Facebook is one of the biggest assets in a marketer’s toolbox. If you aren’t using the platform the right way, you’re missing out on their huge interactive market.

Facebook’s social media marketing revolves around storytelling. This is how businesses and brands connect with consumers on a personal level.

Business-consumer relationships created through Facebook are more emotionally charged. These are bonds established by mutual trust and genuine interest. The Facebook algorithm encourages (and, in a way, requires) businesses and consumers to interact with each other in thoughtful ways in order to create this type of relationship.

Facebook is encouraging business-consumer interactions that revolve around authentic, story-driven content.

That is where facebook story ads are making a huge impact on the market.

Their immediate popularity is partly due to the fact that Facebook Story Ads are more artistically focused than standard paid ads. The platform calls for more thoughtful content and when marketers deliver on that their ads become more relevant, reach more people, and show up in Facebook feeds more frequently.

This focus on storytelling marketing is sure to gain more attraction over the years. Already, Instagram announced their newest concept — a video sharing platform comparable to youtube. This will give marketers access to even more potential consumers — roughly 800 million — and will also open the floodgates for a whole new genre of brand marketing via video storytelling.

By capturing the consumer’s attention with artistic content, marketers open consumers up to their messaging. By holding a consumer’s attention long enough, marketers convince those viewers to take action — whether that is a click through to a landing page, a blog, an email subscription or an online purchase is a win by digital marketing standards.

This idea of design-driven content is further reinforced by the fact that 85% of videos are watched without sound. This, therefore, calls for content with text. Copywriting that sells combined with designs that garner attention is valuable messaging for any brand… no matter how established.

You’re going shopping for your first car. You’ve been saving for years. There are two cars in your price range in the car lot. They are the same make and model but have totally different cosmetics. The first car is a deep blue with polished rims and black tint; the second is neon green with red and orange flames painted down the side, and every available inch covered in shiny chrome.

Which car are you most likely to buy?

Just as an overly flashy car is a turn-off for a new car shopper, flashy video content is a turn-off for someone casually viewing cool videos. Never underestimate the consumer’s control, especially considering the new Facebook algorithm. Annoy a consumer and they will make sure you no longer show up in their media stream. Do that and you lose out on a lot of business.

Good storytelling works. Bad storytelling damages. The better your story the more people engage, share and come back for more. If you can drive users on to the next image, the next web page, the next source of branded media then you are using Facebook Ads successfully.

There are many reasons we are a full-service marketing agency, and one of those is because we refuse to limit our storytelling abilities. The more options we have at our disposal — the more creative tools we have to work with — the better the story.

Specifically, regarding Facebook Story Ads, we’ve noticed that shorter video ads and attention-grabbing GIFs are most effective. They’re simple, quick and get the messaging out fast enough to keep pace with the latest trends and conversations.

We know how to stay relevant. Do you?