Picking the right video ad — by area, by city, or all of Uganda

Three ways to target a Video Ad. Which one fits your shop, what it costs you, and when each is the right pick.

You have three options for a Video Ad

When you tap Video Ad in the Merchant Center, you'll see three pricing tiles side-by-side:

You can only run one of these at a time on the same video. Pick by asking yourself: who do I actually want to see this?

When to pick Video Ad (geo-targeted)

This is the original mode. You pick a pin on the map (your shop's pin or a different neighbourhood) and a radius — say, 5 km. Buyers inside that circle see your ad in their video feed. Buyers outside don't.

Pick this when:

• You have a physical shop, salon, restaurant, or pickup point.
• Most of your customers come from the same area — they walk in, you know their faces.
• You're testing a specific neighbourhood ("Let me try Bugolobi for a week and see if it brings sales").
• You want the cheapest options. Walking Distance is the smallest radius and costs the least extra.

Don't pick this when:

• You work from home and don't want a pin near your house. (Use City Video Ad instead — it covers the whole city without exposing your street.)
• You ship beyond your neighbourhood. (You'll be wasting the ad on people who could buy from you but aren't close enough.)

The total cost is the Video Ad base price + the reach circle's surcharge. The bigger the circle, the higher the surcharge — because more people see it.

When to pick City Video Ad

This option shows your video to anyone in the city you pick, regardless of where you live or work. You don't need a pin. You don't need to share your neighbourhood. You just choose: Kampala, Jinja, Mbarara, Mbale — whichever city your customers come from.

Pick this when:

• You sell from home and don't want a neighbourhood pin on your shop. (Your house stays private — the city centroid is what targeting uses.)
• You ship anywhere in Kampala (or wherever your home city is) — boda boda delivery isn't tied to where you're based.
• You sell online-only — Instagram + WhatsApp orders, packaged-and- shipped. There's no "near me" for your customers.
• You're a creator promoting your storefront — buyers come from all over the city, not just your block.

Don't pick this when:

• You only deliver in walking distance of your house. (You'll show the ad to buyers in Lubowa who you can't actually serve.)
• Your customers are all in one specific area. (Use the Video Ad geo-targeted option with Walking Distance — cheaper.)

City Video Ad is a flat per-day price. No reach surcharge — the city is the radius.

When to pick Nationwide Video Ad

This shows your video to buyers anywhere in Uganda. Kampala, Mbale, Gulu, Mbarara, Fort Portal — every buyer with the app open in the country can see it.

Pick this when:

• You're a service that travels (catering for a wedding in Jinja, a DJ booking for Mbarara, a tour guide who works the whole country).
• You ship via courier countrywide (cosmetics, fashion, electronics, bulk household items).
• You're running a big launch and want the maximum reach for one day.
• You're a creator with national followers — your audience isn't city-bound.

Don't pick this when:

• You only sell within Kampala. (You'll burn the ad budget on people in Mbale who can't buy from you.)
• You're testing a single product for the first time — Nationwide is the broadest, which is also the noisiest. Better to start smaller (City Video Ad), see what converts, then widen.

Nationwide Video Ad is the highest flat per-day price. The reach is the biggest, so the cost reflects that.

A real example

Sarah runs a small bakery from her flat in Kireka. She doesn't have a shop sign. Customers WhatsApp her to order; her boda guy delivers across Kampala. She wants to try a video ad.

• Video Ad (geo-targeted)? She'd have to put a pin on Kireka. Customers would see her ad and assume she's a Kireka-only seller. She'd lose Bugolobi and Muyenga customers.

• City Video Ad — Kampala? ✅ Her video shows to anyone in Kampala. They see her cakes; they WhatsApp her. She delivers anywhere. The ad matches her actual reach.

• Nationwide Video Ad? Too wide — Mbale buyers see her ad but she can't deliver to Mbale (her boda guy doesn't travel that far). She'd pay for views that can't convert.

Sarah should pick City Video Ad — Kampala. That's the option that matches who can actually buy from her.

What you don't need to do

• You don't need to share your house pin. City Video Ad and Nationwide Video Ad don't need a precise location. The geo-targeted Video Ad uses a neighbourhood centroid, not your street address.
• You don't need to be at your shop to run an ad. The targeting is set when you pay — it doesn't follow your phone around.
• You don't need to renew daily. Each Video Ad runs for the duration you paid for. When it ends, your video goes back to its normal organic reach.

Watching how your ad performs

After you activate an ad, check Insights tab → Funnel the next day. You'll see:

• Reach — how many people saw it.
• Interactions — likes, comments, shares.
• Leads — buyers who clicked through to your product or messaged you.

If reach is high but leads are low, the targeting is probably too wide — try a tighter option next time. If reach is low, the targeting is probably too narrow — widen it. After two or three ads you'll know which option fits your shop.

Quick decision guide

Use this in 10 seconds:

"Where do my actual customers come from?"

• One neighbourhood, walk-in mostly → Video Ad (geo) + Walking Distance or Neighbourhood.
• All over the city, boda delivery → City Video Ad.
• Anywhere in Uganda, courier shipping → Nationwide Video Ad.
• Not sure yet → Start with City Video Ad — Kampala. It's a reasonable default for most sellers. Adjust after you see the Insights numbers.