Below is a practical, Australia‑specific step‑by‑step guide to creating high‑performing customer video ads (testimonial/customer‑story + general video ads), with legal and platform requirements you must watch for.

Quick summary

• Plan objective, audience and KPI first (awareness, leads, sales, store visits).
• Use short vertical videos (Reels/TikTok/Shorts) for mass mobile reach; use longer horizontal for YouTube/B2B.
• Film a strong 1–3 second hook, deliver benefits and proof (customer), finish with a clear CTA.
• Follow Australian advertising rules (don’t mislead, disclose paid relationships, get releases). (aana.com.au)

Step 1 — Define strategy and audience

• Objective (awareness, conversions, app installs, lead gen) and primary KPI (CPM/CPV, CTR, ROAS, CPA).
• Audience: location (e.g., Australia-wide / specific states/cities), age, interests, lookalike of buyers.
• Budget & cadence: small test budget first (A/B test 3–6 creatives), then scale winners.

Step 2 — Pick format and platform

• Short mobile-first: TikTok, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, YouTube Shorts — great for discovery and sales funnel top/mid. (facebook.com)
• Longer: YouTube in‑stream (skippable/non‑skippable), Instagram/Facebook feed or Stories for fuller demos. (support.google.com)
• B2B or professional audiences: LinkedIn video ads. (Use vertical/1:1 or landscape depending on placement.) (linkedin.com)

Step 3 — Creative blueprint (works for customer/testimonial ads)

• Hook (0–3s): a bold statement or visual that stops scroll.
• Problem (3–6s): short single line showing the pain.
• Solution + proof (6–20s): product/service benefits + real customer snippet showing the result (before/after, numbers, short quote). Get the customer to say a short, specific line (“I saved 30% on bills in 2 months”).
• CTA (final 2–4s): what you want viewers to do next (Shop now / Book free consult / Learn more). Include landing page.
• Keep audio/music energetic; always include captions/subtitles (many watch on mute).

Short example script — 15 seconds (testimonial style)

• (0–2s hook) Customer on camera: “I couldn’t sleep for years because of back pain.”
• (3–8s problem+solution) Cut to product/use scene: “After two weeks using X pillow I sleep through the night.”
• (9–12s proof) Customer: “My pain went from 8/10 to 2/10 — I actually feel human again.”
• (13–15s CTA) Brand overlay + voice: “Try X risk‑free — tap to learn more.”

Step 4 — Production & practical tips

• Film vertical (9:16) for Reels/TikTok; 1:1 or 16:9 for feed/YouTube as required. Use a tripod, natural light or soft LED, lapel mic for clean audio.
• Keep shots simple: close-up of face, product in use, short B‑roll cutaways. Edit fast (cut every 1–3 seconds) for short formats.
• Use on‑screen text to reinforce claims; make legal disclaimers readable where required.
• Always capture: name, contact, date and signed release from any person on camera. Treat every testimonial as an advertising claim: get the customer to sign consent and confirm truth of their statement.

Step 5 — Legal, disclosure and Australian rules (must‑do)

• Australian ad codes require ads to be legal, honest and not misleading. Substantiate any claims you make. The AANA Code of Ethics and Ad Standards apply to ads directed at Australians. (aana.com.au)
• Endorsements/testimonials: if a post or video is paid, gifted or otherwise commercial, that relationship must be clearly and prominently disclosed. The ACCC enforces consumer‑protection rules for social media and has targeted influencers for undisclosed ads. Avoid vague tags like “sp” or burying disclosure — make it obvious in the content. (accc.gov.au)
• Don’t use misleading before/after or unverifiable percentage claims without evidence. If your product is regulated (health, finance, legal, therapeutics), follow the relevant regulator rules (TGA, ASIC, AHPRA etc.) and seek legal review.

Step 6 — Platform technical specs (short cheat sheet — verify in Ads Manager before upload)

• Meta (Facebook/Instagram): MP4/MOV; max file size ~4GB; duration up to several minutes (but short ≈15s recommended for Reels); recommended ratios: 9:16 (Reels), 1:1 or 4:5 (feed). Captions recommended. (facebook.com)
• TikTok (In‑feed/TopView/Spark): MP4/MOV; max file size ≈500MB; length