How to Create Persuasive Video Ads That Convert

Want to stop the scroll and engage your audience with video ads? Curious about the key elements that make a video ad irresistible?

In this article, we'll explore how to create persuasive video ads that convert.

Why Video Ad Strategy Matters More Than Ever for Modern Marketers

Video ads have emerged as one of the most powerful tools for reaching and converting new audiences. 

Still, many marketers hesitate to embrace video advertising fully.

While organic content remains valuable for long-term growth, paid video ads offer unique advantages you shouldn't overlook.

Thanks to modern targeting capabilities, you can reach the exact audience you want to get in front of.

Instead of waiting months to see if an offer converts through organic channels, video ads let you validate offers quickly. You get clear data on what messages and offers resonate with your audience.

Finally, once you find a winning video ad, you can scale your success by increasing ad spend.

“Advertising is the best, fastest way to get your ideal customer in front of you and to test some things out,” explains Kevin Anson, a veteran video ad strategist whose agency, Ads of Fire, has created thousands of successful video ads for major brands like ClickFunnels. With over two decades of video experience, including working directly with renowned marketer Russell Brunson, Anson has identified seven key psychological ingredients that make video ads convert.

If you're worried that creating effective video ads will require expensive equipment or professional editing skills, you can set the worry aside. 

Today's smartphone cameras and simple editing apps allow anyone to create high-converting video ads. The key lies not in technical perfection, but in understanding and implementing the psychological triggers that make viewers stop, watch, and take action.

Your Video Ad Framework

This framework will help you to implement a series of psychological triggers in the correct order:

• Start Strong: Use pattern interrupts; Identify your audience; Present powerful hooks; Address pain points.
• Build Credibility: Show specific results; Present clear proof; Handle objections; Demonstrate expertise.
• Drive Action: Present clear CTAs; Make the next steps obvious; Drive urgency; Reduce risk.

#1: Pattern Interrupts That Stop the Scroll

In today's social media environment, you compete against an endless stream of content for your viewer's attention. The first crucial seconds of your video ad are make-or-break territory. This is where the psychology of pattern interrupts becomes essential.

People are used to seeing so many things on social media that they fall into an automatic scrolling pattern. It takes something out of the ordinary to break them out of that behavior—to stop the scroll.

Here are five types of effective pattern interrupt techniques, with examples, to try:

Visual Disruptions: Wave enthusiastically at the camera before speaking, use dramatic hand gestures or movements, and implement quick zooms or camera movements.

Create Unexpected Transitions: Use bold colors or striking visuals, add technical effects, implement glitch effects, or use VHS tape visual artifacts.

Add Static or Interference Effects: Create screen distortions, incorporate quick cuts or transitions and dramatic entrances, or match-cut from viral clips into your entrance.

Use Creative Transitions From Popular Content: Create unexpected scene changes, implement surprise reveals, use motion to draw attention, or introduce attention-grabbing props.

Use Props That Relate to Your Message: Implement surprising demonstrations, create visual metaphors, use unexpected objects, or incorporate dramatic elements. For example, you could show a wallet in flames and ask, “Is your ad spend burning through your wallet?”

#2: Audience Identification

One of the most critical yet often overlooked elements of high-converting video ads is precise audience identification.

Marketers who create generalized messages that fail to resonate with specific viewers are making a costly mistake. Even if you've carefully targeted your ad settings, you have to state who you're speaking to explicitly. It's crucial for engagement and conversion.

At the start of your video, clearly identify your target audience to activate a psychological trigger in your viewers: recognition response.

When viewers immediately know if the message is for them, they quickly self-qualify or disqualify, helping you create an instant connection with qualified prospects.

As more viewers self-qualify, the algorithm's AI systems better understand your target audience, which improves ad delivery to more relevant viewers, reducing wasted ad spend on unqualified viewers and enhancing overall campaign performance.

Here are three types of audience identification techniques, with examples, to try.

Direct Role Identification

• “Hey, roofing contractors…”
• “Attention software company owners…”
• “For marketing managers responsible for lead generation…”
• “If you're a stay-at-home mom looking to start a business…”

Situation-Based Identification

• “If you're responsible for growing leads for a software company…”
• “For business owners struggling to scale past six figures…”‘
• “To everyone managing social media for their small business…”
• “If you're handling marketing for a B2B company…”

Problem-Based Identification

• “Are you a coach struggling to fill your calendar?”
• “For financial advisors worried about AI disruption…”
• “If you're a consultant tired of feast-or-famine cycles…”
• “To every business owner overwhelmed by social media…”

#3: Hooks That Demand Attention

Next, you need a powerful hook to sustain your viewer's attention.

Here are seven types of hooks, with examples, that consistently drive engagement and prevent viewers from scrolling past your ad.

The Fact or Statistic Hook: Present surprising industry data, share unexpected research findings, reveal compelling market trends, or use numbers that challenge assumptions. For example: “Did you know that 87% of successful businesses already use this overlooked marketing strategy?”

The Objection Hook: Address common resistance points, challenge prevalent misconceptions, tackle industry myths head-on, or confront typical skepticism. For example: “Think Facebook ads don't work anymore for coaching businesses? Using this method, our clients just generated 127 qualified leads in the past 30 days.”

The Pain or Desire Hook: Highlight urgent problems, address pressing challenges, emphasize aspirational goals, or touch on emotional triggers. For example: “Tired of working 60-hour weeks while watching your competitors scale effortlessly?”

The Polarization Hook: Challenge conventional wisdom, present controversial perspectives, question established practices, or offer alternative viewpoints. For example: “Websites are dead. Funnels are the new way to generate leads, and here's why…”

The Result Hook: Share specific outcomes, present concrete achievements, demonstrate measurable success, or highlight tangible results. For example: “Here's how we helped 100 small businesses build 7-figure revenue streams in under 12 months…”

The Rhetorical Question Hook: Pose thought-provoking questions, challenge existing beliefs, stimulate self-reflection, or create cognitive engagement. For example: “What if everything you've been told about customer acquisition is wrong?”

The Strong Statement Hook: Make bold declarations, present powerful assertions, offer definitive perspectives, or state compelling truths. For example: “AI is about to make 90% of traditional marketing strategies obsolete.”

For maximum impact, combine different hooks with audience identification to capture attention and establish relevance simultaneously. You can test combinations with small ad budgets to identify which resonates most strongly with your specific audience. For example:

• Audience ID + Fact Hook: “Attention financial advisors: 73% of your clients are considering switching to robo-advisors.”
• Audience ID + Pain Hook: “Hey, fitness coaches, tired of posting endless content without seeing any real client growth?”
• Audience ID + Strong Statement + Fact Hook: “To all e-commerce owners: Your website might be losing 67% of potential sales because of this overlooked mistake.”

#4: Pain Points and Desires

At this point, you need to explore your audience's challenges and aspirations. While both are important, people are psychologically more motivated to respond to pain points.

Why? Because humans are fundamentally motivated to avoid pain more than to seek pleasure. In marketing, this translates to addressing three types of pain points.

The first are immediate concerns, such as issues keeping viewers awake at night, daily frustrations, pressing business problems, and urgent personal matters.

The second is hidden fears like future uncertainties, competitive threats, market changes, and professional obsolescence.

The third is operational challenges, including process inefficiencies, resource limitations, time constraints, and budget concerns.

Here are three ways to address these pain points, with specific and relatable examples you can follow.

Business Pain Points

• “Struggling to generate consistent leads?”
• “Tired of watching competitors dominate your market?”
• “Frustrated by low conversion rates?”
• “Worried about staying relevant in an AI-driven world?”

Personal Pain Points

• “Exhausted from working 60-hour weeks?”
• “Missing important family time?”
• “Feeling overwhelmed by constant algorithm changes?”
• “Stressed about maintaining a work-life balance?”

Financial Pain Points

• “Spending too much on ads without seeing returns?”
• “Worried about inconsistent monthly revenue?”
• “Struggling to scale past six figures?”
• “Concerned about rising customer acquisition costs?”

After acknowledging a specific pain point, you can transition to painting the picture of a better future that's possible with your offer.

Create a clear connection between the pain point and the desire, showing how solving the problem leads to achieving the aspiration. You want your viewer to consider your offer and think, “What would this make possible?”

Here are three types of desires you can appeal to.

Primary Desires include financial freedom, time independence, professional recognition, and market leadership.

Secondary Desires include family time, personal growth, community impact, and legacy building.

Operational Desires include streamlined processes, automated systems, scalable business models, and predictable results.

#5: Compelling Results and Proof

Generic promises no longer work in today's skeptical market. Your video must present specific, tangible results and back them up with concrete proof so that the results you promise are both believable and achievable. Including timeframes and specific metrics can help.

For example, instead of “Lose weight and feel better,” use “Drop 15 pounds in 60 days and feel confident in your summer clothes.”

Instead of “Generate more leads,” use “Book 10 qualified sales appointments every month on autopilot.”

Instead of “Grow your business,” use “Scale to six figures in revenue while working 20 hours per week.”

Here are four effective types of proof, with examples.

Client Case Studies: Specific success stories, before and after scenarios, detailed transformations, clear metrics, and outcomes. For example: “Like Sarah, who implemented our system and booked 15 high-ticket clients in her first 30 days…”

Statistical Evidence: Industry data, research findings, performance metrics, and comparative analysis. For example: “Our clients average a 327% increase in qualified leads within the first 90 days…”

Process Demonstration: Step-by-step walkthrough, behind-the-scenes look, system overview, and implementation examples. For example: “Let me show you exactly how our three-step system works…”

Social Proof: Client testimonials, industry recognition, media coverage, and expert endorsements.

#6: Handle Objections

Every offer faces objections, and addressing them proactively in your video ads is crucial for conversion. Kevin shared three strategies for handling objections:

The Preemptive Strike Strategy: Address your viewers' objections before they arise and acknowledge common concerns upfront. Show that you understand their hesitation and present solutions to them proactively.

The Evidence Stack Strategy: Here, you want to layer multiple proof points by combining different types of evidence to build credibility progressively.

The Contrast Method Strategy: In this approach, you compare alternatives to highlight the disadvantages of other options or the cost of inaction and then demonstrate the unique advantages of your offer.

Here are three core categories of common objections and specific ways to overcome them.

Time-Based Objections

• “I don't have time to learn something new.”
• “This will take too long to implement.”
• “I'm already too busy.”
• “I can't add another project to my plate.”

Strategies for Addressing Time Objections:

• Demonstrate quick implementation timeframes
• Show simplified processes
• Highlight time-saving benefits
• Present streamlined solutions

Example: “Our step-by-step system helps complete beginners launch in just two days. We've stripped away all the complexity, so you can focus only on what drives results.”

Money-Based Objections

• “This is probably too expensive.”
• “I can't afford this right now.”
• “I'm not sure about the investment.”
• “What's the ROI?”

Strategies for Addressing Financial Objections

• Present value comparisons
• Demonstrate ROI calculations
• Show cost-benefit analysis
• Highlight opportunity costs

Example: “Would you rather invest a few hours learning our proven system or waste months and thousands of dollars trying to figure it out alone? Our clients typically see positive ROI within their first 30 days.”

Safety/Risk-Based Objections

• “What if this doesn't work for me?”
• “Is this tested and proven?”
• “Can I trust this solution?”
• “Will this work in my industry?”

Strategies for Addressing Risk Objections

• Present case studies
• Show social proof
• Offer guarantees
• Demonstrate a proven track record

Example: “Our system has been tested across 27 industries, generating over $50 million in revenue for our clients. Plus, we back everything with our 30-day money-back guarantee.”

Pro Tip: Consider creating a spreadsheet of every objection you've ever heard from prospects and develop specific responses for each one.

#7: Call to Action

A clear, compelling call to action (CTA) is the final element of high-converting video ads–your viewers need explicit direction on what to do next, even if you think it seems obvious.

First, use direct language to give them specific action steps and simple instructions. For example: “Click the link below to register for the free training.”

Next, add urgency to your CTA with limited-time offers, exclusive opportunities, scarcity, or deadlines. For example: “This special pricing is only available through this ad.”

Finally, reinforce the value of your offer with reminders of the benefits your product offers, emphasizing the outcome, and previewing results. For example: “Download your free guide now to implement these strategies today.”

Here are three ways to deliver your CTA.

The Multiple-Touch Approach

Deliver a soft CTA early in the video: “Keep watching to learn exactly how this works.” Midway through your video, deliver a CTA to encourage viewer interaction: “Comment YES below if you've experienced this problem too!” Close with a strong CTA that drives primary action: “Click the link below to register now.” Finally, end by reinforcing the CTA: “Don't forget to click that link below to secure your spot.”

The Value-Stack Method

Start with the value of your offer, then add specific outcomes and include the promise of transformation, “This complete system will show you how to create high-converting video ads. You'll learn how to create ads that generate qualified leads daily. Within 30 days, you'll be confidently creating ads that convert.”

Next, add some bonus value in the form of one of these options:

• Complementary resources: “You'll also get our swipe file of proven ad scripts.”
• Supporting tools: “Plus access to our private template library.”)
• Additional training: “And our weekly live Q&A calls.”)

Now, present premium elements to sweeten the deal. The key is to build up so much value that your offer price seems minimal compared to everything they will receive.

Each element should be specific and tangible, making the total package irresistible:

• Exclusive access: “You'll be part of our private mastermind.”
• Personal support: “Including direct access to our team.”
• Special features: “Plus our enterprise-level tools.”

The Risk-Reversal Close

• Remove barriers
• Address final concerns
• Offer guarantees
• Provide assurances

This powerful psychological technique completely shifts the risk of taking action from the viewer to yourself. Here's how to implement it effectively in your video ads.

First, remove any barriers to entry:

• Eliminate upfront costs: “Start today with no money down.”
• Offer free trials: “Try the full system for 30 days.”
• Provide immediate access: “Get instant access the moment you join.”
• Allow easy cancellation: “Cancel anytime with one click.”

Then, address those final moment concerns your viewer may be struggling with:

• Tackle last-minute doubts: “You might be wondering if this will really work for you.”
• Answer common questions: “No technical experience? No problem.”
• Provide social proof: “Join over 10,000 successful customers.”
• Share quick-win promises: “See your first results within 24 hours.”

Back up your ability to deliver on the promise of your offer with a strong guarantee:

• Performance-based guarantees: “If you don't double your leads in 90 days.”
• Money-back promises: “100% refund if you're not completely satisfied.”
• Extended trial periods: “Take a full month to test everything.”
• Double-your-money-back offers: “If you implement our system and don't see results.”

Finally, provide Multiple Assurances:

• Show success track record: “We've helped over 1,000 businesses.”
• Demonstrate proven results: “Our average client sees 3x ROI.”
• Offer ongoing support: “You'll never be left stuck.”)
• Include safety nets: “Plus, our technical team is here 24/7.”

The goal of risk reversal is to make saying “yes” the safest and easiest choice for your viewer. By removing all potential risks and addressing final concerns, you make it psychologically easier for viewers to take action.

Tips and Tools for Video Ad Creation

Anson recommends these tools for creating professional-looking video ads:

• Captions.ai for animated captions
• TeleprompterPro for script reading while you're filming
• Transitional Hooks is a free resource that provides viral clips you can use as pattern interrupts.

Other Notes From This Episode

• Connect with Michael Stelzner @Stelzner on Instagram and @Mike_Stelzner on X.
• Watch this interview and other exclusive content from Social Media Examiner on YouTube.

Where to subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | YouTube Music | YouTube | Amazon Music | RSS

✋🏽 If you enjoyed this episode of the Social Media Marketing podcast, please head over to Apple Podcasts, leave a rating, write a review, and subscribe.

---

Stay Up-to-Date: Get New Marketing Articles Delivered to You!

Don't miss out on upcoming social media marketing insights and strategies! Sign up to receive notifications when we publish new articles on Social Media Examiner. Our expertly crafted content will help you stay ahead of the curve and drive results for your business. Click the link below to sign up now and receive our annual report!