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Updated for 2026

MakeThisVid generates online course video ads from a text prompt or thumbnail image — 6-second 720p or 8-second 1080p MP4s with audio, ready for Meta Ads, YouTube TrueView, TikTok Ads, and Teachable / Kajabi / Thinkific landing pages. Commercial use is licensed on every paid plan.

Video Ad for Online Courses: Promo Ads from a Single Prompt

By MakeThisVid Editorial Updated Methodology

Online course creators are stuck between two extremes: a slick talking-head intro that took a weekend to shoot, or a pure-text ad with stock B-roll. Neither is great. Talking-heads are expensive to refresh; stock B-roll feels cheap. MakeThisVid sits in the middle — generate atmospheric 6-second 720p or 8-second 1080p motion clips that visualize the transformation your course promises (calm focused workspace, screen full of charts going up, hand sketching wireframes) without a film shoot. Most course creators run a paid Meta + YouTube ad against a cold audience first, then retarget abandoners. Both lanes need fresh creative weekly. Use Text → Video for transformation-themed scenes, and Photo → Video to animate your course thumbnail with subtle motion.

How to Use MakeThisVid

From prompt to downloadable MP4, ready to deploy.

  1. Pick a plan or credit pack

    Lite ($19.99/mo, 10 credits), Standard ($49.99/mo, 30 credits), Pro ($79.99/mo, 60 credits). One-time packs start at $2.99 for 1 video. No no-cost tier.

  2. Open Create and pick a mode

    Go to makethisvid.com/create. Use Text → Video for transformation scenes, or Photo → Video to animate your course thumbnail or hero image.

  3. Write a transformation-oriented prompt

    Describe the after-state your course delivers: "focused workspace with multiple monitors showing trading charts going up," "hand sketches a wireframe at calm morning desk," "runner crosses finish line at sunrise." Lead with the result, not the curriculum.

  4. Generate at 720p or 1080p

    1 credit per 720p clip, 2 credits per 1080p clip. Renders in 45–90 seconds. Credits refund automatically if a render fails.

  5. Run paid social and embed on landing pages

    Download the MP4. Upload to Meta Ads Manager, YouTube TrueView, and TikTok Ads. Embed on your Teachable / Kajabi / Thinkific landing page as the hero video. Commercial use is licensed.

Who Uses MakeThisVid for This

Cold-audience top-of-funnel ads

Run aspirational transformation clips against cold lookalike and interest-based audiences on Meta and YouTube. 6-second motion outperforms static thumbnails for hook rate.

Course landing-page hero video

Embed a 6-second motion clip above the fold on your sales page. Higher time-on-page and add-to-cart vs. static hero imagery.

Module-launch and cohort-open campaigns

Spin up fresh creative for every cohort open or module launch. Per-cohort retargeting needs new creative every few weeks — generating beats reshooting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. MakeThisVid generates 6-second 720p or 8-second 1080p course video ads from a text prompt or thumbnail image. Download the MP4 and run on Meta, YouTube, TikTok, or embed on your Teachable / Kajabi / Thinkific landing page.
Transformation visuals beat curriculum visuals. Show the after-state: focused workspace, screen of charts going up, hand sketching, runner finishing. Avoid "person watching a webinar" — viewers scroll past those.
Yes. Switch to Photo → Video, upload your existing course thumbnail, and add a motion prompt — gentle zoom, soft light sweep, particle drift. Effective for retargeting clicks back to your sales page.
MakeThisVid renders generic figures well. Don't use it to depict yourself or a specific instructor — the AI generates new likenesses, not photographs of real people. For a talking-head over the AI motion, layer your own footage in CapCut after generation.
16:9 for standard YouTube TrueView pre-roll. 9:16 vertical for YouTube Shorts ads, TikTok, and Reels. 1:1 square for Instagram Feed and landing-page embed.
Yes. Every paid plan and credit pack includes commercial use. Run the MP4 as paid Meta, YouTube, or TikTok creative without extra licensing fees.
6 seconds with audio. Ideal for YouTube bumper-ad placement, TikTok hook density, and Meta scroll-stoppers. For longer ad units, stitch multiple 6-second clips together as a longer cut in CapCut.
From $1.33 per 720p video on Pro ($79.99/mo, 60 credits) to $2.00 on Lite ($19.99/mo, 10 credits). 1080p costs 2 credits. One-time packs start at $2.99 for 1 video.

Make a course promo video ad

Describe the transformation or upload your thumbnail. 45 seconds to a downloadable MP4 — ready for Meta, YouTube, and TikTok.

Try MakeThisVid