Yes, videos can definitely be boosted on Facebook to increase their reach and engagement. Facebook provides several options for promoting videos to get them in front of more people who are likely to be interested in the content.
What is boosting a video on Facebook?
Boosting a video on Facebook means paying to promote the video in people’s feeds or in ads. When you boost a video, you choose a target audience, set a budget, and pay Facebook to show your video to more people. This helps increase views, engagement, website traffic, and conversions from your video content.
There are two main ways to boost videos on Facebook:
- Promote the video post in the News Feed
- Use the video in a Facebook video ad
Benefits of boosting videos on Facebook
Here are some of the benefits of boosting Facebook videos:
- Increased reach – Boosting allows your video to be seen by more people outside of just your current Page fans.
- More engagement – Boosted videos typically drive more reactions, comments, and shares.
- Lower cost per result – Video ads tend to have a lower cost per view or conversion compared to image ads.
- Higher retention – Video content holds attention better and keeps viewers watching longer.
- Brand awareness – Video is engaging and memorable, great for storytelling and building brand recognition.
- Lead generation – Videos can drive traffic to your website or landing pages to collect leads.
- Sales – Product videos and demos can influence purchases and increase conversion rates.
Ways to boost Facebook videos
Here are the main options for boosting Facebook videos:
Boost the video post
You can boost an existing video that you’ve posted on your Facebook Page. This promotes the video post in people’s News Feeds and right column ads.
- Go to your Facebook Page and select the video post you want to promote
- Click “Boost Post” from the dropdown menu
- Set your audience, budget, duration and placement
- Pay to boost the post and have it reach more people
Create a video ad
You can create a video ad in Facebook Ads Manager and select the video you want to use. This gives you more control over ad targeting and placement.
- In Ads Manager, select the objective for your campaign (views, traffic, conversions, etc.)
- Create the ad using your chosen video from Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or your own library
- Target your preferred audiences and choose placements (News Feed, Instagram Feed, Stories, etc.)
- Set your budget and schedule and launch the video ad campaign
Use video views objective
If your main goal is to rack up more views of your video, select the “video views” campaign objective. This optimizes your ad delivery for more views at the lowest costs.
Tips for effective video boosting
Follow these tips to maximize results from boosting Facebook videos:
- Hook viewers in the first 3 seconds with compelling visuals and sound
- Use captions and keep videos short (under 2 minutes ideal)
- Test different thumbnail images to see which drives more clicks
- Include a strong, clear call-to-action (subscribe, shop now, etc.)
- Target lookalike audiences of existing customers or fans
- Set an adequate budget for better reach and lower CPM
- Analyze results and optimize for lower cost per view or higher conversions
Ideal video lengths
Here are some recommended video lengths for different formats on Facebook:
| Video Format | Ideal Length |
|---|---|
| Facebook News Feed Post | 30 to 90 seconds |
| Facebook Video Ad | 15 to 30 seconds |
| Facebook Live | 10 to 20 minutes |
| Instagram Video Post | 30 to 60 seconds |
Shorter videos usually work best at grabbing attention and driving engagement on social media. You can experiment with different lengths to see what resonates most with your audience.
Ideal video formats
Here are some of the top performing video formats and aspect ratios to design your video content for Facebook and Instagram:
- Square 1:1 – For Facebook and Instagram feed posts
- Vertical 4:5 – For Instagram and Facebook Stories
- Horizontal 16:9 – For Facebook and Instagram in-feed video
- Horizontal 9:16 – For Instagram and Facebook Stories
- Horizontal 3:4 – Primary for mobile device video recording
Measuring results of boosted videos
Here are some key metrics to track the performance of your boosted Facebook videos:
- Impressions – Number of times your video thumbnail is shown
- Reach – Total number of unique people who saw the video
- Video views – Number of times the video is viewed for at least 3 seconds
- 10-second views – Number of views past 10 seconds, shows improved retention
- Engagement rate – Likes, comments, shares divided by reach
- Website clicks – Clicks on any links included in the video or description
- Conversions – Any desired actions from watching video (sign-ups, sales, etc.)
- CPV (cost per view) – Amount spent divided by total views
- CPCV (cost per completed video view) – Cost divided by 10-second views
Analyze these metrics to optimize your video ad campaigns for better results.
Creating effective video ads
Follow these best practices for creating effective Facebook video ads:
- Use high-quality, eye-catching visuals and graphics
- Keep text short, clear and readable on screen
- Use captions and avoid text overload
- Grab attention with the first 3 seconds
- Have a clear brand identity and messaging
- Appeal to emotions for greater impact
- Tell a compelling story or convey useful information
- Use motivational cues to prompt action
- Include a solid call-to-action
- Test different thumbnail images
- Check video quality and performance across devices
Video Ad Format Examples
Some top performing ad formats include:
- Product Demo – Show your product being used or highlight features
- Behind-the-Scenes – Give a “making of” look or company tour
- Expert Tips – Share a how-to or educational content
- Testimonial – Show authentic customer reviews and stories
- Interactive Poll – Engage viewers with poll stickers and questions
- Promotional Offer – Advertise coupons, sales, contests and deals
- Spotlight Campaigns – Humanize your brand with mini success stories
Conclusion
Boosting videos on Facebook through promoted posts or video ads can be an extremely effective strategy to increase engagement, website traffic, leads and sales. The key is crafting compelling videos optimized for the platform, targeted to your ideal audience and continuously testing and improving based on performance data.
With the right approach, budget and creativity, boosted Facebook videos provide an unmatched opportunity to build brand awareness, connect with customers and drive measurable business objectives.