Free guide · 4 min read
How to make AI video ads for a small business
You don’t need a film crew to make a video ad any more. With a few good product images and an image-to-video tool, a small business can make a short, polished ad in an afternoon. This guide shows how to plan a 15-second ad, write prompts that move the camera the way you want, and edit the clips into something worth posting.
Two ways to make AI video
- Text-to-video: you describe a scene in words and the tool creates the clip. Fast for ideas and backgrounds, but harder to keep your product accurate.
- Image-to-video: you give the tool a still image, such as a product photo or an AI scene you have approved, and describe how it should move. This keeps the look of your ad consistent and is usually the better choice for product ads.
Tools such as Runway and Kling offer one or both. Features, prices and limits change often, so compare the current options before you commit.
Plan a 15-second ad
Short ads work best with a simple plan. Use this as a starting template and adjust it to your product:
| Time | Job | Example: a coffee roaster |
|---|---|---|
| 0–2 s | Hook: the most striking image | Beans pouring in slow motion |
| 2–8 s | Product in use and the main benefit | A cup being brewed, steam rising |
| 8–12 s | Proof or detail | Close-up of the roast date on the bag |
| 12–15 s | Call to action and logo | “Fresh roast, delivered weekly” and the logo |
Write a shot list with one line per shot: what is in the frame, what moves and how the camera moves. Four or five shots of a few seconds each are plenty.
Write motion prompts
Motion prompts work best when they are short and specific. For each clip, describe:
- One subject action: steam rises, fabric ripples, a hand lifts the cup.
- One camera move: slow push in, gentle orbit, static shot, slow tilt up.
- The mood and pace: calm, energetic, slow motion, cinematic.
Example motion promptSlow push in toward the coffee cup, thin steam rising and curling, warm morning light flickering slightly, calm and cosy, smooth motion.
Avoid stacking several actions and camera moves in one prompt. That is the most common cause of warped, chaotic clips. If a shot needs two things to happen, make it two clips and cut between them.
Edit, caption and add sound
Bring the best takes into a video editor, such as CapCut, Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, and assemble them in shot-list order.
- Cut tight. Trim the start and end of each clip, where AI motion is often weakest.
- Add text in the editor. Headline, benefit and call to action, set in your brand fonts.
- Caption everything spoken. Many people watch social video with the sound off.
- Use licensed music. Make sure you have the right to use any track in an ad. A platform’s music library may limit what business accounts can use in ads, so check its terms.
- End on the brand. Finish with your logo and one clear call to action.
Export for each platform
| Placement | Shape | Common size |
|---|---|---|
| Reels, Stories, TikTok, YouTube Shorts | 9:16 vertical | 1080 × 1920 px |
| Instagram and Facebook feed | 4:5 portrait | 1080 × 1350 px |
| YouTube and websites | 16:9 landscape | 1920 × 1080 px |
On vertical formats, keep text and logos away from the top, the bottom and the right-hand edge, where the app’s buttons and captions sit.
Quality check
- The product looks the same in every shot
- No flicker, melting edges or warped hands
- Labels and logos are sharp (added in the editor, not generated)
- Text is readable on a phone screen, sound off
- The hook lands in the first two seconds
- Realistic AI content is labelled where the platform requires it
Truthful advertising rules apply to video too, whether you advertise in the UK, Malaysia, Singapore, the US or the EU. Show the product as customers will receive it. For the full process from brief to publishing pack, read how to make ads with AI.
Questions people ask
How long should an AI video ad be?
There is no single right length. Short ads of around 6 to 15 seconds are common in social feeds and Stories, because the message has to land before people scroll on. Make a short and a slightly longer version, then compare how each performs.
Can AI video tools show my exact product?
Image-to-video from your own product photo is the most reliable way. Even then, the tool can change details as the product moves, so check every frame and cut any shot where the product changes.
Do I need a voiceover or a person on camera?
No. Many effective product ads use only visuals, on-screen text and music. A voiceover can help explain a more complex product. If you use an AI voice or a likeness of a real person, make sure you have the rights and follow the platform’s labelling rules.
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