Videos for social media ads: formats, length and structure

An ad on social media competes with videos from friends, creators and the news. Videos for social media ads have to look like part of the feed and sell at the same time. This guide sums up formats, lengths and a structure you can reuse.

Formats by platform

• TikTok: vertical 9:16, full screen, sound on frequently.
• Instagram Reels and Stories: vertical 9:16; in Stories, think in short segments.
• Instagram and Facebook feed: vertical 4:5 takes up more screen than square.
• YouTube Shorts: vertical 9:16, style similar to TikTok.

Shoot vertical at high resolution and leave margin around the subject so you can crop to 4:5 without losing what matters. Exact specifications change; always check each platform's current guide.

Recommended length

There is no single length. As a starting point: 15 to 30 seconds for discovery ads and up to 60 seconds for demos or testimonials that need to explain more. What matters is that every second has a reason to be there.

Five-part structure

1. Hook (0–3 s): a problem, a question, a result or an unexpected image.
2. Context: who is speaking and why you should care.
3. Demonstration: the product in use, solving the problem.
4. Proof: testimonial, detail, honest comparison.
5. Call to action: what to do now and where.

Hook ideas

• "Here's what nobody tells you about…"
• "I tried this for a week and…"
• "If this happens to you, look…"
• Show the result first and explain later.
• A common objection: "Is it worth it at that price?"

Pre-publishing checklist

• The product appears in the first seconds.
• It has legible subtitles.
• No important text sits under the buttons or the account name.
• The audio is clear and the music doesn't cover the voice.
• The call to action matches the landing page.
• You have paid-ad usage rights if the video is from a creator.
• The collaboration is identified as advertising when appropriate.

Production: studio or creators

Studio videos work for brand and image; creator videos usually blend into the feed better and let you produce more versions. Many brands combine both. If you want to commission videos from creators, read buying videos from creators and UGC videos in Colombia.

How CLIQ helps

CLIQ produces creator videos for ads on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, with a structure designed for performance and variations ready to test. Request a proposal.