Meta’s AI Video Tools for Small Business Ads: Brilliant or Bamboozle?
Look, we get it. You’re a small business owner with a lot on your plate, marketing your business, keeping up with sales, managing your staff, and maybe squeezing in a flat white before 11am (if you’re lucky). So when Meta pops up at Cannes Lions this year and says, “Hey, we’ve got AI that makes video ads for you,” it’s pretty tempting to dive in headfirst, isn’t it?
But should you?
Let’s break it down like you’re chatting with your marketing mate over a pub counter.
So, should you use Meta’s new AI video tools?
If you're someone who loves automation, hates editing video, and wouldn’t know Adobe Premiere from your air fryer, then maybe yes.
Meta just launched a suite of 11 shiny new generative AI tools designed to “automagically” generate video creatives, write copy, edit visuals, and even adjust branding based on your ad objective, with zero creative experience needed on your end (Meta Newsroom).
Here’s the good stuff:
Video generation from text prompts: Think ChatGPT, but it spits out slick video ads. You just tell it what your product does, and it gives you a few variations to work with (Search Engine Land).
Automated branding overlays: Your logo, your colours, and your fonts – all added seamlessly so it still feels like your brand (Meta).
Performance-optimised cuts: AI tweaks your videos into multiple versions based on what works best with different audiences, talk about knowing your crowd! (Meta).
Meta’s pitch? These tools make it easier for small business owners to create thumb-stopping video ads in minutes, not weeks, so you can spend more time running your business and less time yelling at editing software.
Honestly, that sounds pretty bloody useful.
Why you might wanna pump the brakes a bit
Before you jump on the AI bandwagon and start replacing your entire creative team with robots (please don’t), it’s worth thinking about what you might lose.
Here’s the catch:
It’s all a bit... generic. When everyone’s using the same AI tool, guess what happens? Your ads start looking eerily similar to your competitors’. You might not stand out like you used to. Bloomberg warns that auto-generated videos could make social feeds feel repetitive and stale, a big no-no for brands trying to build personality and trust (Bloomberg).
Creative control? Meh. You can’t really tweak much unless you have serious editing chops, the AI gives you what it thinks is best, but that doesn’t always mean it is best (TS2.tech).
It’s not human. At the end of the day, a clever AI ad still can’t capture the inside jokes of your customer base, the tone of voice you’ve spent years crafting, or the quirk that makes your brand unforgettable.
What the pros are saying (and doing)
According to Meta, advertisers using these new tools have seen up to 17% more conversions and a 12% increase in CTR compared to their manually created counterparts (YouTube Announcement).
But there’s a twist: the top-performing brands are using AI as a helper, not the hero. They’re blending AI’s efficiency with human strategy and emotional storytelling. That’s where the real magic happens (Meta for Business).
So what’s the go?
Meta’s AI tools are a game-changer if you use them right. They offer powerful ways to save time, test creative variations, and scale your ad efforts without draining your energy. But they’re not a magic bullet. Great marketing still needs a human touch, the kind that understands nuance, tells a real story, and doesn’t confuse “Sydney” with “Siri.”
At Dadek Digital, we help you get the best of both worlds. We use AI tools smartly, not lazily, blending tech with tailored strategy, local know-how, and yes, even a few dad jokes. So if you're curious how to make AI work for your brand without losing the soul of your story, we're just one message away.