Together with Google Ads, Facebook is a massive advertising platform. With over two billion monthly active users, it’s an essential part of your digital marketing strategy. Simply put: you can’t afford to ignore it. The problem is, neither can your competition.
Over 65 million businesses have active profiles on the social media network, meaning that being there isn’t enough anymore to get to your audience. Your ads need to stand out from the crowd if you want a chance at reaching your prospects and persuading them to take action.
And, that can feel a bit overwhelming. Facebook advertising was supposed to be easy: create ads, run them, and enjoy the benefits. Well, if there’s one thing that you need to remember about digital marketing is that it evolves and changes rapidly. Yes, Facebook advertising was easy a few years back. But now, as the competition is getting tight, you need to put your creative hats on and start thinking outside the box.
Don’t worry if you feel stuck. That’s why we are here. Here’s what you need to do to create eye-catching Facebook ads.
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Tweak Them to Perfection
Before we begin exploring the extra steps that you should take to make your Facebook ads stand out, we need to look at and improve the basics. There’s no point in using all sorts of tricks if the core elements of your ad are, well, let’s tell it as it is – boring as beans.
So, here are a few ideas that will help you tweak and improve the elements that make up an eye-catching Facebook ad.
- Write an Attention-Grabbing Headline
If you are serious about digital marketing and have a sound content strategy in place, then you are aware of the difference a good headline can make. Online users don’t like being lied to or tricked. They won’t fall for bombastic headlines that promise them their mind will be blown away if they click right now on the ad. They don’t like vague headlines either that make it difficult to understand what the product is or does. All these outdated marketing strategies might have worked in the past, but now they won’t bring you any significant results.
Here’s what to keep in mind when writing the headline of your ad:
- Make them short and to the point. The average length of a good Facebook ad headline is five words.
- Make them concise. The headline shouldn’t reveal the entire story, but be enticing enough to convince prospects to read the ad copy.
- Add a sense of urgency. Let prospects know what they will miss if they won’t take action now.
- Make them UVP-focused. Your headline should be based on a unique value proposition (UVP) that lets your audience know what makes your offer different than your competitors.
- Use Appealing Imagery
People tend to remember images more than text. It’s how our brain works. Perhaps that’s the reason image ads are one of the most popular options. That and the fact that Facebook tends to favor visual content over text ads. So much so, that the social network began a collaboration with Shutterstock in 2013 to offer over 25 million stock photos to advertisers.
Having access to this incredible library definitely makes things easier. However, if you don’t want to become a meme, then you should be very careful when choosing your photos. Make sure that the text and images match, the photo grabs your audience’s attention and makes them feel something.
Adding images from Shutterstock isn’t the only option available. You can also use illustrations. But, regardless of the type of imagery you opt for, keep these key rules in mind:
- The images must be of high-quality – that is non-negotiable;
- Use bold contrast to catch the eye of your audience;
- Use branded colors to differentiate yourself from your competition.
- Write an Enticing Ad Copy
Now comes the part that a lot of marketers treat only as an afterthought: adding the text of their ad. Why so many ads look and sound the same is beyond us. Here you have the opportunity to reach out to your prospects, allure them with a compelling offer, and get them to take action, and most businesses fail to make the most of it. Their ad copy doesn’t say much, let alone entice their audience in any way.
We get it: convincing people to do something in just a few words may feel like an impossible task. But, it shouldn’t be if you follow these tips:
- Just as with the headline, create a sense of urgency and make prospects feel as if they will miss out on your offer if they will not act NOW;
- Use action verbs, such as “get,” “use,” “try,” and so on;
- Help your audience trust your brand by incorporating social proof in your ad copy.
- Write Actionable CTAs
What do you want to get by running these Facebook ads? Do you want to get traffic, views, increase sales, or boost subscriptions? Well, you should tell your audience what you want them to do. Don’t make them guess – they won’t take any action if you don’t tell them exactly what you want from them. So, make sure that your call to action is loud and clear.
The reason we are stressing about the importance of getting these elements right is that they can impact the likelihood of your ads being featured in the news feed. In 2015, Facebook started rating ads using a relevance score (similar to the system that Google Ads is using.) You are given a score from one to ten. The more relevant your ad is, the higher the chances that it will be shown to your audience.
Going the Extra Mile
Following the tips above should help you create compelling ads, but that’s not enough if you want to stand out from the crowd. Here are some additional strategies that you should implement:
- Link Your Ad to a Dedicated Landing Page
We’ve seen that businesses make this mistake all too often: the ad promotes a certain product or service, but the link directs users to the business’ homepage. While some might take the time to browse through your website looking for what interests them, most will exit the page in an instant. Always make sure to connect the ad to a dedicated landing page.
- Explore Carousel Ads
If you want to give your ads a unique feel, but without the hassle of creating video ads, then carousel ads are the answer. Not only that they allow you to showcase multiple products, but they are also more engaging and compelling than regular ads.
- Leverage the Reputation of an Industry Leader
Most businesses make the mistake of believing that the ad should be about them and only them. But, take a second to think about the weigh an industry leader could give to your marketing message. Try to partner up with authoritative voices from your niche and get them featured in your ads. You can get more recognition and brand exposure by featuring their name and image.
Get Real Results
After you’ve tried these tactics, go to your Insights to see how your ad performs. We are confident that you will be pleased with the results. If you still need help with tweaking your ads to make them stand out, then we are here for you. AIA is a premier Facebook Advertising Agency that will help you produce real results, not just clicks.
