When it comes to Facebook marketing, one-size-fits-all approach does not work. The only way to know which Facebook ads are going to work best for your business depends on your goals, your audience, and your unique business offerings. For the best results, the Facebook ad formats that are going to work best for your business will depend on the objectives of your campaign and what your target audience expects from your brand.
At Australian Internet Advertising, we’ve created and launched highly customised Facebook ad campaigns for businesses in many different industries and niches. Please check out our case studies and client testimonials to see what we can do for your business.
Fortunately for marketers, Facebook ads are incredibly versatile, and almost any business can generate results with a well-planned and executed Facebook ads campaign. But how can you know what types of Facebook ads will meet your goals and expectations? In today’s post, we’re going to cover the different types of Facebook ads, and how they can advance your business goals.
What kind of results do businesses see with Facebook ads?
Facebook is a social media platform that is an excellent tool for companies who want to increase their brand awareness, generate more leads, and increase their sales numbers. Facebook doesn’t limit marketers to just pay-per-click ads but gives them a way to create and launch a holistic marketing plan with advertisements working as a complementary marketing strategy. Around 3 million businesses use Facebook ads, and that many people wouldn’t be investing in the platform if it didn’t work.
Let’s take a look at the average ROI businesses get when they use Facebook ads:
- The average cost-per-click for Facebook ads is $1.72.
- The average revenue generated per user with Facebook ads is $2.62.
Some of the biggest reasons why businesses use Facebook for displaying ads is because there are so many people on the platform. There are an estimated 1.39 billion active monthly users on Facebook, and the social media giant’s user base keeps growing. Most importantly, Facebook is one of the only advertising platforms that has a demographically diverse range of users. People of all ages use the platform, and usage is split about evenly between both men and women.
On average, a Facebook user spends 40 minutes per day scrolling through their feed, catching up with friends and family, and liking and sharing content. For businesses who want to showcase their unique offerings in front of more people, Facebook ads are an excellent way to do that.
What are the most important components about Facebook ads that marketers need to know?
Before you can get started with Facebook ads, it’s important to know the different sections of an advertisement so you can better understand how they work.
A Facebook ad gives you three options for text or ad copy fields. You have a headline, the main text, and a newsfeed link description. The length of your ad copy, and the tone and word choices you use are all extremely important. Generally, though, less is more. The more concise, relevant, and entertaining your ad copy, the better results the ad will generate. Long, dense, or complicated language can frustrate or bore viewers, and they won’t interact with your ad.
Also, Facebook ads also include a space to add an image or a video, and sizes will vary based on your specific ad format. Polished, highly relevant and striking ads that are aligned with your brand positioning are a must. Short and informative how-to videos tend to perform the best. Let’s break down the different types of Facebook ads based on a company’s specific goals.
- You want to generate traffic and leads to a website landing page.
Some of the most common types of Facebook ads are ads designed to drive traffic to a dedicated landing page somewhere other than on the Facebook platform. Your goal may be to entice viewers to buy a product on your site or get them to sign up for your company newsletter. If this is your goal, several different types of Facebook ad formats can help you obtain it.
Types of Facebook Ad Formats
1. Link Click Ads
Link click ads are one of the most popular choices for driving traffic to a landing page. These types of ads can be placed on the user’s desktop newsfeed, their mobile newsfeed, on the right column, the audience network, or on Instagram. You can deliver the ad to multiple placements. You’ll reach more people on Facebook if you’re not limited to a single ad placement location.
Not only are link click ads useful for generating traffic, but they’ll also help you increase page likes and follows. If you use a link click ad, make sure you check the comments to engage with your target audience and build trust. What are the specifications governing a link click ad?
- An image size of 1200 x 628 pixels.
- 25 characters to a headline.
- Ad copy text within 90 characters or less.
- A link description of no more than 30 characters.
2. Boosted Page Posts
Do you have a Facebook post that generated a ton of likes, comments, and traffic to your site? Facebook gives you the option to “boost” the post, meaning it will turn it into an ad to display to members of your target audience. The boosted post will look exactly like your original Facebook post, except it will include the word “sponsored” at the top.
Boost page posts can display on the desktop and mobile newsfeeds, the audience network, and Instagram. When you boost a post, you can create your target audience, set up your bids, and promote your boosted post to a much broader audience. Boosted posts allow you to use the following specifications:
- An image size of 1200 x 628 pixels.
- Unlimited characters for ad copy.
- A headline of 25 characters.
- A link description of up to 30 characters.
3. Video Ads
Facebook video ads can display on both desktop and mobile newsfeeds, the audience network, and Instagram. Video ads are similar to link click ads, with the only difference being that in place of the image on a link click ad, there is a video instead. Videos can be as long as 120 minutes, but the best performing videos are only fifteen to thirty seconds long. It’s all about grabbing the viewer’s attention with a memorable and compelling ad.
The specs for a Facebook video ad are as follows:
- Ad copy of up to 90 characters.
- Videos aspect ratios 16:9 to 9:16 are supported.
- The file size is up to 4 GB maximum.
- Videos can play on a continuous loop.
- Your goal is to increase your leads and sales with Facebook ads.
eCommerce stores and companies with several offerings they want to promote can benefit from Facebook advertising. Certain ad formats allow you to display several products in a single ad.
If you want to increase newsletter signups, Facebook also offers ad formats that allow the user to sign up for offerings directly on the ad, which reduces the time it usually takes to acquire new leads. Also, allowing users to interact without leaving the platform increases load times and gives the user a more enjoyable experience when they interact with your brand.
4. Carousel Ads
Carousel ads allow you to display several different products in a single ad in a revolving format. You can place the ads on mobile, and desktop news feeds, the audience network, and Instagram. Marketers can display up to ten images or videos within one ad. Also, you can include ten different headlines, ad copy, and CTAs in the ad. Carousel ads are especially useful if you want to learn which products or offerings are the most popular with your target audience. You’ll be able to see which of your ten images or videos generate the most interest from viewers, which can help you further down your marketing efforts. Specifications for carousel ads are:
- Ad copy of up to 90 characters.
- Headlines of 25 characters.
- Link description of 30 characters.
- Image sizes of either 1080 x 1080 or 600 x 600 pixels.
5. Canvas Ads
Do your users overwhelming use mobile devices? Facebook canvas ads only display on mobile devices. If members of your target audience are heavy mobile users, a canvas ad might be the ideal Facebook ad format for your unique goals.
With canvas ads, your viewers can swipe through images in a carousel format. They can also tilt the advertisement in different directions, and zoom in and out on your pictures. Not only are canvas-style ads interactive, but they’re also super fast. Canvas ads load up to ten times faster than other mobile ads, which makes for a much more memorable user experience.
If you offer products that can benefit from the interactive appeal of a canvas ad, this type of ad format might help you reach your sales and leads goals faster than other ads. Specifications for canvas ads are more involved than other ad formats. The format gives marketers several options for different components they can use in their canvas ads:
- Headers with logos
- Full-screen images
- Text block
- Button for links to a landing page
- Image carousel
- Product set
- Full-screen tilt-to-pan image
- Auto-play video
- Facebook Lead Ads
Do you have a lead magnet and want to generate new sign-ups? Facebook lead ads are designed for lead generation, where users can download your free offering without leaving the Facebook platform. Downloads and load times are quick when users can stay in one spot to obtain their magnet, and the increased user experience will generate more leads and sign ups for your business. Facebook lead ads can display on desktop and mobile newsfeeds, the audience network, and Instagram.
Specifications for leads ads are:
- Images of 1200 x 628 pixels.
- Ad copy text of 90 characters.
- A headline of 25 characters.
- Link description of 30 characters.
- Context card in paragraph format with no character limit, except an 80 character limit for bullet-points.
- Privacy policy and website URL links.
When someone signs up and downloads your product through the lead ad, their email address will be stored within your Facebook ads account so you can add it to your subscriber list. There is software available that can automate the process of moving email addresses from Facebook to your CRM.
- Your goal is to generate likes and engagement for your page.
Promoting your posts is a good idea if you want to increase your Facebook page likes and engagement. Facebook’s organic reach isn’t what it used to be. Nowadays, your Facebook posts will only display to about 2 – 3% of your followers unless you advertise. Two particular ad formats are ideal for increasing likes and engagement.
6. Page Post Video, Photo, and Text Ads
Page post video ads give you the ability to target visitors based on how much of your video they watched. This type of ad is ideal for creating new, custom audiences for future re-targeting efforts. With a page post photo ad, you can display a stunning photo to generate likes and comments. Page post text ads allow you to use a short, concise line of text to generate comments and engagement. However, this type of ad won’t typically perform as well as a page post ad with an image or video on display.
7. Page Like Ads
Getting a high volume of page likes increases your social proof and can help generate buzz and interest in your brand. Page like ads can display on the right column, and desktop and mobile newsfeeds. These ads display a highly visible CTA button asking your viewers to “like” your page. If you use a page like ad, remember quality over quantity. You want the right people liking your page. Make sure to choose an image that will most resonate with your ideal customer.
Choosing the right Facebook ad format for your business really boils down to what your goals are for the ad, and what formats are going to most resonate and compel your target audience. Your ads need a strong foundation from which to launch to give your business the maximum ROI. Fortunately for marketers, Facebook offers a broad range of different ad types and formats that can help you reach a variety of goals. For the best results, it’s a good idea to test a couple of different ads to see which one drives the actions you want from viewers. Testing can also help you get good results for a lower cost.
Over To You
At Australian Internet Advertising, our digital marketing experts have years of experience working with and testing Facebook ads for maximum ROI. We know how to optimise any ad format with striking designs and compelling ad copy that will generate the results you want. Our representatives are standing by to answer any questions you might have about Facebook advertising. Please contact us today to get started with an effective Facebook advertising campaign that’s customised for your business goals.
