Facebook has come a long way since the inception of social media platforms, and is now an advertising goliath up against the likes of Google.
With an unprecedented level of audience targeting available thanks to the extensive number of people using the platform, there are few businesses that would not benefit from advertising on Facebook.
Whether you are a B2C or B2B business, it’s likely your audience is using Facebook on a daily basis.
If your existing customers or target audience of potential customers are active on Facebook, then you will be able to put your brand in front of their eyeballs. You can specify which ads reach which people, down to strict targeting features such as demographics, job titles, interests, and much more.
When it comes to creating your ad, there are a number of choices that are sure to fit with your vision of how to advertise your products or services on the platform. We have outlined the 5 key variations of a Facebook ad, which should hopefully shed some light on what would work for your brand.
Photo ads
Sleek, and simple. Photo ads are the most simple form of ad, and require the least resource to get up and running.
A photo advert on Facebook helps to increase awareness of what your brand is about and what it does. It’s a clean format that offers you the chance to share great imagery with compelling copy.
Carousel ads
Carousel adds allow you to display multiple images in a visual format.
Carousel ads are interactive, and allow you to display up to 10 products or other forms of images which direct Facebook users to specific website pages, which are relevant to each individual image.
This can work well for ecommerce when you have a wide range of products available. This allows potential customers to browse several products they may find interesting or relevant to them.
Aside from ecommerce, it can also be beneficial when offering a range of blog posts, news articles, or other forms of information. This allows them to pick and choose which they wish to engage with.
Images should be high quality, and they should be related to one another. You should aim to be eye-catching, and ensure the images look nice enough that people will want to browse.
Video ads
Video is becoming more and more important to the online world, and moreso on Facebook than elsewhere. The platform has been making a stance of offering more video content to its users, and ensuring they watch videos more frequently and for longer periods. This benefits advertisers who opt for a video ad on Facebook.
If you have any existing videos for your brand or specific products, you should use this to advertise what you have to offer on Facebook.
Facebook video ads allow you to specify the unique audience that will be targeted with your video. With the unique targeting capabilities Facebook has to offer, you can be sure that your videos are being seen by the exact people they were designed to appeal to.
Videos should aim to be engaging, entertaining or informative. Ensure it isn’t too long, and doesn’t stray from the point too much.
Slideshow ads
If you don’t have the resources for videos, then Facebook offers Slideshow ads.
This lets you put together a moving slideshow that allows you to showcase what your brand is about, what your products or services are, or anything else that is relevant.
For instance, you can show the interior of your store or place of business. Or you can show the array of products you have to offer.
Collection ads
Facebook collection ads are a format that makes it simple for people to discover, browse and purchase products or other forms of offerings in a more immersive and image-focused format.
This format encourages people to take actions, and allows you to showcase what you have to offer in a grid layout. For instance, this allows you to display a video up top, with a number of additional images below to showcase more of what you can offer.
Collection ads allow you to utilise Facebook’s Canvas, which displays in full-screen on mobile devices. This means for a moment, potential customers are immersed in your brand across the entire screen. This drives more attention, and ultimately encourages potential customers to explore more of what your brand has to offer.
As soon as someone clicks on a collection ad, they will land on Canvas. People who end up here are showing much more intent, and will nurture further interest, providing your content is up to scratch.
