Creative
We partnered with Asheville-based sketch comedy content creators The Pool Boiz for the creative, with the goal of creating a 30-60 second video to stop the scroll on a paid social awareness campaign.
I worked directly with their writer, Cameron Davis, to brainstorm ideas and approve the script. The creators maintained creative control of the project and the script was approved with no edits.
The content creators handled most of the post-production and delivered the project as requested in a 9:16 aspect ratio. Using Adobe Premiere, I edited the audio, burned captions to the video and exported the video to suit our distribution channels.
Budget, Targeting & Placements
Age: 32 – 60
Location: Asheville, NC + 12 mi
Lifetime budget: $250 per ad set ($500 total)
Performance goal: Maximize conversions
Conversion event: Lead, triggered via Facebook pixel on landing page
Manual placements: Instagram Stories, Facebook & Instagram Feed
Testing: A/B tested at the ad set level
Results
Ad placements for Facebook and Instagram feeds came through with a lower CPM of $33.53, slightly less than the Instagram stories ad set, which had a CPM of $37.31.
Feed placements were watched significantly longer with an average viewed duration of 9 seconds, versus 4 seconds with the Instagram stories ad set.
Additionally, feed placements were watched to completion at a rate that is over six times higher than stories placements (2% versus .3%, respectively).
Analysis
If I were to run this campaign beyond this test phase, I would focus exclusively on Facebook and Instagram feed placements due to a demonstrated 10.1% lower CPM. Additionally, the ad would be more memorable as the watched-to-completion rate that is over 6 times higher than the Instagram stories ad set.
I would also change the campaign goal from maximize conversions to either awareness or engagement. Since maximize conversions works best with 30-50 conversions in a month, this targeting goal was inappropriate for promoting a local service business in a city of about 95,000. I am unlikely to ever see that many conversions in one campaign for this market.
By choosing a goal of awareness or engagement, I would expect to see a CPM of $10 or less according to recent historial data for awareness and engagement campaign goals (see this resource by Bïrch).
This targeting would expand our reach with the same ad spend, thereby getting the most of the comedic and on-brand creative.
Other Items
Monthly Email Newsletter
Email
Open Mic Night at Felicitous on 42nd
Video
USF Magazine | College of The Arts: Engaging Public Spaces
Writing