8 Secrets for Creating an Excellent Facebook Ad Design

Facebook remains one of the best ways to advertise to and reach specific target markets for most brands. Designing a Facebook ad that’s worth the money you’ll be spending on it is no easy endeavor, however, whether you’re a social media manager or a business owner. As you use Facebook Ads, you’ll receive a lot of options but not a lot of advice on what will help your ad stand out among the rest—so here are eight Facebook Ads tips for beginners that any e-commerce agency would tell you!

The world is only getting more visual, and that means your first and primary way of making your audience notice an ad is by visually grabbing their attention. Of course, the ad copy is still important, but Facebook users are more likely to scroll past it unless the image catches their eye. Ad images should be bright, high-quality, and clean; they should contain easy-to-read text that takes less than 20% of the picture. A Facebook Ads professional might also recommend using a social media video instead, especially since Facebook has an autoplay feature that makes it even easier to snag a potential customer’s attention. Make sure it doesn’t rely on sound, however—because 85% of the time, Facebook users watch videos on mute.

Nearly 80% of Facebook users only used Facebook on a mobile device in 2020. Not used their phone along with a computer—only used their phone! With that in mind, your ad being compatible with the mobile format is imperative. A savvy Facebook ad agency will tell you to make videos and images vertical (i.e., portrait, not landscape) to take up as much phone screen space as possible. Don’t just recycle a desktop ad; make it a priority to customize ads for mobile devices and, if you have to choose a focus, going mobile-minded will be the best use of your time.

A simple image or video post is only the beginning of what Facebook Ads has to offer. There are a lot of ad formats to choose from, such as stories, messenger, slideshow, carousel, collection, or playables. A Facebook Ads professional understands each of these formats and decides on one before ever starting the specific design of an ad. Once you have selected a format, next, decide on the placement before designing anything. There are a whole host of placements beyond simple desktop and mobile newsfeeds—though these are popular for a reason—such as before an in-stream video, on the desktop right column, on Facebook Marketplace, or in audience networks in apps that have partnered with Facebook. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed, remember that consulting a Facebook advertising specialist is always an option!

Remember that people spend less than 2 seconds on average looking at a single post, so keeping your call-to-action (CTA) brief and unique is essential to leave an impression on your readers. Including a unique value proposition is a great way to stand out and incite interest, so consider what makes your offer unique and enticing. Are you offering free shipping, a sale, a new product, a free trial? Include your unique value proposition boldly but briefly in a quality image, not just the copy text, and you’ll really draw the eye.

Ads are a promise, but delivering on that promise is just as important as successfully calling people to action. Avoid high bounce rates by making sure your landing page is in sync visually and contains the content promised in the ad—whether that means updating the page or designing the ad to align with the landing page closely. Including a lead capture form on the landing page (such as a way to subscribe for updates and future promotions) is also a great way to convert a visitor into a solid lead.

Isn’t tracking all metrics helpful? To some extent, sure. But clicks and social engagements only tell you so much, and in the end, you’re not creating a Facebook Ad to make friends but to make sales. If the ads are generating clicks but not generating sales, something is definitely out of place. A Facebook ads marketing agency is skilled in problem-solving the missing link in any clicks-to-sales chain, so consider getting professional advice if you run into a lot of trouble.

Figuring out the best design for an ad can still be quite the struggle, as no one can predict how an audience will react until they gather data. For this reason, split testing is often used to collect statistics on which ad will generate the most revenue. The A/B test is a very effective tool on Facebook Ads that employs this method—allowing you to compare duplicate ad campaigns or small business Facebook Ad campaigns that are entirely separate. You put in the variable you want to test for—such as the audience, the creatives, or the placement—and then name the qualifications that Facebook Ads will use to determine the winner. Schedule it, apply the results, and then test again until you’ve really honed down what works and what doesn’t to generate the most sales!

Creating an effective Facebook ad is a tricky business. The good news is that there are a whole host of tools and advice to help you refine your methods before starting an actual marketing campaign. And if after that you’re still in doubt, a Facebook ad specialist can definitely help. With a little research and some trial and error, your design will be much more effective in boosting clicks, leads, and sales.