Types of Facebook Ads and How to Choose the Right Format

It’s projected that in 2020, 87.1 percent of United States marketers will utilize Facebook advertising. Facebook is a great place to raise local awareness, infiltrate new audiences, increase site traffic, and more. Still, determining which Facebook ad type you should run to reach your business goals can be challenging. To effectively drive your Facebook marketing, it’s crucial to learn what the different ad forms are, what they do, and how to decide which is best for your objective. In this article, we explain the different types of Facebook ads and when to use them.

The Different Types of Facebook Ads and When to Use Them

The first decision you make when creating a Facebook ad is choosing which type of ad campaign you’d like to run, which determines who sees your ad, the options you have in promoting the post, and what actions Facebook will aim to complete. From there, you’ll select which ad form you’d like to run. There are six different ad types, each with their own best uses.

1. Video Ads

   Grab the attention of your audience with a 15 second Facebook video ad! Video advertisements typically generate high engagement. With this type of ad, you can create retargeting and custom audiences based on who watched your video. You can create and optimize video ads in Ads manager or boost a video post directly from your Facebook page. If you have an upcoming promotion or new product to offer, consider running a video ad to raise brand awareness among your target audiences.

2. Carousel Ads

   The Carousel ad format allows you to show multiple images or videos with different headlines, links, and calls to action in one ad. Facebook users can swipe through the carousel graphics on their mobile device or desktop. Use a carousel ad to promote upcoming events and products, show a step-by-step process, and more.

3. Instant Experience Ads

   Instant Experience ads were previously called as canvas ads. These full-screen interactive advertisements allow marketers to incorporate a combination of video, images, ad copy, and more, all within the Facebook platform itself. With an Instant Experience ad, you can include a lead generation form to collect personal information from viewers or tell them a story about your product or service. While this may sound elaborate, instant experience ads are easy to create. If you’re looking to create engaging experiences, without asking your audience to venture outside of the platform, instant experience ads are the perfect solution.

4. Photo Ads

   Running photo ads is one of the simplest ways to increase brand awareness around your business. The Facebook photo ads format appears in user’s news feeds alongside their friends’ posts. When running a photo ad, remember that Facebook prefers little to no text on the image, as too much text can be penalized or even disqualified from running.

5. Dynamic Product Ads

   Dynamic ads show your inventory to Facebook users who have expressed an interest in your brand through your website or other places on the internet. While these ads look similar to single image ads or carousel ads, they offer a little something extra. With Dynamic Ads, you can create a template that will automatically fill with images and details from your website’s inventory. From there, you can retarget users who have previously engaged with your brand or advertise to a new target group. Dynamic ads are best suited to help users complete a sale or to find new shoppers.

6. New Ad Formats

   This fall, Facebook unveiled three new types of ads that are now available on open beta. Augmented reality (AR) ads allow marketers to create interactive advertisements on Facebook. These future-thinking ads have mainly been picked up by fashion and beauty brands so far, as they enable Facebook users to “try on” products through the AR capabilities. The platform also released Playable ads. These mini-games are great for businesses that want to encourage app downloads or increase brand engagement with a younger audience. Last, but not least, Facebook added poll functionality to video ads. This update means that you can push your users to engage with your video like never before.

Once you’ve determined the right ad format for your business, you’ll need to research the different places your ads will appear on Facebook. You can have your ads shown in the Facebook News Feed, on Instagram, within Facebook Marketplace, and more. Understanding when and how to use each placement will maximize your results and optimize your delivery. Before finalizing your ad, be sure to consider which placements make the most sense for your goals and format them accordingly.

Like other tech behemoths, the Facebook platform is always evolving. If you have questions about how to make the most of your Facebook advertising, get in touch with the social media marketing experts at Front Porch Solutions. We’re happy to help you achieve your digital marketing goals!