Types of Facebook Ads: Types, Tips, and Specs for Successful Campaigns

Whether you want to drive traffic, boost brand awareness, or optimize conversions, understanding the types of Facebook ads is paramount.  Want to know the types of Facebook ads and how to create successful advertising campaigns? Well, this is what we shall explore in this article. Additionally, we will also discuss the step-by-step process of setting up Facebook ads. 

Why Should You Use Facebook Ads?

Looking for the best social media platform to advertise your brand? Facebook adverts are not only effective, but they are also cheaper compared to platforms like Google. Here are some of the reasons why Facebook advertising is the best.

1. Facebook is the Most Popular Social Media Platform

With over 3 billion monthly active users, Facebook remains the most popular social media platform. Therefore, advertising using various types of Facebook ads strikes a balance between the size of the audience and the cost of the ads. 

Most Popular Social Media Platforms by Number of Monthly Active Users

2. Advertising Through Facebook is Affordable

There are various types of Facebook advertising to choose from. Irrespective of the type selected, Facebook advertising is the most popular and cheapest. According to WordStream, the average CPC (cost per click) on Facebook ads is $0.77 while that of Google is $4.66. With testing, reporting, and remarketing capabilities, Facebook offers effective tools to help optimize your return on investment. 

3. Facebook Has Exceptional Targeting Capabilities

Other than offering different types of ads, Facebook also provides exceptional targeting capabilities. The targeting capabilities allow brands to target specific audiences depending on behaviors, demographics, interests, or other variables. This helps you reach your target audience at an affordable price. 

Targeting Capabilities on Facebook Ads

Types of Facebook Ads

Understanding the types of Facebook advertising is the preliminary step to creating successful advertising campaigns. There are 5 types of Facebook ads namely:

• Image ads
• Video ads
• Carousel ads
• Collection ads or product catalog ads

Instant experiences ads

Let’s analyze what these types of adverts mean and how you can use them.

1. Image Ads

The most common Facebook advert type is using image ads. To run image ads on Facebook, publish and boost posts with an image. An image ad is a simple image with a call-to-action button under it. 

Image Ad on Facebook

In the example above, the type of Facebook ad used is an image ad. It aligns with the call to action “Try if for free” and motivates potential audience to sign up for Grammarly. 

 2. Video Ads

Did you know over 1.25 billion Facebook users spend almost 50% of their time watching videos? Well, this makes video ads more engaging than image ads. As a type of Facebook ad, the videos run in stories and news feeds sections and can also appear as ads on videos. 

In the example above, Shopify uses a video ad to prompt viewers to visit their website and grow their e-commerce businesses. 

3. Carousel Ads

Also known as slideshow ads, carousel ads are unique Facebook advert types. Using a carousel allows you to create an ad with several images displayed like slides. Carousel ads are used when a brand wants to:

• Show off multiple products
• Highlight the features of a product
• Engage with their target audience
• To explain a process 

‍

‍

‍

A Facebook Carousel Ad by Nike

4. Instant Experience Ads

Instant experience ads are unique types of Facebook adverts. As the name suggests, instant experience ads are created to fully immerse the audience in the story the brand is telling. After clicking an instance experience ad, the video expands to full screen. 

Instant Experience Ad by Pela Case

5. Collection Ad

The final Facebook adverts type is the collections ad. This includes images and videos which are displayed in your preferred grid format. 

A Collection Ad on Facebook

In the ad above, the brand allows users to select their preferred product(s) from the collection provided in the ad.  

Design, Text, and Technical Requirements of Types of Facebook Ads

After selecting your preferred Facebook advert type, you should understand its specific content recommendations and technical requirements. The most important specs for each ad type are analyzed below. 

1. Image Facebook Ad Type

As discussed above, image ads are used to capture audience attention quickly and to show unique features of a brand’s product and its story. Facebook’s design, text, and technical recommendations for image ads are: 

Design recommendations

• File type: JPG or PNG
• Ratio: 1.91:1 to 4:5
• Resolution:

-1:1 ratio: 1440 x 1440 pixels

-4:5 ratio: 1440 x 1800 pixels

Text recommendations

• Primary text: 50-150 characters
• Headline: 27 characters

Technical requirements

• Maximum file size: 30 MB
• Minimum width: 600 pixels
• Minimum height:

-1:1 ratio: 600 pixels

-4:5 ratio: 750 pixels

• Aspect ratio tolerance: 3%

For panoramas and 360 photos, Facebook processes and recognizes them by analyzing camera-specific metadata used in the photos. 

2. Video Facebook Ad Type

The design, text, and technical requirements of video ads on Facebook include:

Design Recommendations

• File type: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Ratio: 1:1 (for desktop or mobile) or 4:5 (for mobile only)
• Video settings: H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan and stereo AAC audio compression at over 128 kbps
• Resolution:

1:1 ratio: 1440 x 1440 pixels

4:5 ratio: 1440 x 1800 pixels

• Video captions: Optional, but recommended
• Video sound: Optional, but recommended

Text Recommendations

• Primary text: 50-150 characters
• Headline: 27 characters

Technical Requirements

• Video duration: 1 second to 241 minutes
• Maximum file size: 4 GB
• Minimum width: 120 pixels
• Minimum height: 120 pixels

Video ads are one of the Facebook advert types that you should be keen on when designing. Facebook does not allow videos with special boxes or edit lists in file containers. The thumbnail should be sourced from the video thumbnail you select during the ad creation process. 360 videos are also allowed. 

3. Carousel Facebook Ad Type

According to Facebook, the design, text, and technical requirements of carousel ads include: 

Design Recommendations

• Image file type: JPG or PNG
• Video file type: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Ratio: 1:1 or 4:5
• Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels

Text Recommendations

• Primary text: 80 characters
• Headline: 45 characters
• Description: 18 characters
• Landing page URL: Required.

Technical Requirements

• Number of carousel cards: 2 to 10
• Image maximum file size: 30 MB
• Video maximum file size: 4 GB
• Video duration: 1 second to 240 minutes
• Aspect ratio tolerance: 3%

4. Collection Facebook Ad Type

The design, text, and technical recommendations of collection ads in Facebook include:

Design Recommendations

The cover image or video that is displayed in your collection ad uses the first media asset from your Instant Experience.

• Image type: JPG or PNG
• Video file type: MP4, MOV or GIF
• Ratio: 1:1
• Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels

Text Recommendations

• Primary text: 125 characters
• Headline: 40 characters
• Landing page URL: Required

Technical Requirements

• Instant Experience: Required
• Image maximum file size: 30 MB
• Video maximum file size: 4 GB

5. Instant Experience Facebook Ad Type 

Instant experience ads can be formatted in several ways.

Image Layout Options 

• Fit to width (linkable): This option fits the image to the viewer’s screen width and allows the addition of a link to the image. The recommended image width is 1080 pixels. 
• Fit to width (tap to expand): This option fits the image to the viewer’s screen, but they can also tap to view its natural shape and size. The minimum image height for this Facebook advertising type is 1080 pixels. 
• Fit to height (tilt to pan): This option fits the image to the viewer’s screen height once they see it. Consequently, viewers don’t have to tap it or reduce their screen’s width. The image height for this Facebook ad type is 1920 pixels. 

Video Layout Options

The video files should be in either MOV or MP4 format. The videos should be set to autoplay, loop automatically, and the sound should be off. The video layout options include:

• Fit to height (tilt to pan): This option fits the video on viewer’s screen once they see it. This means they don’t have to tap it to reduce screen width. 
• Fit to width: This option fits the view to the viewer’s screen. The recommended image size should be 720 pixels minimum. 

When using instant experience type of Facebook advertising, the videos should not be more than 120 minutes in length. Captions should be used for viewers to engage without audio. 

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Set Up Ads on Facebook

After choosing your preferred type of Facebook ad, the next key step is setting up the ad. Follow these steps to set up your Facebook ads: 

1. Create a New Campaign on Using Your Facebook Ads Manager 

In the Facebook ads manager section,  click on the “Create Ad” button on the left side. Next, select buying type and campaign objectives from the available options. 

In our case, we shall select “Engagement” campaign objectives. Next, click “Continue”

2. Set Up Your Facebook Ad Campaign Details 

You are now prompted to “Choose a campaign setup”. Select either recommended settings or manual engagement campaign. This depends on your desired type of Facebook advert. For demonstration purposes, we shall select “Manual Engagement Campaign”. 

3. Selecting Your Ads Category 

After clicking “Continue”, the window that pops up prompts you to input “Campaign Name”. Enter your preferred campaign name (the default name is New Engagement Campaign)

Next, select “Categorize Your Ads” to specify whether your ad promotes financial, employment, housing, social issues, or review products. Repeat the same for the “Categories” section. 

4. Set Up Campaign Budget and Target Audience

The selected campaign details will be highlighted once again. Next, select the “Advantage Campaign Budget” to distribute your budget across different sets. 

Next, select whether you would like to create an A/B test. For demonstration purposes, we will toggle the button to ON. Fill in the details and click “Next”. 

‍

Next, select “Conversion Location”, your “Facebook page”, and “Phone Number”. Scroll further down to set your preferred “Budget” and “Audience” characteristics. Once done, click “next”. 

5. Publish Your Ad

In the next section, a “Preview” of your ad is shown. Review your ad and edit different parts to suit your preferences. Once done, click “Publish”.

‍

You are then prompted to enter your payment details. 

‍

Congratulations! You have successfully created your Facebook advert. 

How Do You Create Great Content for Your Facebook Ads?

Regardless of the type of Facebook ad selected, creating great content for your Facebook advert is paramount. Use our pro tips below:

1. Determine the Campaign Goal 

When creating the goal of your preferred type of Facebook advertising, ask yourself: 

What do you want to achieve from the ad?

What are your brand’s needs right now? 

Do I want to drive traffic, boost awareness, gain views, or exposure?

2. Select the Right ad Format Based on Your Campaign Goals and Needs

Every ad form is designed to promote various types of products and services. Align your campaign goal to your preferred types of Facebook ads. 

3. Determine Your Target Audience

In the target audience section discussed above, be sure to target broader audiences rather than small niches. Adjust your target audience settings to align with Facebook’s Machine-Learning targeting algorithm. This maximizes conversions and return on investment. 

4. Partner with Influencers and Content Creators

Collaborate with successful influencers to help you gain more followers and market your brand. How do you find the right influencers for your brand? How much do influencers earn? Well, check out our blog for these articles. 

UGC Factory Pro Tip: Testing and Optimizing Your Ad Performance 

Finally, we cannot shy away from discussing how to test and optimize your ad performance regardless of your selected type of Facebook ad. Follow the steps below:

• Install a Facebook pixel to track your audience’s actions after visiting your website. 
• Promote existing posts to act as social proof to your target clients
• Monitor the days and hours when your ads perform best and adjust your ad schedule accordingly
• Create several ads with different creative ads in the same set
• Allow the “auto-optimize” option for Facebook to automate your ads.  

Final Word

Selecting the best type of Facebook ad is important in ensuring the ads address your target audience and for cost optimization. Using our guide, you can create unique, effective, and successful Facebook advertising campaigns. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are the best types of Facebook ads? 

The best types of ads include:

• Image ads: They offer optimal user engagement 
• Video ads: They help drive engagement
• Instant experience ads: They offer immersive experience
• Carousel ads: They aid in boosting catalog sales

2. What is the cost of Facebook adverts?

On average, the cost per click on Facebook is $0.77

3. Are Facebook ads cheaper than Google ads? 

According to WordStream, the average CPC (cost per click) on Facebook advertising is $0.77 while that of Google is $4.66.

4. What are the most effective types of Facebook adverts?

The most common Facebook advert type is image ads with an engagement rate of 24% followed by video at 20%.