is more relevant to them and reaffirms that any offers in the ad work for their area.
• Includes a testimonial. While the first two images focus on defining what Farmstead is and its benefits, the last frame relies on using a real user review as social proof. Including testimonials not only feels more real and casual but also shows that the product or service has worked for other people and will work for your new buyers, too.

Learn more about how we’ve used high-volume ad testing to grow Farmstead in our Farmstead Case Study.

6. HelloFresh – Facebook Stories Ad

What they’re selling: At-home meal kits.

Why the ad works:

• Includes a comparison to the competition. Remember how the Misfits Market ad relied on a price comparison to place themselves as better vs. the competition? In this ad, Hello Fresh uses both the number of meals and a visual of the plates to set themselves apart in  a larger, bright yellow section. This is a good template for brands who might want any comparisons to the competition to be secondary to their value props.
• Provides clear numbers. As part of the image headline and comparison text, we see concrete numbers: 6 meals vs. 3 meals; ready in 20 min or less. This makes the ad feel as if it’s backed by data, and thus, for many, more trustworthy. We also see a great, concrete price listed in the copy headline: “Start for just $3.99/meal!”
• Is a scroll-stopping bright color. The bright yellow stands out against other images on one’s feed.
• Uses emojis in the copy. Using emojis to help set off a list of value props is one of our tried-and-true methods for creating compelling, clickable ad copy. It’s icing on the cake that Hello Fresh also used emojis in the description, which helps separate it from the copy headline.

 

7. Drizly – Facebook and Instagram Image Ad

What they’re selling: Online liquor store and alcohol delivery.

Why the ad works:

• Shows the app (with prices). Seeing a screenshot of the app adds a trust factor to it. For selling a regulated product like alcohol, this is particularly important so that people know it’s a legitimate business. Even better, the screenshot shows a real price for a bottle of wine—at $11, helping to entice buyers who are also looking for a good deal on wines.
• Showcases a relatable lifestyle. This lifestyle photo presents a laid-back, social, warm-weather vibe: it’s outdoors, with a cute dog, presumably at a public park. It makes the ad more relatable while reinforcing that their app can be used to order alcohol from anywhere.
• Uses simple copy that gets at the heart of what the brand is and why someone should order from them right now. What does Drizly provide? “The widest selection of drinks delivered in under 60 minutes.” And why is now the best time to order? Aside from it being summer, you can “get free delivery on your first order” with their code. Then, they provide a bunch of scannable emojis that make it clear to a quick scroller what the company sells. I only wish that the copy headline included more of a command/call-to-action instead of only a description of the product (e.g. “Get Alcohol Delivered for Free in 60 min.” vs. the current “60 min. Alcohol Delivery”)

Read more about how Drizly is winning on Facebook in our free Drizly Teardown.

 

8. ALOHA – Facebook Image Ad

What they’re selling: plant-based protein bars.

Why the ad works:

• Tells a story. The copy of this ad walks the viewer through a sensory visualization. By telling a story about your audience purchasing your product, you can help make buyers understand how your brand can fit into their lives. In this instance, the sensory visualization also serves to highlight the mouth-watering flavors and ingredients of ALOHA’s newest bar.
• The map makes it feel local. By including a map sticker, the ad not answers an important question(Where can I buy ALOHA? At Whole Foods) but also, at first glance, makes it seem like a local product.
• Simple enough to understand at a glance. With just a quick glance, viewers can tell this ad is introducing a new flavor of ALOHA bar. This ad would work particularly well in a remarketing campaign: the new flavor might interest past purchasers, or it might convince people who have seen the brand before to now convert.

 

9. Huel – Facebook Image Ad

What they’re selling: Nutritionally complete grab-and-go meals.

Why the ad works:

• Detailed comparison. Although similar to the “vs. the competition” ads above, this Huel ad has a slightly different take—we’ll call it “vs. alternative.” In it, we see the Huel product being compared to a worse alternative.
• Backs up comparison with numbers. Facts and stats lend credibility to products. In this instance, the protein and Vitamin C comparison indicates that Huel has the proof to support their claim.
• Clear, concise headline. This ad uses the same headline both on the image and in the copy headline spot: “All the Nutrients You Need. 1 Meal.” It clearly tells the viewer what Huel is and the most important benefit of it (complete nutrition).
• Refutes a common buyer claim and presents Huel as a solution. Huel mentions a common misconception (“I haven’t got the time to eat healthy”), then explains why it’s inaccurate and presents its product as the solution.

 

10. Daily Harvest – Facebook Image Ad

What they’re selling: a subscription to frozen smoothie mixes.

Why the ad works:

• It’s seasonal. Daily Harvest has chosen to showcase tropical ingredients in the image and call out the current season in their copy: “It’s 365 days of summer (in a smoothie).” It’s always great to paint a picture for the buyer that shows how easily a product or brand can fit into their ideal aesthetic.
• It highlights the discount up front. We see the discount in two places: the caption and the headline text. Both are worded slightly differently (“Save up to $40 on your first box” vs. “Get $40 OFF First Order for Limited Time”). The image and the first part of the caption copy seek to answer the question “why buy Daily Harvest?” while the headline brings urgency: why buy Daily Harvest right now?
• Includes a texture shot. Thanks, in large part, to the rise of beauty influencers, the texture shot feels super native to Instagram and Facebook. Here, Daily Harvest shows it off with a nice “drip” of the smoothie off the side of the cup. This little “imperfection” feels more authentic than a perfect image, and it contributes to an aesthetic sense of mouthwatering goodness.

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As we’ve seen in these 10 clickable Facebook and TikTok ads, there are many reasons why an ad would appeal to your audience. That’s why it’s important to test variations of each key component, including the image, headline, copy, and call-to-action.

No matter your audience, your ads should achieve three things:

• 1. answer common questions that your buyers have
• 2. present your product as the best solution to a problem
• 3. be visually scroll-stopping

Learn more about composing ads that convert in our templates and guides:

• How to write a buyer persona and develop buyer decision questions (and why they’re important)
• 25+ Ways to write ad copy (and why they work) [Templates + Examples]
• 9 Outstanding video ad templates that convert

 

Need help creating enough compelling ad creative to kick your growth into high gear? Primer On-Demand is an online ad platform that delivers videos, images, and landing pages produced by top marketing designers who know what converts.

When you sign up for Primer On-Demand, you’ll get access to 10+ frame-by-frame templates for image ads, video ads, and landing pages. And you’ll be able to request an unlimited number of ad designs from our team.

 

TikTok and Instagram Reels have redefined what a “good ad” looks like. 

Native-feeling content helps disguise your ad as a regular post, and more and more of our partners are seeing success mixing native social media elements into their ads. Even on Meta.

We’ve run thousands of ad tests across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other channels, and we’ve found that ads that mix native social elements into the creative consistently outperform brand-driven creative. 

But how do you drive conversion while staying native to the platform? Can funny voiceovers really sell products? Yes! 

Here are 9 winning video ad templates that consistently win across multiple channels (not just TikTok).

Elements of a Winning Video 

Before we dive into specific templates you can use and scale for your own videos, let’s talk about the do’s and don’ts of social media video ads.

There are a few key things that we’ve seen work no matter which video template you pick: 

Video Ad Templates:

Now that you know the do’s and don’ts of creating winning video ads, it’s time to start creating your video ad. Here are 9 frame-by-frame video ad templates you can easily copy for your social ads! 

1) User-Generated Content (UGC)  

What it does: Showcases how consumers have benefited from using this brand. Imitates the “native” feeling of organic platform posts. Draws on the best parts of TikTok-style ads. 

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Example:

 

How the example uses the formula:

2) Vs. the Alternative 

 

What it does: 

Positions the brand as the superior choice to the alternative options. Compares your brand to your competitor’s or your product to an alternative solution.

 

Tip: Be specific about what makes your product great. Directly contrast it with the alternative. Some examples of what to highlight:

• Lower price
• Easier to use
• Higher quality

• Healthier or more environmentally friendly

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Example:

 

How the example uses the formula:

3) “Made Easy”

 

What it does: Positions your product as the EASIEST possible solution to a customer’s problem. Shows that looking/feeling/performing better doesn’t have to be difficult. Other people just like you are already benefiting from trying something new.

 

Tip: Highlight how the process works in short, simple steps. Reinforce the simplicity with testimonials focused on ease of use.

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Example:

 

How the example uses the formula:

4) Buyer Decision Questions (BDQ)

 

What it does: Answers the most important Buyer Decision Questions (BDQs) that potential customers would ask themselves during the purchasing process. 

 

Tip: Be clear and concise; use UGC/social proof to demonstrate the core benefits of the product or service. Can also format as “3 or 5 reasons why X”.

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Example:

 

How the example uses the formula:

The video answers some core BDQs, particularly:

• How many pieces do I rent at a time?
• Are there any discounts if I want to buy the pieces I try?
• What’s the benefit of renting vs. buying? 

5) Press + Testimonials

What it does: Uses press quotes and customer testimonials in creative to tell the story of how and why the product works. It provides social proof and validation that the product works and that customers love it.

 

Tip: An easy way to implement it is by showing UGC with a voiceover of a customer giving an honest product review. You can also use UGC footage with shortened testimonials/benefits laid over in text.

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Example:

 

How the example uses the formula:

 

6) How To

 

What it does: Explains to customers how to solve a key problem and presents your product as the solution. This can be humorous or more didactic. 

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Example:

 

How the example uses the formula:

7) Montage

What it does:  Relies heavily on product shots and product UGC to sell the product. This type of shot is inspired by TikTok and Instagram Reel trends of syncing images/video to music.

 

Tip: This is best for brands with a wide range of product offerings or color options for one core product. Since it’s focused on the aesthetics of the product or quick shots of the product in action, it’s less beneficial for brands that need an extensive explanation of what their product is and how it works. 

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Example:

 

How the example uses the formula:

 

8) Sales Q

 

What it does: 

Uses an FAQ-style to address sales questions head-on, with answers that help guide a user past their purchase objections. 

 

Tip: Lay out questions in a conversational way, how potential customers would actually ask them. Answer in a genuine, natural way. 

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Example:​​

 

How the example uses the formula:

9) Native Style

 

What it is: Imitates organic posts. These styles of ads generally get more engagement and shares. 

 

The Formula — How to structure your video:

 

Best Native Content elements to include:

• Instagram/TikTok-style captions
• TikTok filters (e.g. green screen)
• Ask boxes 
• Stickers 
• Polls
• UI elements (e.g. stylizing like a text message)
• Channel-specific trends

 

Example:

 

How the example uses the formula:

—-

There you have it: 9 detailed video ad templates for your next social media video ad.

As the advertising landscape keeps changing, it’s important to test new styles in addition to your tried-and-true creative. We’ve included UGC in almost every example because that’s what we’ve seen working across the board. You might easily swap the UGC for a founder’s story or more polished product videos from your team.

If you have any questions about the new style of social media ads (and why they work!), we’re here to help. 

Book a free consultation to learn how creative testing can help you hit your growth goals. And stay tuned for exciting updates on new Primer offerings! 

 

 

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