Social Media Ad Techniques

    Ad Formats

    The production container an ad lives in - the how. 27 formats, tagged by production cost so you can match ambition to budget. An angle can run in many formats; a format carries many angles.

    Browse by type

    Video

    Lo-fi UGC (talking head)

    One person, one phone, talking straight to camera. The native default of social.

    Production cost: low
    Video

    Product Review

    An honest-feeling walkthrough of using the product, warts and all.

    Production cost: low
    Video

    Unboxing / First Impression

    The package opening and the genuine first reaction.

    Production cost: low
    Video

    Tutorial / How-To / Demo

    Show the product doing the thing, step by step.

    Production cost: low-mid
    Video

    UGC Voiceover (B-roll + VO)

    B-roll of the product carried by a voiceover script.

    Production cost: low-mid
    Video

    Raw UGC + Brand Editing

    Authentic UGC footage cut with brand captions, pace, and structure.

    Production cost: mid
    Video

    Testimonial Compilation

    Several real customers stitched into one wall of proof.

    Production cost: mid
    Video

    Green Screen / Reaction

    Creator reacts in front of a screenshot, post, or article.

    Production cost: low
    Video

    Split-Screen / Dual-POV

    Two things on screen at once. Contrast you can see in a glance.

    Production cost: low-mid
    Video

    Us-vs-Them Side-by-Side

    A structured head-to-head between your product and the alternative.

    Production cost: mid
    Video

    Podcast Clip

    A conversational two-shot that feels like overheard expertise.

    Production cost: mid
    Video

    VSL (Video Sales Letter)

    A longer, structured pitch that walks from problem to purchase.

    Production cost: mid-high
    Video

    AI Avatar / Spokesperson

    A synthetic presenter delivers the script. Volume without a film crew.

    Production cost: mid
    Video

    ASMR / Sensory

    Lean on sound and texture to make the product feel tactile.

    Production cost: mid
    Video

    Kinetic Typography

    Animated text carries the message. No face, no footage required.

    Production cost: mid
    Video

    App Demo / UI Walkthrough

    Screen recording of the product in action. Show, don't claim.

    Production cost: low
    Static / structural

    Ugly Ad (lo-fi native)

    A deliberately unpolished static that looks like a post, not an ad.

    Production cost: very low
    Static / structural

    Single Image

    One frame to land the whole idea. Hardest format to do well.

    Production cost: low
    Static / structural

    Carousel (2-10 cards)

    Swipeable cards that build an argument one tap at a time.

    Production cost: low-mid
    Static / structural

    Collection

    A hero asset over a grid of shoppable products.

    Production cost: mid
    Static / structural

    Dynamic Product Ads (DPA)

    Automated ads that show each user the products they looked at.

    Production cost: feed
    Static / structural

    Press / As-Seen-In Screenshot

    Borrow a publication's credibility with a clipped headline.

    Production cost: low
    Static / structural

    Comparison Table

    A grid of checkmarks that makes the choice look obvious.

    Production cost: low
    Static / structural

    What's Inside / Ingredient

    Break the product into its parts to prove what's really in it.

    Production cost: mid
    Static / structural

    Handwritten Note / Post-it

    A scribbled note that reads as personal, not produced.

    Production cost: ultra-low
    Static / structural

    Meme / Spoof

    Hijack a familiar meme format to smuggle in the message.

    Production cost: low
    Static / structural

    AI-Enhanced Static

    Generated or AI-assisted imagery for concepts a photo can't capture.

    Production cost: mid