Solved: Video ads or still images for a startup?

Hi there,

Thanks for getting in touch. I saw your question about using video ads versus still images for your startup and I'm happy to give you some initial thoughts and guidance based on what we've seen work for other B2B businesses.

It's a common question, and honestly, the answer isn't as simple as one being flat-out better than the other. The right choice really depends on a few other things that you need to get right first. Jumping straight to the creative format is a bit like deciding on the colour of a car before you've even figured out if you need a car or a van. Let's take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

I'd say you first need to think about your customer...

Before you even think about the ad itself, the absolute first thing to nail down is who you're selling to. You mentioned a "newer solution to business problems", which tells me you're in the B2B space. This is a completely different ball game to selling to consumers. The sales process is longer, the decision-making is more complex, and the way you reach people is very different.

So, you need to get realy specific:

-> Who are the companies? What size are they (e.g., SMEs with 50-200 employees)? What industry are they in (e.g., software, business services, marketing)? The more specific you are, the better your targeting will be.

-> Who are the decision-makers? You're not selling to a company; you're selling to a person within that company. Is it the Head of Marketing, the CTO, the founder, a project manager? Each of these people will have different pain points and respond to different messages. Your "simple message" needs to be simple *for them*. A message that resonates with a CTO might go straight over the head of a CEO, and vice-versa.

This exercise is probably the most important bit of work you can do. Once you know exactly who you're trying to reach, you can figure out where to find them and what to say. We find most campaigns fail because this basic homework hasn't been done properly.

We'll need to look at the ad platform...

You've mentioned Facebook (Meta) ads, and while they can work for B2B, you need to be realistic. Meta's B2B targeting options are quite limited. You can target "small business owners" or "business page admins", but it's a broad brush. You might get lucky, and we have run some very successful campaigns for B2B software on Meta. I remember one client for whom we generated 1535 trials for their B2B SaaS just using Meta ads. But for another, we found getting in front of the right people was a real struggle.

The real question is, are your ideal customers actively searching for a solution to the problem you solve? If they are, then Google Search ads are almost definately your best bet. You're capturing intent. People are literally typing "how to solve X problem" or "software for Y task" into Google. You can target keywords like "AI implementation service" or "project management software for small teams", whatever fits your solution. This is about being there at the exact moment they need you.

If they *aren't* actively searching, then you need to get their attention, and that's where social media comes in. But for B2B, I would strongly urge you to consider LinkedIn Ads alongside Facebook. LinkedIn is built for this. You can target people by their exact job title, company size, industry, seniority... it's incredibly powerful for reaching specific decision-makers. The leads are usually more expensive, but they are often much higher quality because you know you're talking to the right person. I recall we've run campaigns for B2B software clients on LinkedIn where we've managed to get the cost per lead for decision-makers down to around $22, which for a high-ticket service is fantastic value.

So, while your question was about Facebook, the real answer might be that you need a mix of platforms, or that another platform might be a better starting point alltogether.

You probably should focus on your offer and funnel first...

This is the part that trips up most startups. You can have the best ad in the world, but if it sends people to a website or an offer that doesn't convert, you're just throwing money away. I've had a look at so many B2B websites where the ads just weren't working, and 9 times out of 10, the problem was the website, not the ad.

For a "newer solution to business problems", you're asking a lot from a potential customer. Changing a business process or adopting new software is a big deal. It's a huge effort and a big risk for them. So, your offer needs to make it as easy and risk-free as possible for them to say yes.

-> Do you have a free trial? Honestly, for most B2B software, this is non-negotiable. No one is going to pay for a new system without trying it first. Your competition is probably offering free trials, so you need to as well. A demo is good, but a hands-on trial is much better.

-> Is your landing page persuasive? Your ad gets the click; your landing page gets the conversion. This page needs to be crystal clear about the problem you solve, how you solve it, and why they should care. It needs strong, professional copy that speaks directly to the pain points of the decision-maker you identified earlier. We often use specialist copywriters for our SaaS clients because getting this message right makes such a massive difference. Your message about "business meets privacy" might be true, but is that what a busy CEO really cares about? They probably care more about saving time, reducing costs, or increasing revenue. You need to frame your solution in terms of the benefits they care about.

Getting this funnel right should be your number one priority. A great funnel with average ads will always beat amazing ads with a leaky funnel.

You'll need a solid testing strategy...

Okay, so let's finally talk about video versus still images. Now that we've covered the strategic stuff, the creative becomes a tool to execute that strategy.

Your instinct that a still image is good for a simple message is spot on. They are quick to create and can get a single, powerful benefit across instantly. If you have a really strong headline and a clean design, an image ad can work wonders. We've seen it happen.

However, for a "newer solution", a video has a massive advantage: you can *show*, not just tell. You can demonstrate the software in action. You can have a user talk about how it solved their problem (a User-Generated Content or UGC style video). You can explain a complex idea much more easily in a 30-second video than in a static image. Video grabs attention in a crowded feed much better than a static image does. It allows you to build more of a connection and explain the value proposition in more depth, which is often nessesary for B2B.

So, what would I recommend? You have to test both. It's the only way to know for sure what your specific audience responds to. Don't just test one video against one image. Test multiple versions of each.

-> Test different image designs with different headlines.

-> Test different types of video: a short, animated explainer video, a screen-recording demo, a simple "talking head" video of you explaining the solution.

You'd run these in the same campaign, see which one gets a lower cost per lead or cost per trial signup, and then double down on the winner. The data will tell you what to do.

This is the main advice I have for you:

As you can probably see, launching a successful ad campaign for a B2B startup involves a lot more than just choosing between a video and an image. It's about building a complete system from the customer profile right through to the conversion.

Getting all these pieces right takes time, expertise, and a lot of testing. It can be a bit of a minefield, and mistakes can be costly. This is often where working with an expert can make a huge difference. We can help you build this strategy from the ground up, avoid the common pitfalls, and get you to profitability much faster than going it alone.

We actually offer a free initial consultation where we can take a closer look at your startup and give you a more detailed strategy. It's a great way to get some expert eyes on your project with no obligation. If that sounds helpful, just let me know.

Hope this helps!

Regards,
Team @ Lukas Holschuh