With creative being the biggest driver of performance on Facebook, leveraging the right tactics to optimize Facebook ads is essential to the success of the campaign.
An effective ad not only increases engagement from potential customers, but also boosts your overall ROI. More importantly, testing different elements over time will allow you to keep your creatives fresh and improve the results of your Facebook ads.
Below are 11 best practices to optimize your Facebook ads and videos.
Creative Tips & Best Practices
1) Keep it simple
Be wary of the length of your ad copy, especially on smaller screens. If a user was casually scrolling through his/her News Feed, would they immediately understand and be inspired to take the desired action?
2) Use different content for desktop and mobile placements
Vary the messaging across desktop and mobile ads. Consider using different calls to action, images, and make sure your message isn’t cut off on mobile devices.
3) Tell a story in carousel ads
Stitch pictures together to tell a story through carousel ads. Connect users with relevant content to keep them engaged as they swipe through each image. Better yet, tell multiple related stories over time to the same audience as you refresh your carousel ads.
4) Use pictures with real people using the product
Instead of using images of your product alone, show an action shot with a person engaging with it. This creates sensory currency which will help make the ad more relatable and help users better visualize using the product.
5) Use vibrant images that pop
Capture attention from your users with vibrant, high contrast colors. Create visual excitement so your ad stands out to potential customers as they are browsing through their feed.
6) Use an image with a lot of the same color
While you want to use vibrant colors to grab attention, too many colors may distract the user from your message. Use color schemes that complement each other.
7) Change the aspect ratio of your image or video
For better visibility and to ensure your ad always looks high quality in Facebook’s News Feed, adjust the aspect ratio to fit the specifications. For example, the aspect ratio for a clicks to website ad is 1.9:1, while the aspect ratio for video is 16:9 or 1:1.
Video Tips & Best Practices
8) Optimize the copy surrounding the video
Test various ideas for content surrounding the video, for example trying out different introductions or length of the copy. It doesn’t cost you nearly as much as editing the video itself!
9) Always have a great thumbnail
The thumbnail is the very first impression of your video. Select a thumbnail that both offers a compelling snapshot of your video but also drives viewers to click to discover more.
10) Jump right into the action
The first 2–3 seconds matters tremendously. A study by Microsoft Corp. found that the average attention span is eight seconds, which is shorter than a goldfish. A common mistake is using credits, logos, or intros at the beginning of a video.
11) Always use text overlays
As high as 85% of Facebook videos are watched without sound. Provide captions for spoken content to make it easy for users to watch your video without requiring them to turn the sound on.
There you have it: 11 creative tactics to spark your Facebook creativity. Learn more about how to optimize Facebook ads and videos in the Thunder Playbook for Facebook Creative Optimization, which includes this information and a lot more!
