How do you grab attention on social media? According to our findings, the answer is clear:

Go native.

People are not on Facebook to look at ads. So if you can cloak your ad in the type of content they’re actually seeking, they’re far more likely to stop in their feed.

In terms of visual design, that means opting for DIY footage that looks like the content their friends or favorite influencers are posting, rather than staging a professional production or relying on generic stock footage.

The potential returns on such design choices can be enormous.

For instance, in one health and wellness account, ads using DIY footage made up 39% of our total media spend in 2021. That may not seem like a lot, but when you consider that only 7% of the ads fall into that category, the outsized impact is clear.

In fact, the simple addition of a DIY intro helped one ad reach a media spend of $1.2 million in a matter of days.

That said, not just any footage is going to work. So here are our top tips for using DIY footage in your social media ads:

Make it your feedstopper

    1. .

DIY footage will have the most impact if it’s shown in the first 3 seconds of an ad. But once you have the user's attention, it’s fine—and even preferable—to use staged or stock footage. You want the people behind your brand to be seen as professionals that can be trusted, and a polished looking ad can help with that.

DIY doesn’t mean no design.

Always include an attention grabbing headline or question that will give the user a sense of what the rest of the video is about. Sticker icons and emojis can also spice things up while still retaining a native look.

It’s fine to film using a phone

—as long as the end product looks good. Make sure your phone has a high quality camera, avoid shakiness and blurriness (use a tripod if you need to), and make sure your shots are interesting looking and well-composed

Don’t be afraid to get weird.

If the user isn’t sure exactly what they’re looking at, or why the scene unfolding before them is happening, they’re more likely to keep watching.

If you do all these things, you’ll see that the benefits of going DIY can extend far beyond simply getting the user’s attention.

Because making ads that look native builds trust. It shows that you speak the user’s language, understand their aesthetics, and even share their same worldview.

In other words, it can help turn your brand from a cold, faceless corporation into an expert authority—and trusted friend.