Facebook Video Ads Featuring Cinemagraphs Deliver Better Results for Small Business

Small businesses need advertising tools to stay competitive. As audiences consume videocontent more than static content, marketers are using video in their ad strategies to attract their eyes and increase sales. Unlike top brands and large businesses, many small businesses may not have the time, money, skills, or resources to create video ads at scale.

Small businesses now have a new, easy-to-create video ad format that will allow them to tell their brand stories, connect with customers, and compete against larger businesses: they are called cinemagraphs. These living photos hold attention in ways that still images no longer can. To create cinemagraphs, businesses only need an iPhone, a tripod, and Cinemagraph®️ Pro from Flixel. In this blog series Small Business, Big Impact, Flixel explores how small businesses are creating cinemagraphs for their digital advertising and social media to drive results.

This week, we take a look at ANTI, a Toronto streetwear line creating fashion cinemagraphs to use in their Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns.

Small Businesses Creating Great Facebook Ads: ANTI

In a world that demands that everyone should be the same, ANTI wants their customers to carve their own identity. Available online on their website and ASOS, as well as select retailers in downtown Toronto, the first step is to wear an ANTI hoodie, t-short, or cap; but as ANTI founder Zarrar Rasool tells us, the journey truly begins when each person makes ANTI apparel their own.

“If you think of the word ‘anti’, it’s a word of opposition,” Zarrar explained. “You could be anti-war, anti-propaganda, or anti-breakfast if you really don’t like breakfast. We encourage our customers to make their own statement.” Their slogan, “Trust Yourself”, reflects that sentiment.

How Fashion Brand and Small Business ANTI Tells Their Story

To share that message, much of ANTI’s social media content showcases the merchandise worn by individuals who are uniquely themselves, just like the brand. They rely on platforms like Facebook and Instagram to grow their brand awareness and sales.

Zarrar shared that as a small business owner, he needed to experiment with their ad content. “When it comes to marketing, and Facebook and ads, you don’t know what’s going to work and what’s not,” said Zarrar. “We just finished learning what works with still images.”

Video content allows businesses to tell deeper stories that build brand identity and customer relationships. This is particularly true for e-commerce businesses, who operate without a physical storefront that customers can interact with in their purchasing journey. They need to use more immersive content that resonates with audiences and makes them a part of the brand story.

While aware of the benefits of video ad content, Zarrar was hesitant to jump in. “There is a lot of production behind it and a lot of costs associated with it. We’re still a young company, so we haven’t justified making the transition into video.”

Staying Competitive: ANTI Creates Cinemagraphs for Facebook Ads

When Zarrar saw cinemagraphs – a medium that blends photo and video together – he knew they would be an effective way to use ANTI’s existing resources and skills to create video ad content that reflected the brand. “Any time you’re trying to promote a product or service, you’re always looking to stand out in a unique way. Cinemagraphs give you that advantage. It catches attention because you think it’s a photograph, but then you look a little closer and there’s something moving. It grabs the attention that you need right away.”

On any given day, Zarrar can head out to create cinemagraphs for his Facebook ads, even without an expensive DSLR or intensive equipment. With the ANTI office located in downtown Toronto, the possibilities for creating cinemagraphs highlighting ANTI merchandise against the urban locales of the city are endless, making it easy to use Cinemagraph Pro on-the-go without the worries of a typical video production.

“I think what’s really cool about Flixel is that you have the cinemagraph technology right in your pocket. If you want to make an ad, you just pull it out of your pocket and fire up your iPhone and you’re ready to go.”

Like ANTI, cinemagraphs are a way for small businesses to not only join a conversation, but stand out in one. All you need to do is decide what story you want to tell.