Get your ecommerce business noticed with successful Facebook ads. Learn the basics of setting up and running successful ecommerce campaigns, including keyword research and testing/optimizing strategies. Leverage sophisticated tactics like dynamic product ads, custom audiences, and lookalike audiences for maximum reach and impact.
Below, you will find some of the most frequently used phrases in paid social, with a focus on Facebook.
In today’s fast-paced world, businesses must stay ahead of the curve to remain competitive.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an ever-evolving technology that has brought about a revolution in numerous industries — especially in the realm of business. Its ability to enhance productivity, precision and efficiency has received widespread acclaim, highlighting its immense potential to transform multiple sectors.
Facebook rose to the top of the social media food chain thanks to its user-friendly interface and ability to keep people connected.
Over time, it’s plowed millions – if not billions – of dollars into perfecting a sophisticated advertising ecosystem to help brands reach Facebook users.
The end result is a system that’s powerful, convenient, and, most importantly, converting.
But if you’re going to use Facebook advertising, you’re going to have to make yourself competitive.
That means optimizing every detail of your advertisements, from the recommended specs to choosing the right Facebook ad formats for every goal, as well as knowing Facebook Ads best practices!
With our handy Facebook ads guide, you can get there in no time.
Before we go diving into Facebook ad formats and the best technical specs, we need to cover a few quick terms. (We promise this will be short…ish.)
Your advertising objective determines the different ad formats you can use, as well as where your ad appears across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and the Audience Network. You can choose your advertising objectives through the Facebook Ads Manager.
Awareness objectives increase awareness of, and interest in, your brand and products. The greater your brand awareness, the further your reach. Some of the ad objectives that fit into the Brand Awareness niche include:
Store Traffic: This Facebook ad type is designed to target people by location and offer incentives to bring them into brick-and-mortar stores.
Traffic objectives attempt to increase traffic to your chosen online destination, such as your Facebook Page, business website, or app.
Currently, there’s only one objective that fits under this banner: Traffic.
Engagement objectives aim to target those consumers most likely to engage with your business through messaging, Facebook likes, or website purchases. Some examples of these ad objectives include:
Messages: Message-based campaigns allow you to use Facebook’s messaging features to promote your website or blog, ask about product experiences, or even extend your email campaigns.
Lead generation objectives are designed to collect leads via messages or signups.
While several ad objectives fit into the bucket, there’s one primary objective: Lead Generation:
Under this objective, Facebook ads aim to collect email addresses right in-house, potentially increasing your lead generation potential.
App promotion objectives aim to boost the number of app installs you see.
Currently, there’s only one objective under this banner: App Installs.
These Facebook ad types target mobile users to encourage app downloads, registrations, and logins.
Sales ad objectives find people to purchase from your brand. Currently, two objectives fall under this umbrella:
Every kind of Facebook ad format supports a range of file sizes and types. Optimizing the file size within Facebook’s limit ensures that your files upload properly and appear crisp and clear. If your file type isn’t supported, you can’t run your Facebook ads at all.
Aspect ratios determine how your image fits on the page based on pixel dimensions.
For instance, a 1,600×900 pixel image falls under the 16:9 aspect ratio. An image that’s 1,600×1,600 pixels fits into the 1:1 aspect ratio.
While you can measure your image sizes by both pixels and aspect ratios, understanding the difference can help you better optimize your ads (particularly for mobile devices).
Facebook Ads Manager is a Facebook tool that allows you to launch various Facebook ad campaigns and gain insightful, actionable information about their performance. You can measure various metrics and customize your reporting needs in-house.
Plus, you can use the Facebook Ads Manager to launch or alter specific campaigns, from your ad objectives to file sizes to Facebook ad placements.
Facebook advertising offers over a dozen ad types, many of which target specific niches or user types. Ultimately, they all boil down to rearranging or dissecting the following five:
Facebook photo ads help you showcase your product, service, or brand with a single image and optional footer. You can create an image ad with Facebook Ads Manager or by boosting an existing post.
The image ad format is ideal for:
Design Specs
Text Specs
Technical Requirements:
Facebook Ads:
Instagram Ads:
Messenger Ads:
Audience Network Ads:
Video ads catch scrollers’ eyes with bright colors and movement that inspire views, clicks, and conversions. Facebook even offers the ability to turn images into quick-paced ads for extra oomph with less effort.
You can use the video ad format to:
Design Specs
Text Specs
Technical Requirements:
Facebook Ads:
Instagram Ads:
Messenger Ads:
Audience Network Ads:
Carousel ads combine up to 10 images or videos that users can click or swipe through. Each “slide” in the carousel has its own headline, description, link, and call-to-action.
You can use the carousel ad format to:
Design Specs
Text Specs
Technical Requirements:
Facebook Ads:
Instagram Ads:
Messenger Ads:
Audience Network Ads:
Facebook collection ads feature multiple products, images, or videos at once. Each collection ad boasts a cover image or video, with multiple images or videos highlighted beneath.
The collection ads format automatically opens as an Instant Experience (highlighted below). With this Facebook ad type, customers can peruse and purchase products from their phones.
You can use the collection ad format to:
Design Specs
Text Specs
Technical Requirements:
Facebook:
Instagram:
Instant Experiences, formerly Canvas ads, offer a full-screen, mobile-only experience that’s perfect for highlighting your brand or products. These ads load instantly, cutting down on bounces, and work with a single image, video, carousel, and collection ads.
You can use the Instant Experiences ad format to:
Design Specs
Text Specs
Technical Requirements:
Single Image Ads or Video Ads
Facebook Ads:
Instagram Ads:
Carousel Ads
Facebook Ads:
Instagram Ads:
Collection Ads
Facebook Ads:
Instagram Ads:
By and large, images remain one of the top contenders for the best Facebook ad format by sheer usage.
However, video ads have proven to be an incredibly popular and competitive niche – when done right, that is.
Once you have these Facebook ad formats down, you can readily expand into a carousel, collection, and Instant Experience ads with ease. You can even use existing ads to combine old or build new content to spread your brand with a new Facebook ad campaign.
Overall, that means the best Facebook ads are the ones that bring in the big bucks for your business.
Many brands start with images for their ease and cost-effectiveness and spread into video ads as they grow.
As you grow more comfortable with your advertising skills, soon, you can spread your wings and fly into new types of Facebook ads in no time.
An effective Facebook ad campaign is one of the best ways to reach a broad target audience without breaking the bank. With a little cash and a few hours, you can put out a brilliant ad creative that drives massive conversions.
However, your Facebook advertising campaign won’t be successful just because you have the drive. You’ll also need a few Facebook ads best practices to guide your creative eye – and level up your game.
You can approach your Facebook ad strategy from two broad angles: general Facebook ads best practices, and ad format-specific best practices.
Here, we’ll look at some of the more general practices that will help your Facebook ad campaigns stand out.
The ad objective you choose determines how effective your Facebook ad targeting will be. Not only does your objective determine the kind of ad you can place, but it also limits where you can place it. (Your ad objective may also impact your Facebook ads cost for these reasons.)
Combining the right objective with the perfect ad means you’re more likely to find success. You can choose from six basic goals:
From here, you can choose from multiple specific objectives, like Brand Awareness or App Installs, to really hone your Facebook ad targeting.
Another consideration is an image or video’s aspect ratio. (The ratio between an image’s width and length.)
The social media site offers its own recommended aspect ratios for various Facebook ad placements and platforms.
Your call-to-action tells Facebook users how to proceed.
CTAs may include buying products, visiting your website, or signing up for your email list. Take time to experiment with different Facebook ad copy and Facebook ad formats to see what works for your brand.
The higher your Facebook ads’ resolution, the better it looks onscreen. Many images and video Facebook ad placements set minimum pixel requirements already. However, these are just minimums. For the best possible quality, consider going a few notches higher.
If you’re uploading image ads, using movement may not be feasible (or desired). But research shows that ads with movement stand out to Facebook users, especially in News Feed.
So, use movement! Upload video ads, ride the carousel, or go nuts with a collection ad or Instant Experience. You can even compile your Facebook ad images into one larger Facebook video ad down the line. Anything you do to catch users’ eyes and drive engagement bodes well for your ROI.
When people can visualize using your product or service, they’re more likely to engage or buy. That makes illustrative Facebook ads – such as videos or images of someone driving a car or using a computer for sale – more effective.
Putting Facebook ad copy over your images and videos can increase interest and conversions.
But first, consider the content, size, and font carefully – you want to keep everything clear and concise. For video ads, you might also add captions so people with disabilities or no sound can understand your content.
Using appealing color and image palettes makes your ads more cohesive. That’s true for image and video ads, and doubly so for a carousel or Instant Experience ad that blends multiple pieces of content. The more visually attractive your content, the higher your chance of running an effective Facebook ad.
You can also get clever with color palettes by changing them to suit your audience’s preferences, the seasons, or the nature of your business.
With visual ads, the key is keeping your audiences’ attention onscreen. Hooking viewers with a strong opening and showing off your brand or product early puts your business in viewers’ minds and keeps them engaged.
Each Facebook ad can be placed in multiple locations, including the Facebook News Feed, Facebook Stories, Messenger, and Instagram. The social media site recommends that advertisers activate all Facebook ad placements to allow the platform to optimize your campaign for you.
The more placements you use, the more data Facebook can collect for your Facebook advertising strategy. However, doing so could also stretch your ad budget or place your ad where it receives lower engagement rates. Before allowing the site to take over for you, consider your goals carefully.
Relevance is essential for an effective Facebook ad campaign, as many run on a pay-per-view or pay-per-click ad format. If you’re not showing relevant ads, you’re wasting time, money, and your potential for success.
Facebook ad targeting is a prime selling point for using the service in the first place. You can segment down to the smallest niches in society with its prime ad tools. However, casting your net too shallow risks fighting for attention among the same audience as other hyper-segmented advertisers.
Instead, consider throwing your Facebook ads to a slightly wider audience. Doing so means Facebook can gather more data, and you may catch a few extra conversions in the process.
Mobile devices like phones and tablets are increasingly used to access various Facebook platforms, including News Feed, Messenger, and Instagram. Given that you can serve your Facebook ad in multiple places, ensure that it’s optimized for mobile first.
Facebook Ads Manager allows you to preview your ads before you send them out. It’s a quick, easy way to check that your ads will look right on both desktop and mobile formats. Plus, you can preview your ads during the creative process so you can catch mistakes as they happen.
Already, we’ve covered several handy Facebook ad tips, and we’ll look at a few more below. But this list isn’t set in stone – after all, Facebook updates its platform constantly, and consumer tastes change.
If you want to stay up on Facebook ads best practices, it’s essential to test your Facebook advertising strategy with each campaign.
Image ads let you target Facebook users with a single photo and footer. With an image ad, you can spread brand awareness and illuminate your message cheaply and effectively.
While Facebook ads no longer limit your text, smaller, crisper fonts and fewer words tend to perform better. A general rule of thumb is to limit your text to 20% of your image ad or less by keeping your message short and sweet.
People are more likely to engage with brands they know and love, particularly on social media. Keeping your logo front and center ensures that Facebook users can clearly see your ad and become more familiar with you over time. Soon, you should start seeing higher ROAS on your Facebook advertising strategy.
Video ads let you use moving images to showcase your brand or product in a captivating ad format. Depending on the ad, you can quickly capture attention with a 15-second blitz or a 240-minute in-depth webinar. Still, you should keep these Facebook ads best practices in mind.
Conveying a single message in your Facebook ad captures attention and simplifies the browsing experience. After watching your video, the user should know exactly what you want them to do, be it visiting your website or buying a product.
The ad objective you choose for video ads determines its placement and length. For longer videos, you’ll have to embed them into the Facebook News Feed or Facebook Stories. But Instagram users prefer shorter ads, so most videos there are limited to a mere two minutes.
As mobile Facebook use grows, so does the need for vertical videos. With a vertical or square aspect ratio, you can ensure that the bulk of Facebook users will enjoy your ad – rather than be annoyed they have to rotate their phones.
A carousel ad lets you show several videos or images at once in a cost-effective manner. Each card boasts its own image or video, headline, description, CTA, and link. These ads are ideal for showcasing multiple products or telling a larger story.
There’s no point in paying for carousel ads if you don’t use their main feature! For this style of Facebook advertising, be sure to upload multiple images, videos, or GIFs to increase engagement and get your money’s worth.
If you’re using a carousel ad format to promote multiple items, link to each one individually to increase your potential ROI. Alternatively, you might consider linking to a larger landing page that displays multiple items to increase your showcasing abilities in each Facebook campaign.
If you’re using a carousel ad to show off your catalog, choose a wide range of products. The more items you represent, the more likely you’ll nab a sale from your Facebook ad campaign.
Instant Experiences are full-screen, fast-loading, visually pleasing ad campaigns that highlight your brand or products with an immersive experience.
Think of them like attention-catching grab bags: you can use them to show off basically aspects of your brand or product line with images, videos, carousels, your own catalog, and more.
Collection ads are similar. (So similar, in fact, they open as an Instant Experience when clicked.) You can use Facebook collection ads to combine multiple images and videos into a larger, more stimulating ad experience for your audience.
Oftentimes, the Facebook ads’ best practices for these formats are similar – so we’ve lumped them together for ease of reading.
Both these Facebook campaigns are designed to grab attention with a “grab bag” of experiences, so don’t disappoint!
Combining images, videos, and text makes your ads more entertaining. Plus, by reusing existing ads, you can double your ad creative without paying extra for the privilege.
Bringing in a wide variety of products ensures your audience is more likely to engage with your Facebook advertising strategy. (Preferably through conversions and sales.) Facebook recommends using a product set of at least 50 items or showcasing multiple instances of individuals using your brand for maximum impact.
Facebook’s dynamic selection option allows Facebook to choose the ads and images that may be most effective. Typically, these products are ranked by popularity or conversion potential.
Running successful Facebook ads requires a disciplined, multi-faceted approach. You have to consider your goals, target audience, and Facebook’s own research in creating and launching your campaigns.
However, that doesn’t mean your Facebook ads have to be time- or money-intensive.
With Facebook’s powerful ad tools and these best practices in your bank pocket, it’s possible to run a top-notch campaign.
A few essential Facebook ad campaign strategies include selecting your ad objectives and target audience carefully, keeping images and videos crisp and clear, and taking a mobile-first approach. Additionally, you should tailor your approach to the type of Facebook campaign you’re running every time.
Choosing your objective and audience wisely, keeping image resolution high, and overlying text or captions on your campaign remain solid Facebook “dos.” However, messy or uncoordinated Facebook ads, Facebook ads with too much text, or videos that are far too long for your target audience are solid “don’ts.”
Yes! Although Apple’s iOS privacy update took a big bite out of Facebook’s ad revenue, the platform remains an effective way to target your preferred audience.
Facebook image ads remain the most popular ad format even today. Meanwhile, the Lead Generation ad objective is one of the most effective Facebook advertising strategies when measured by ROI. However, what’s most effective for your brand varies by product and target audience.
Facebook advertising is one of the most effective ways to connect with your audience. Boasting nearly 3 billion monthly active users, the social media site gathers nearly half of the planet’s population in one place. That’s nothing to sneeze at.
However, as a marketer, it’s likely that only a relative handful of those 3 billion people will want or need your product. Trying to advertise to all of them just means throwing your dollars down the drain for a pittance of a return.
That’s where Facebook’s uniquely in-depth marketing tools come in handy. The social media site was one of the first to truly capitalize on audience segmentation to the nth degree.
If you want to sell purple Sherpa blankets to women who ride horses while wearing 1850s-style bonnets and playing the ukulele, well, Facebook will make it happen.
This level of segmentation is both successful and makes for funny imagery. But to get the best results, you don’t just need the right audience – you need the right ads, too. That’s why it’s essential to understand the various types of Facebook ads available to you before you jump in!
Fortunately, we’re here to help you get started with our handy Facebook ads guide.
There are over a dozen types of Facebook ads built into the social media site. Today, we’re going to cover some of the best Facebook ad types and formats to help you get a solid head start.
Facebook image ads, or photo ads, are what they sound like: an image that plugs your product for you. Depending on your preferences, you can create a dedicated image ad or use boosted posts to gain more exposure.
Image ads are a popular (and effective) Facebook ad format because the human eye is naturally drawn to imagery. Bright or contrasting colors and interesting compositions can drive higher engagements and conversions, no matter your niche.
Fortunately, single-image ads are also some of the simplest Facebook ads to create. Start with your concept or image, then pair it with clever copy and a clear CTA. Best of all, Facebook Ads Manager lets you plaster these ads nearly everywhere on Facebook and Instagram, making them ideal for meeting almost any Facebook marketing goal.
Facebook research has found that people spend about five times longer on videos than “static” content like text or images. That’s doubly true in the era of Reels, where users can (and do) scroll through countless hours of video in their spare time.
As a marketer, that makes this Facebook video ad format a prime delivery vehicle for your top content, such as showing off a product or revealing your team in action. You can even turn GIDs or animations to draw attention and put a clever twist on the phrase “motion picture.”
Each of these methods is a great way to increase engagement, drive conversions, and expand your brand’s reach.
You can run Facebook video ads as in-stream advertisements on longer Facebook videos, or populate the News Feed and Stories with video content. However, bear in mind that video content tends to be costlier and more complicated to produce at scale.
Facebook Stories are vertical, full-screen videos or images that disappear just 24 hours after they’re published (unless you save them). While Instagram Stories are more well-known, Facebook Stories offer marketers an easy way to connect with consumers.
Bear in mind that Stories can’t be created as a standalone Facebook advertising avenue using Ads Manager. Instead, you have to select the Stories option under “Automatic Placements.”
Additionally, you’re limited to a smaller range of Facebook ad objectives – namely:
Done well, research shows that Facebook Stories make incredibly effective marketing vehicles. For instance, in 2018, more than half of people who used Stories reported making more online purchases. Another 73% said that Stories helped them explore and experience new things. Stories ads can also drive website traffic, increase product interest, and are great for storytelling on Facebook!
Slideshow ads, dubbed “video-like ads,” bundle image and video advertisements into a single medium. This Facebook ad type is ideal for marketers who require lower-effort ad formats that produce high-quality results.
Essentially, each slideshow video ad lets you create short videos, or slideshows, using a collection of existing images or video clips. In doing so, you enhance your engagement potential with eye-catching motion, flashes of color, and overarching text.
Slideshow ads are useful because they slash production costs while still producing conversion-driving results.
Because of their l0w-bandwidth ad format, they’re also great for marketers whose target audience may have poorer internet connections.
You can even use slideshow ads to combine your best-performing Facebook ad campaigns into a single “mega campaign,” complete with catchy music.
Carousel ads are similar to slideshow ads but more interactive.
With carousel ads, you upload anywhere from 2 to 10 images or videos into your campaign. Then, you overlay them with text and one of 18 built-in CTAs to drive conversions.
When users come across your ads, they swipe through the contents like a carousel – hence the name, carousel ad.
Carousel ads are useful for drawing in customer engagement while also raising brand awareness. Each slide can carry unique images and links, so you can examine one product in-depth, promote multiple products, or even explore an entire product line.
Carousel ads work in both mobile and desktop mode, though they’re optimized for mobile browsing behaviors. Additionally, you can set the order yourself or let Facebook’s expert marketing algorithms optimize the order to drive conversions.
Instant Experience ads – formerly Canvas ads – are full-screen, mobile-only ads that rely on a phone’s vertical formatting.
Instant Experience ads are designed to capture an audience’s attention well…instantly. They’re quick-paced and boast lightning loading times (up to 15x faster than standard pages), ensuring that you won’t lose customers to a poor connection.
Instant Experience ads pair multiple formats (like videos and carousels) to capitalize on your best campaigns. This multimedia approach catches users’ attention while providing value through images, texts, tagged products, and more.
You can repurpose existing Facebook ad formats, so you don’t have to start from scratch. Better yet, you can even link multiple Instant Experiences together to ensure consumers receive the most bang for their buck.
The result is a highly engaging Facebook ad type that literally immerses users in your brand to drive conversions. Facebook also lets you insert Instant Form templates to capture leads and contact information for your email marketing service.
Collection ads are hybrid ad formats that blend up to five videos, images, or slideshows into one package. As an eCommerce-focused ad type, their goal is to convert Facebook users into online buyers.
The mobile-only ad format is perfect for increasing engagement, traffic, and conversions all at once. Not only that, but when paired with an Instant Experience, each collection ad stands to boost your profit potential.
Collection ads even allow users to purchase products right on Facebook, simplifying the shopping process and reducing abandoned cart rates.
Dynamic ads link your brand’s product catalog directly to Facebook using Pixel technology. (Facebook Pixel is a snippet of code – like a cookie – that tracks users between your website and Facebook.)
With dynamic ads, when someone moves from your website to Facebook, your content will pop up in their feed featuring the same products they explored on your site.
Typically, dynamic product ads appear in carousel ad format, allowing you to represent a targeted collection of products. You can also apply custom audiences and even languages, so even if your copy is the same between ads, the creative element will be 100% unique.
Currently, Facebook permits marketers to optimize dynamic ads for four types of audience behaviors. This level of relevancy increases the likelihood that a particular Facebook user will become a customer. (As you might imagine, they’re particularly effective for improving abandoned cart rates.)
However, dynamic product ads are one of the segments that have taken a beating since the controversial iOS privacy update. As a result, some effectiveness may be diminished while Facebook reconfigures its strategy.
Facebook lead form ads are unique because they’re not designed to advertise a product. Instead, they advertise you by asking customers if they’d like to sign up for your newsletters and events. In other words, they do exactly what they say: make collecting leads incredibly easy.
When a Facebook user clicks a lead ad, a pop-up appears that provides information about your brand. You can use these pop-ups – or context cards – to explain your business and the value you provide. You can even flip the script and let users ask you questions for a change.
If a user signs up, Facebook pre-fills as much information as possible, increasing the likelihood that you’ll capture the lead. One exception is customized questions, which you can insert before launching the campaign to gather more specific information. This information then feeds into any databases and prebuilt workflows you have, like your email subscriber list.
Note that Facebook lead generation ads are only available for mobile devices at this time.
Facebook poll ads are mobile-only interactive ads that coax Facebook users into engaging with your brand.
Think of poll ads as a neat party trick to spread brand awareness while gathering crucial market research. You can attach these dual-option polls to images or video ads to ask targeted questions of your audience or boost engagement.
Each participant will see the tallied responses to the poll, further building a sense of community around your brand.
Over 1.3 billion people use Messenger monthly, making it an ideal avenue to target your audience. And with Facebook Messenger ads, you can do just that, blasting your brand straight into users’ inboxes.
Alternatively, you can use click-to-Messenger ads in Facebook’s main feed that opens a Messenger conversation with your brand’s Facebook page.
Facebook Messenger ads offer various formatting options, including videos, carousels, or even dynamic ads. You can take advantage of Automatic Placements to populate your ads where they’re most likely to be effective at lower costs.
Because Messenger ads open a direct line of communication between marketers and consumers, they’re great for increasing engagement. You can also use them as an opportunity to gather feedback or answer user questions about your brand.
Augmented reality ads are just one way that Facebook parent Meta is meshing the metaverse with social media. These highly interactive, incredibly immersive ads are only available on mobile devices and optimized for camera users.
Essentially, when a user opens your augmented reality ad, their screen will reflect hotspots and a set of instructions. Users who follow those instructions will delve into the augmented reality experience, which varies between ads. Think of it like in-person shopping in a digital medium.
Some ads permit users to explore products from new angles or virtually “try them on.” For example, a sunglasses brand may encourage using the camera to see how a pair of glasses would fit a user’s face. You can even permit users to take and upload selfies to social media, activating a kind of “pre-customer” marketing.
In the future, it’s likely that this kind of augmented reality will become more common and less novel. But for now, it’s a rather unique marketing format that spreads brand awareness while increasing consumer engagement.
Knowing which types of Facebook ads you can choose from is only half the battle. To kickstart a great campaign, you must know how to capitalize on Facebook’s platform. Given its size and complexity, that’s easier said than done.
Facebook is, quite frankly, enormous, offering multiple ways to interact with the site as an advertiser. That means your crucial first step is learning where to launch your campaign.
To start, some ads require you to set up a Business Page and use the Facebook Ads Manager. Others let you design campaigns using the Facebook Ads API. And some of the simpler ads launch right from your Facebook page, providing an easy, budget-friendly alternative.
Facebook Ads Manager lets you choose from 11 different Facebook ad objectives, like:
In many cases, the kind of ad you design depends on the objective you choose. (For instance, you can’t obtain video views if your ad doesn’t contain a video.) Additionally, if you choose the wrong objective for your target audience, you’re less likely to see the results you want.
The real thrust behind Facebook ads’ effectiveness is their extreme segmentation abilities. While our Sherpa-wearing, ukulele-playing horse rider is a funny image, that level of targeting isn’t exactly a joke. Facebook allows you to segment your audience by:
And it’s not just the affirmatives. You can also exclude people based on whether they do (or don’t) meet these criteria.
Where you place your ads is a crucial component of the success they can achieve.
One method is to place each ad yourself. Your options will likely vary based on your Facebook ad objectives but generally include:
Alternatively, you can select Facebook’s Automatic Placement feature. This tool plasters your ads where they’re likely to see the best results at the best price.
Each type of Facebook ad campaign comes with a set list of specifications to meet to be approved and find success. These specifications may include image size, video length, caption length, or the amount of text overlaying an image. (Meta offers more comprehensive lists here, divided by the types of Facebook ads you can publish.)
Failing to meet these specifications could see your ad bouncing back before publication. Even if that doesn’t happen, blurry images, too much text, or failing to lay captions over your video can all reduce your conversion potential. That’s your money swirling down the drain.
Facebook offers built-in A/B split testing tools to compare how various ad versions fare against each other. This provides an invaluable opportunity to gather information on how your ideal audience responds to your campaigns. Because best practices for Facebook ads change with time and across industries, it’s essential to stay up-to-date with repeated testing.
Facebook research suggests that testing and trialing is the best way to lower your advertising costs while increasing profitability.
If you don’t monitor your campaigns in the Facebook Ads Manager dashboard, it’s impossible to numerically measure your success. With solid tracking and a few tweaks, you can build your Facebook ad conversion success naturally over time.
As a marketer, where, when, and how you market to your target audience makes all the difference.
The same is true of different Facebook ad types.
Picking the wrong medium, place, or even image can mean the difference between a successful Facebook campaign and wasting your money! Hopefully, this guide helps you get started with the perfect Facebook ad for your purpose.
With an excess of 4.5 billion people using the internet globally, the best place to run a marketing campaign is on social media. Social media campaigns are like the fuel of your marketing efforts, and when done right, they’ll provide an explosion of interest in your brand.
However, with so many brands vying for digital attention, it’s more important than ever to be inventive with your marketing.
So, what makes a marketing campaign successful in today’s environment, and how can you build one of your own?
This article will look at 10 successful social media marketing campaign examples from globally recognized brands and why they worked. They’ll provide you with the motivation to build your own viral creative social media campaign!
There are numerous venues where you may get your brand’s distinctive message in front of your audience, ranging from Facebook and Instagram to YouTube and TikTok.
And many of these platforms have hyper-targeted marketing solutions, allowing you to reach the precise correct audience with your content and stretch your marketing budget further.
A social media campaign occurs when a company uses digital platforms to help them achieve its marketing objectives.
It works on any platform with a social networking component. As a search engine rather than a social networking platform, a Google ad, for example, would not be called a social media campaign.
On the other hand, a social media campaign would be a planned marketing effort using Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Snapchat.
It’s different from regular social media material in that it’s usually created for a specific purpose and runs for a specified amount of time. It might be paid or organic, but it’s usually done with more attention and measurability than regular posts.
Content creation is a vital element in a contemporary social media marketing strategy. So, what’s the goal of your social media campaign? To connect with customers to sell a service or product, right? And the best way to do that is not only with an innovative social media campaign but also by having people share it!
So, to make that happen, you have to design a creative social media campaign that’s shareable.
Word-of-mouth marketing is still one of the best methods for sharing your content. However, even though most businesses engage in some form of content marketing, only a tiny percentage can create viral material that users share.
Without this level of viral engagement, your social content can hardly fulfill its true purpose. Therefore, creating a creative social media marketing campaign is key!
So, if you’re wondering how to create rockstar social media campaigns, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a list of creative social media campaign examples to help get you on the road to a successful campaign and skyrocketing your brand.
Anthropologie ran this creative social media campaign on Instagram, and it was a HUGE success! Talk about a great way to create viral content and have your followers promote your brand. It’s genius!
This is a pretty awesome campaign because it ties directly into everyone’s desire for 15 minutes of fame.
Anthropologie conducted an Instagram ad encouraging people to enter an Instagram contest to win a chance to model for the company.
Users were required to use the hashtag #AnthroOpenCall to submit images of themselves wearing Anthropologie clothing.
This creative social campaign works because of its high reward and competitive element. Anthropologie provided their target population with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
In addition, they raised brand awareness by encouraging their followers to submit images of themselves wearing Anthropologie clothing on social media, exposing their brand to new shoppers.
Using your fan base to help generate content and awareness solidifies your brand story and engages your users personally, undoubtedly having them purchase more products.
Here’s an example of one excited Anthropologie customer who entered the Open Call and was chosen to walk in the fashion show!
TikTok
Prada collaborated with TikTok star Charli D’Amelio (one of the most-followed personalities on the platform with 101.8 million followers) for Milan Fashion Week in February 2020.
@charlidamelio @prada #pradafw22 ♬ original sound – charli d’amelio
They invited Charli to the fashion show and gave her a variety of outfits, all of which were Prada. Charli was asked to share videos of the event with her millions of Instagram followers in exchange. Charli filmed herself at the event dancing in her Prada costumes to popular TikTok sound bytes while tagging Prada in 6-7 different videos.
TikTok marketing is a fantastic way to advertise your company while collaborating with well-known influencers. Especially if you’re trying to raise awareness among a younger audience. And Prada pulled it off flawlessly.
Charli’s platform is well-known for her dance videos, which showcase her talent and distinct personality. So, Prada allowed her to promote the company in her unique way: through dancing videos.
Viral engagement is a very effective way for brands to reach new demographics. Working with influencers is a great way to accomplish this.
Qdoba ran this creative social media campaign on multiple platforms, including Instagram and Facebook.
Who doesn’t enjoy good queso? That’s precisely what Qdoba thought when they introduced its Queso Bliss campaign, which allowed fans to vote on which of their limited-edition quesos was the greatest.
In a series of polls, fans on Qdoba’s various social media outlets could vote on which queso was their favorite. Then, on a specified day, the winning queso would be free.
Innovative social media campaigns like this one are successful because of their capacity to engage fans across numerous media and include them in the decision-making process.
Because of these updates, fans were kept engaged and pulling for their favorite queso. In addition, users were more invested in the outcome since they were kept up to date regularly.
Contests that allow your audience to have a say in what your company does make them feel more connected to your brand. Qdoba may have simply let them pick their favorite cheese dip, but their willingness to listen undoubtedly created lifelong fans.
Multiple platforms
Customers were invited to either visit their physical site or record themselves swinging a kettlebell back and forth on camera. In addition, RYU would give to organizations that promote mental health awareness for every rep they did.
Because RYU sells athletic clothing, its target market would be active people. Therefore, they used the information they gathered about their target demographic to entice people to join their challenge.
It also aided RYU by increasing foot traffic to their physical locations and increasing social media conversations about their brand.
What’s the best part? They were attempting to raise funds for a worthy cause.
Project #ShowUS is the name of Dove’s most recent social media campaign. In this creative social media marketing campaign, Dove teamed with Getty Images, Girlgaze, and women worldwide to build a photo collection to bust beauty clichés after learning that 70% of women don’t feel represented in media and advertising.
It is a social media advertisement that promotes inclusivity, natural beauty, and a good body image.
It’s all about the personal connection on social media. You may build an authentic rapport with your target market by bonding over shared beliefs, just like Dove did.
This is a powerful strategy: 77 percent of customers prefer to buy from companies that reflect their beliefs. So don’t be scared to launch a social media marketing campaign centered on a theme related to your company’s mission or vision.
Lush reshares articles highlight consumers and share climate and eco-friendly news, which helps grow their network.
It’s easy to find thousands of gorgeous photographs that their community has created, including their employees on how products are made and used, by searching their #lushlife hashtag. However, they want to be viewed as part of a more significant movement.
This type of marketing is common among many businesses, and it’s a terrific example of how to use existing material as viral social media content.
But, surprisingly, Lush has never paid for celebrity endorsements, television commercials, or social media post boosts; their whole business has been developed through organic means.
Proof that you don’t always have to spend money on a successful social media campaign.
The campaign employs various strategies, including online and signage advertising and creating an original video shot on the company’s smartphone lineup. But, the way Apple has leveraged user-generated content on Instagram is arguably the most stunning aspect of the ad.
Unpaid contributors develop and publish user-generated content or UGC using #shotoniphone.
Customers, fans, or followers who support the company with original content such as photographs, videos, blog articles, and social media posts are considered contributors.
Users of Apple’s iPhone shared viral content promoting the smartphones and broadening Apple’s reach.
User-generated content is a terrific method to engage your target audience, use the power of social proof, and find fantastic content with little effort. When people promote you to their followers, your business will be exposed to a larger audience. But that’s not all.
When brands share user-generated content, the postings receive 28 percent greater interaction than company-created content. And ads that feature user-generated content click-through rates are higher.
Youtube
Lake Havasu, Arizona, teamed up with Matador Network, a travel media business, to create a video campaign that promotes the location as an adventure escape. Two filmmakers were sent on a journey and documented their adventures on YouTube as travel vlogs.
The campaign generated over 1.8 million impressions and aided in promoting Lake Havasu as a leading adventure destination in the American Southwest.
Video content is always an extremely engaging marketing tactic. It captures the viewer in a way that tells a story and inspires them to want more—Genius marketing strategies for travel-related businesses.
The Hawaii Tourism Authority created the hashtag #LetHawaiiHappen to encourage visitors to share their favorite travel memories. Hawaii made use of user-generated content to increase interest in visiting the state. In addition, the tourism board frequently reposts the content on its pages.
This is another example of how engaging your followers and fans to create content for you works to your advantage. UGC or user-generated content is a strategy anyone can use.
User-generated content is an awesome way to engage your target audience, leverage the power of social proof, and discover great material with minimal effort. In addition, your business will be exposed to a much broader audience if individuals promote you to their following. Truly innovative social media campaigns that work!
Innovative campaigns on social media are an excellent method to promote your business, engage your target audience, and, eventually, increase sales.
But, remember, the goal of social media campaigns is to build relationships. So here are some key strategies that should be implemented when creating an innovative social media campaign.
Been there done that marketing strategies aren’t going to WOW your followers. But, if you can come up with an innovative, creative, and out-of-the-box idea, it will captivate your fans and make them more likely to act on it and even share it.
Some of the businesses in our examples centered their campaigns around interactive in-person events. This is a great social media marketing strategy because it brings the customer to you, inspires them to capture videos or images, and ultimately share the content. Again, this is a win for you because they promote your brand, and you’ll reach a larger audience.
Another excellent strategy in social media campaigns and marketing is to connect your brand with an influencer. Again, this allows you to reach a larger audience that may have otherwise never had an interest in your brand.
The more engagement you generate with your effective social media campaigns, the better your results. It would be best if you designed a creative, eye-catching, exciting campaign with a purpose.
One essential thing that you must not forget when creating an innovative social media campaign is to use social media management tools like Tailwinds Pinterest features page and Instagram features page.
Using Tailwinds social media management tools will help you plan, schedule, and design posts. Instagram schedulers like Tailwind make planning and designing successful social media campaigns a breeze. But don’t just rely on Instagram to market your brand. Other social platforms can generate a variety of interest and more reach, ultimately allowing your brand to grow.
Focus your efforts where your target audience spends their time. Using Pinterest for marketing is a game-changer in 2022. But YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, and Linkedin are great platforms to reach potential customers and generate sales. Successful social media campaigns can help to skyrocket your brand and business!
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Social media ROI is simply the return on investment (ROI) from one’s social media marketing expenses and activities. Such expenses and activities might include ads, strategic campaigns, a redesign of the website, updated social media bios, etc.
The return can be in the form of revenue, brand awareness, improved customer service, customer loyalty, and much more. At an ideological level, this type of ROI is how much value you receive from the investments you make into social media marketing.
While this may seem like a simple enough concept, obtaining and demonstrating a strong social media ROI is not overly straightforward.
In fact, as of September 1, 2021, a mere 15% of social media marketers were measuring social ROI, according to a Sprout Social Index. However, anyone who incorporates these practices is likely to be several steps ahead of the competition.
To begin, it is essential to define your goals and your brand’s social media purpose. The purpose of social media is different for each company. It might even be different for each product or campaign. Some examples of a purpose are as follows:
For goals, make sure they are actionable, measurable, and realistic. Such goals should also be specific to each campaign and in coordination with establishing goals for social media ROI in general.
Do not forget that goals should also be in line with overall business goals and overall marketing goals. By defining your goals in a specific manner, it will be easier when it comes time to calculate your ROI.
To define your goals, be sure to decide what you want to get out of your campaign. Keep in mind that setting goals is not a one-size-fits-all approach. What is right for your brand may not be realistic for another. The same is true for each campaign. The following are some goals to consider:
In the end, goals should be based on measurable actions that can be monitored. This will help to demonstrate and present the value of your efforts to decision-makers.
Establish metrics to be able to calculate social media ROI. Marketing metrics are a way to track the performance and outcome of a campaign to determine its effectiveness. Before you begin tracking metrics, do not forget to benchmark your ROI for paid social media initiatives. This can be done by measuring the ROI of existing social media marketing efforts prior to launching new campaigns or tactics.
And create a specific period of time to measure, such as the first two weeks or specific dates. LinkedIn research revealed that 77% of marketing individuals measured results during the first month of any campaign despite sales cycles being longer in many instances. The way many organizations and individuals measure progress with metrics is by tracking websites and social media.
On a website, you can use Google analytics to determine social media traffic and which platforms bring in such traffic. For social media, each platform, such as Twitter and Instagram, offers an analytics tool to track interactions and engagements with your audience.
You can keep track of new followers over a specific period of time, how many people save a post, etc. Each metric gathered can help improve the effectiveness of a campaign as well as the overall marketing strategy.
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To be able to prove that social media investments are worth the time and money, it will be critical to assign a monetary value to your results. One option is to calculate the lifetime value, or the amount you earn from a customer on average. A formula is often applied to determine the potential value of each visit from a customer.
This formula is the lifetime value x the conversion rate. For example, you might take the lifetime value and multiply that by the average number of email subscribers who become customers to find the real potential value of a customer visit.
Another monetary value can be assigned as the average sale. If the goal of your campaign is to try to get sales, then you’ll want to calculate your average sale amount and set that as the value.
In this case, your destination page would have to be the page that shows up after a customer completes a purchase. When returns are achieved organically, see how much it would have cost to generate those same returns with ads. The monetary value will be the amount you save.
Another component to determine the ROI of social media is to track your investments. The type of investments will vary by campaign. This might include:
It is important that these expenses are weighted. This means that if you use social media tools all year, only include the charges from the weeks or months of the campaign’s duration. And be sure to separate paid and organic social media tracking.
Now that you have all the information and tools to figure out your social media ROI, it is time to calculate. You will need to have profit and investment per campaign at the ready. Profit is the money you earned from, the value of, etc., various social media marketing efforts.
Whereas, investment is the total cost of social media marketing efforts. The following is the social media ROI formula:
The actual calculation → (Profit-investment/investment) x100 = ROI %
And, in the end, you must be able to showcase ROI in an easily digestible report for decision-makers and team members who may not fully grasp social media ROI. You want these reports to follow a basic template.
They should use plain language void of jargon and acronyms. Include results that relate to relevant business objectives. Use KPIs to track progress in the short term. And clearly express any limitations and aspects that you can and can’t measure.
These tips can help maximize social media ROI!
And, do not forget to use the many helpful social media marketing tools that exist. Tailwind has scheduling tools, analytics, and even Tailwind Create to help you make sure your campaign is a success! Check out Tailwind’s free trial to start getting the most value possible from your social media investment!
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If you’ve worked in social media management or managed a Facebook Business Page on behalf of your brand, you probably are familiar with the pitfalls that come with that.
From accidentally posting to the wrong page, to scrambling to gain access to your page after the person who set it up leaves, there are plenty of ways that employees managing the company Facebook through their personal accounts can go, err… awry.
I just want to manage Facebook pages without having to use my personal account. Can they work on that instead?
— Sarah J. Galvez (@SJ_Galvez) October 28, 2021
Not to mention it makes it that much harder to separate work and personal life and strive for a healthy balance. That’s why Facebook’s latest round of testing definitely has our ears perked up.
In September, Facebook announced Work Accounts were in testing with a select number of businesses.
With this new account type, Facebook Business Manager will be able to be accessed without requiring a personal account.
This may seem like small fries to some, but it’s actually a huge step forward in making the brand Facebook profile – and employee accounts – that much more secure.
Through the end of the year, Facebook will be testing this new feature with a select group of business accounts. Company reps expect the feature to be rolled out globally in 2022.
We’ll keep updating you on developments as they happen. This feels like a big step forward in managing personal and work on social media, where the line gets blurred all too often for marketers and social media managers!
Do you plan to use this new feature? Let us know in the comments below!
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In today’s super-connected world, social media is a necessary part of any good marketing plan. However, trying to maintain a presence on all of the available platforms is a recipe for failure. Not only is this sure to leave you feeling overwhelmed, but if you spread yourself too thin, you’ll miss the opportunity to make true connections with your followers.
Instead of trying to be everywhere at once, it pays to be strategic with your social media strategy. To get the best results, it’s important to understand where your target audience spends their time and make sure you have a presence there.
Ideally, you’ll want to choose one or two platforms and commit to going all-in on them. The right social media platforms for your business will depend on a number of factors, including the type of content you produce and the demographics of your ideal audience. Here’s a closer look at the pros and cons of some of the most popular social media platforms!
As the largest and most popular social media platform in the world, Facebook currently has more than 2.85 billion monthly active users. Not only does this platform have a huge following, but their audience is also very active. In fact, 66% of users log in at least once a day.
Due to the amount of traffic alone, being active on Facebook is a good idea for most businesses. It will allow you to connect with a diverse audience and interact with your followers in a way that builds trust.
Even if you choose to spend the bulk of your time on another platform, you’ll want to ensure you have a fully completed Facebook profile.
When vetting companies, users often turn to Facebook after Google, so it’s important to make sure your “about” section is completed and your contact information and business hours are accurate.
Also be sure to respond to reviews (both positive and negative), as this is an indication of how your company interacts with its customers.
Facebook is also an excellent platform for paid advertising. The ability to target a super-specific audience allows you to optimize your advertising dollars. Many companies also take advantage of Facebook Messenger, as this allows for easy, private communication with followers and potential customers.
Despite the many benefits, however, there are some potential drawbacks. For example, Facebook has strict advertising rules and uses algorithms to flag posts and ads that may be in violation. This can result in you having your account temporarily suspended or shut down – even if you haven’t done anything wrong.
In addition, Facebook’s algorithm changes have made it very difficult to reach new followers organically. This means you’ll need to be willing to commit at least a portion of your budget to paid ads if you want to grow your audience here.
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With over 1.2 billion active users, Instagram is another popular social media platform for business owners.
This platform is a great option for those looking to reach a younger demographic. More than half of Instagram users around the globe are age 34 or younger.
It’s also the third most popular platform among teens – after Snapchat and TikTok.
Instagram users are quite active, with 62% logging on daily. Commercial posts are common on this platform and users often use Instagram to follow companies they love or find new products and services.
Instagram is an excellent option for businesses that are comfortable telling their stories on a visual platform and those who want to appeal to a young, “hip” crowd. If your target audience is older, this might not be the right platform for you. Only 14% of Instagram’s users are over the age of 45, and 14% of U.S. adults say they have never heard of it.
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Part social media platform and part search engine, Pinterest has over 478 million actively monthly users.
This platform is often used by those who are looking for ideas and inspiration.
Pinterest users used to be predominately female. However, today, it’s about a 60/40 split. User demographics are also getting younger.
Currently, 35% of users are millennials while 40% fall into the Gen Z age range. In addition, 45% of people in the United States with a household income of over $100k are Pinterest users.
If this fits your target demographic, creating a presence on this platform may be well worth your time. A third of users on Pinterest say they follow companies on the platform and 77% of users have used the platform to discover new products.
To be successful on Pinterest, you’ll need to consistently create content that is both visually appealing and highly sharable. Some of the most popular things to pin include how-to tutorials, inspirational quotes, recipes, and similar content. If you’re in an industry like fitness, travel, design, or photography, you’ll want to consider including Pinterest in your marketing strategy.
Known for content that’s short and to the point, Twitter is popular among younger adults.
Approximately 38% of users are between the ages of 18 and 29 and another 26% are in the 30 to 49 age range. This platform has 340 million users worldwide and 186 million daily active users.
Affluent individuals tend to be attracted to this platform – 77% of Americans who earn $75k or more per year are active Twitter users.
Some business owners prefer this platform because they don’t have to spend a lot of time creating visually appealing graphics.
Instead, you can focus on crafting sharp, concise messages that get your point across in an interesting way. However, studies also show that Twitter users get 10-times more engagement on Tweets that include video.
In addition, Tweets with GIFs get 55% more engagement than those without.
If you’re going to have a presence on Twitter, it’s critical to remain active and respond quickly. Since 85% of small and medium-sized businesses use Twitter to provide customer service, it’s common for users to take to the platform to vent about poor user experiences. Statistics also show that Twitter users are 38% more likely to share their opinions about products and brands than other social media users.
Long known as the platform for professionals, LinkedIn has 310 million monthly active users and over 171 million users in the United States. While this is a significantly smaller platform, some businesses find that this is an advantage. Since there’s not as much competition, it’s easier to have your content show up in newsfeeds without having to invest in paid ads.
Most of the users on this platform are focused on business and employment. This makes LinkedIn a good option for users who want to connect with decision-makers in the B2B space. While it’s rarely used for online shopping or entertainment, if you’re looking for a platform to network or connect with potential business partners, then LinkedIn could be a good option for you.
YouTube has 2 billion monthly active users and 30 million daily active users. A whopping 73% of adults in the United States use this platform and 62% of businesses have a presence here. It’s also the second-most visited site, behind Google, and is the world’s second-largest search engine.
Maintaining a YouTube presence will allow you to reach a large and broad audience. Since video is the preferred format for most online users, you may feel like this platform is a necessity for your business.
However, it’s important to note that while being on YouTube can bring many benefits, consistently creating high-quality videos requires both financial and time commitments.
Popular among the younger crowd, Snapchat reaches 75% of the millennial and Gen Z population in the United States. It’s also the second most popular mobile app, and users typically open it 30 times or more each day.
Businesses can advertise on Snapchat in several ways, including traditional ads, geotags, and branded lenses or filters. Before you invest any time or money into this platform, though, you’ll want to make sure it’s right for your target audience. Approximately 48% of users are between the ages of 15 and 25, 30% are between 26 and 35, and only 18% are between 36 and 45. If you’re focusing on an older demographic, this likely won’t be the right platform for you.
One of the newest players in the field, TikTok has approximately 80 million monthly active users in the United States. Of them, 60% are between the ages of 16 and 24 and 26% are between 25 and 44.
If this is your target demographic and you’re interested in creating fun and unique video content, you may want to experiment with this platform. For the right business, TikTok can be an excellent way to increase engagement, grow your audience, and drive traffic to your site.
Creating videos on TikTok allows you to represent your brand in an authentic, hip, and creative way. However, it’s easy to go too far. Remember that it only takes one small misstep to damage your brand’s reputation, so keep this in mind as you brainstorm your content.
Using the information above, you should be able to choose one or two primary platforms for your business. Once you’ve made your decision, spend some time getting to know your audience and crafting a message that truly speaks to them.
Then, begin planning and scheduling your posts in blocks, so you’re always at least a few days ahead. Not only will this help ensure you’re posting consistently, but it will also save you time so you can focus on engaging with your followers.
Are you ready to simplify your social media marketing? Let us show you all the ways Tailwind can help!
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