Businesses in the UK looking to hop on the Facebook advertising juggernaut have to navigate through different types of Facebook Ads. It’s not as simple as setting up a campaign based on educated guesses anymore. Facebook advertising has exploded in popularity. Do you know that there will be 42 million Facebook users in the UK in 2022? Chances are, that your competition is already running a razor-sharp campaign on Facebook.

That’s all the more reason for you to be doubly sure about what Ad type you try.  Moreover, Facebook has been working incessantly to streamline its ad platform. As a result, it’s important to constantly brush up on its most recent offering. That’s where we step in. We have created this handy guide for newbies to get an easy grasp of the different types of Facebook Ads.

The 5 Types of Facebook Ads

Facebook greets you with 5 types of Facebook Ads formats when you create a new campaign. These are separate from the 11 objectives that you need also need to choose from. Combined, this is enough to overwhelm even a seasoned marketer. So we understand it completely when new businesses feel lost. The important bit is to select the most appropriate Facebook Ads type for your business goal. Else, it can be taxing on your marketing budget. Not to mention that you will waste precious time and resources on an ineffective campaign. Time is money folks.

Here’s a quick overview of the different types of Facebook Ads. We have also explained what business objective each Ad type is best suited for. This does not mean that you cannot use a particular Ad type for something else entirely. It just shows you a set of best practices that successful Facebook marketers have been following in 2020 & 21.

#1 – Single Image Ads

Single static image Ads are an extremely popular Ad type on Facebook. You might have noticed these as you scroll through your Facebook feed. It’s typically one attractive image, with a short text headline and a Call to Action button. Adding a simple call to action button results in a better click-through rate. A single image Ad is popular because it’s very easy to make. Moreover, static images tend to grab your attention better than just text.

Single Image Ads Usage

Single Image Ads are a very versatile type of Facebook Ads. They are grossly underrated considering that they are perfectly suited for a wide range of business goals. E-commerce websites looking to drive traffic can use product photos. Businesses looking to generate leads can use infographics. There’s ample room to use great Ad copy and club it with compelling images. It’s simple and effective. In fact, a study reveals that it’s a more effective lead generation tool than video Ads.

Ad placement

Single Image Ads show up in a multitude of places. These include the feed, the right column, stories, search results, messenger inbox, Instagram stories and feed, and sponsored messages.

Best practices

Facebook recommends the following best practices for single image Ads.

• Image that’s at least 1080 x 1080 pixels
• Ad copy that’s less than 125 characters
• Headline less than 40 characters
• Description of 30 characters

#2 – Best types of Facebook Ads – Video Ads

In 2016, Facebook started to reposition itself as a long-form video-first company. The message was loud and clear. Videos were more engaging than other forms of content. It was not long before Facebook rolled out video Ads. Video Ads are exactly like static image Ads. Instead of an image, you can use a video. Videos are a great way to grab attention, share information and advance your branding message.

Video Ads Usage

Video marketing experts recommend that brands position their marketing videos as infomercials. Address the customer’s pain point in the first few seconds. That’s the hook that they need. Use the rest of the video to underline every advantage that the product or service offers. Throw in testimonials. Show the scarcity for the service. That’s a winning creative for you.

Ad Placement

Video Ads get prime real estate across the entire Facebook network. These Ads are placed in Feeds, Instant Articles, In-Stream videos, stories, search results and the marketplace. That’s both on Facebook and Instagram.

Best practices

Facebook has made it evident that it’s shifting focus towards long-form videos. Here are a set of best practices for video Ads.

• An aspect ratio of 4:5
• Keep your video file size under 4GB
• Use 125 characters or less to describe the video Ad
• You have the option to run a 241-min long Ad. Try to limit it to a minute. You can loop this continuously.

#3 – Carousel Ads

Carousels are one of the most effective types of Facebook Ads. It’s essentially a sequence of up to 10 pictures or videos. 5 on mobile app Ads. Each card can be unique, or you can have one panorama picture that users can scroll to see. The best part is that each card can have its own link. If you are an e-commerce business, you can use carousels to display and link to your best products.

Carousel Ads Usage

Carousels are quite popular among e-commerce brands and drop shippers. However, it can be a very effective tool for storytelling too. You can promote an event with different pictures and videos. You can use a bunch of infographics to show product advantages. How about using a sequence of videos that show the 360-degree view from your newly launched automobile? A skilled Facebook ads marketing company will analyse your business objectives to make better suggestions.

Ad placement

Carousel Ads get limited placement. However, their engagement rates are better. Facebook reveals that carousels are generally 20-30% cheaper than image and video Ads.

Best practices

Carousels should start with the most attractive image or video. The idea is to make the user stop scrolling and take notice. Here are a set of best practices.

• The image should be at least 1080 x 1080px
• There should be 2-10 carousel cards.
• Use 125 characters for the primary text in the carousel
• Limit the headline to 40 characters
• Limit the description to 20 characters

#4 – Most effective types of Facebook Ads – Collections

Collection Ads are a relatively new type of Ad on Facebook’s mobile platform. It contains a single large cover image or video, along with multiple smaller ones. It’s a lot like carousel Ads in theory. The notable difference is that a collection Ad reveals the entire collection of images in one glance. It’s mobile-friendly too. Facebook has recently added collection Ads to their Instant Experience category. Also, there are numerous case studies that show their effectiveness.

Collections Usage

Collection Ads are best suited for end of the funnel traffic. That’s the low hanging fruit in marketing lingo. Customers who are ready with the decision to buy. You just need to show them the most appealing image or video to generate that lead or sale. Conversions, traffic to your store or catalogue sales are some possible uses.

Ad placement

Collection Ads are limited to mobile traffic only. That’s not as bad as it sounds. Mobile traffic accounts for over 90% of Facebook’s Ad revenue. The Ads will be placed in-feed and stories on Facebook and Instagram.

Best practices

Here are a set of best practices to consider while setting up collection Ads on Facebook:

• Use JPG or PNG images
• For videos, use MP4, GIF or MOV files
• Images should be at least 1080 x 1080 px
• Videos should be 16:9 or 1:1
• Headlines on Facebook should be limited to 25 characters or less
• Main description should be less than 90 characters
• Should be Instant Experience compatible

#5 – Instant Experience

Instant Experience Ads, formerly known as canvas Ads are the latest addition aimed at mobile traffic. In simple terms these are full-screen Ads that are compatible with all creative Ad formats. There are some differences though. These ads load 15x faster than standard Facebook Ads. When a user clicks on an Instant Experience Ad, it expands into a full-screen Ad. For instance, Instant Experience image Ad will turn into a full-screen image. If it’s a video Ad, it expands into a full-screen video. The experience is immersive and the statistics convincing.

Best used for

Instant experience ads is one of the most promising types of Facebook Ads. Compatibility with image, collection, carousel and video makes it well suited for any business objective. Your Facebook Ad manager should be able to help you create a highly targeted Instant experience Ad campaign.

Best practices

Instant Experience Ads have very specific specifications that change depending on the Ad format. You can find out more about the specifications in this guide.

The Other types of Facebook Ads that deserve a mention

These are definitely the most popular types of Facebook Ads. But there are other options too. Your Facebook marketing manager will be able to determine whether one of these are better suited for your business goals.

Dynamic Ads

These are an extension of Facebook’s remarketing Ads that use Facebook Pixel. It helps you to retarget your website visitors who may not have converted for various reasons. Since its dynamic, it is completely automated. Facebook automatically uses profile data to compile images and videos to create an Ad template.

Lead Ads

Lead Ads make it easier for businesses to gather leads. It is used to build an email list or offer free-trial sign-ups by some brands. However, these Ads are mobile-only.

Click-to-Messenger Ads

Click-to-Messenger Ads are placed inside messenger inboxes. They encourage customers to click on the creative. This sends them into conversation with your business. It sounds simple. But it’s a very effective type of Facebook Ad.

Conclusion

Facebook Ads offer a great opportunity for new businesses to advance their goals. However, they have gotten progressively tougher. This makes it all the more important to work with a skilled and experienced PPC marketing team. Rockstar Marketing handles a variety of Facebook Ad campaigns for our clients all around the world.

Our experience with PPC extends to Linkedin Ads and Google Ads as well. We can help create perfect, cost-effective Ad campaigns that deliver the returns you seek.

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