Whenever you bring up Facebook in conversations, it's not uncommon for someone to dismiss it and say they've stopped using the platform. If you've heard similar anecdotes, you might be curious if Facebook ads are still effective. The truth is, they definitely are. In fact, hard data contradicts these negative stories- Facebook remains the most widely-used social media platform in the world in 2022, and its ads can reach a staggering 42.8% of internet users.
Apart from the impressive usage statistics, Facebook's Ads Manager still offers advertisers the most advanced options and settings. Whether it's developing sophisticated custom audiences, conducting A/B testing, or relying on the algorithm's targeting, marketers have complete control over their Facebook ad campaigns, even down to the smallest detail.
If you're already familiar with Facebook advertising and the various ad formats, our guide will offer you the creative inspiration you need to begin crafting ads for your next campaign. We've curated a list of 22 outstanding Facebook ad examples that demonstrate the best practices in the industry and outlined what you can learn from them. By drawing insights from these best-in-class examples, you'll be well-equipped to design high-performing Facebook ads that engage your target audience and boost conversions.
Examples of Facebook Video Ads
Facebook video ads are a great way to showcase your brand in a more engaging format. Here are some examples of effective video ads and what you can learn from them:
Coca-Cola
What you can learn from this ad:The color blocking in the ad is striking, with a large focal point (the "New" badge) emphasizing the product. The "Nieuw" (new) label explains the ad's purpose (and why someone might be targeted with it) – it's not to raise brand awareness but to highlight a new product launch.
Superside
What you can learn from this ad:Superside's video ad looks 3D and mimics the Facebook user interface, with a floating dog and shadow to grab your audience's attention. The creative design matches well with the ad's copy ("There's a new way to get design done").
MR MARVIS
What you can learn from this ad:The MR MARVIS branding is subtly present throughout the video, highlighting the product with close-up shots to emphasize its features and benefits. Rather than displaying visually appealing but not very informative lifestyle shots, the video emphasizes the product's practicality. The "Shop now" CTA links directly to the specific product collection, streamlining the checkout process and increasing the likelihood that viewers will purchase the product or service they saw in the ad.
Renault
What you can learn from this ad:Sometimes simplicity is best. This ad uses two images and a simple transition, without requiring fancy animation or high-value production. You can use this swipe transition to show before-and-after transformations, while the ad copy can tease something that's revealed in the "after" layer of your design.
Examples of Effective Facebook Image Ads
In the world of Facebook advertising, it can be challenging to come up with fresh ideas that stand out from the crowd. But, by examining some best-in-class Facebook ad examples, you can get inspired and learn how to create effective ads for your next campaign. Here are five top-performing ads and what you can take away from each of them:
Toptal
This Toptal ad uses a common marketing template in its caption: "We solve problem X, so that you can achieve goal Y." The CTAs in the ad image and copy are clear and consistent ("hire now" and "hire top talent now"). The ad utilizes catchy copy and the image's design ("...can handle more projects than we can fit in this post") to capture attention.
Ad World Conference
The Ad World Conference ad is utilizing the music festival model to generate buzz around its speaker lineup. The design uses a variety of fonts to set apart each headliner, which allows individual names to pop even with a lot of text. The ad's caption plays on FOMO (fear of missing out) by mentioning the number of marketers attending and creating urgency by asking, "Who's coming next month?"
Funnel.io
This Funnel.io ad's copy is specifically geared towards its target audience. The caption begins by addressing the audience ("Hey marketer"), then highlights the pain points that its customers commonly face, such as "downloading and cleaning data from all your advertising platforms." The image is inventive and unique, using recognizable logos to spell out the USP, while also showcasing the integrations that Funnel offers.
Amstel Beer
The Amstel Beer ad looks organic and genuine, resembling a typical Facebook post from friends having a good time at a bar. To achieve this look, consider using user-generated content. The ad is uncomplicated, featuring a picture of people having fun, which allows the product to sell itself. The copy and caption resemble an organic post, with a brief caption, emojis, and hashtags.
Tropicfeel
The Tropicfeel ad creates a sense of urgency by using strong words like "last chance" in the copy and promoting a discount, prompting the viewer to take action quickly. The CTA emphasizes social proof, featuring "+2,000 5-star reviews," building trust, which is useful for viewers who are not familiar with the brand. The ad copy highlights the brand's features that have likely been validated through other channels such as search ads, such as Express shipping, 30% discount, and 8 high-tech product features.
Effective Facebook Carousel Ads
If you're looking to showcase your brand's offerings in a more interactive format, Facebook's Carousel Ads are a fantastic option. Here are some examples of effective carousel ads and what you can learn from them:
Chubbies
Although the visuals in this Chubbies’ carousel ad may not be exceptional, the copy is quite intriguing. The ad copy includes customer reviews, clever taglines, and a direct approach to engage viewers.Adding customer reviews in the creative or the primary text can enhance your ad's effectiveness. Using short and witty ad copy can generate curiosity and lead to website visits. Being transparent in your ad copy can increase credibility and build trust with your audience.
Brandfolder
This carousel ad from Brandfolder is a fun one. The tagline reads "Learn how to maintain creative control WITHOUT making marketing enemies" with each card in the carousel using different creative metaphors.The use of humorous variations can make your carousel ad engaging and memorable.Using bright, complementary, and contrasting colors can attract and retain viewers' attention.Including small accents, such as one word in all caps or a single emoji, can add personality to your primary text.
WATT
By dividing the product image across two or more slides, WATT entices viewers to scroll through the carousel to see the other components, which can be effective for products or designs that require more horizontal space. The ad's text is kept to a minimum, with each slide highlighting only one key feature or benefit of the product. The caption is concise and appealing to the ad audience's needs when searching for a new bike.
Figma Config 2022 Conference
The Figma Config 2022 Conference ad incorporates bright colors in the images to draw attention to the speakers and the event's name. Figma maximizes the carousel format by featuring one speaker/topic per slide, prompting the viewer to scroll through all the topics and speakers. The ad's essential information, including the event name, date, and "register for free," is included on each slide.
Best Kept Secret Festival
The CTA in the copy encourages the audience to "Swipe to discover..." and interact with the carousel. Breaking a multi-day event into different slides for each day is an excellent way to present a lot of information without overwhelming the design. The ad features a straightforward design with only colors, text, and logos – no need for elaborate production.
Moco Museum
The Moco Museum ad has a slide that corresponds to each selling point from the ad's copy (in this case, an art collection). Unlike the other examples, this ad uses highly contrasting images on each slide, making it stand out on the feed and from other carousel ads. Rather than only showcasing individual art pieces, the images feature people inside the museum, enabling viewers to visualize themselves there. This technique can also be applied to physical products by showing people using the product, not just the product itself.
Creating a great Facebook ad
To create a great Facebook ad, you need to consider a few key elements, such as attention-grabbing creatives, mobile-first design, short and snappy copy, compelling CTAs, and thoughtful targeting. Here are some best practices that you can follow when creating your next Facebook ads campaign:
Eye-catching creatives
As social media users have short attention spans, ad creatives need to be attention-grabbing enough to stop users from scrolling away. To improve the quality of your ad creatives, you can try the following:
- Minimize the amount of text on images and cover less than 20% of your design with text (Facebook's recommendation).
- Add movement to stop users mid-scroll by using video format or gifs.
- Keep videos short and to the point, ideally 15 seconds or less.
- Focus on storytelling to make your ads worth watching until the end.
Mobile-first design
Since 98.5% of users access Facebook via mobile devices, you should design your ads with mobile in mind. Here are some ways to optimize your ads to be mobile-first:
- Use vertical videos and/or photos as they take up more real estate on mobile screens.
- Hook the user's attention within the first 3 seconds of your videos.
- Design your ads for sound-off viewing by using captions and/or overlay text, so viewers still get the key message without sound.
- Feature your brand and/or product early on in video ads in case viewers don't watch the full ad.
Short and snappy copy
In most of the examples, the ad captions didn't fit above the fold. Thus, it's important to make the first line of your caption as attention-grabbing as possible. Here's how:
- Write short, clear and concise copy and put the hook in the first sentence or two, above the fold.
- Keep short attention spans on mobile in mind and stick to a simple, yet engaging narrative.
- Highlight the benefits and use language that speaks directly to your target audience.
Compelling CTAs
The CTA is the most important part of your ad as it tells viewers what action you want them to take. Here are some tips to optimize your CTA:
- Ensure your CTA matches the success metric for your campaign, such as ringing in sales, collecting emails, or driving newsletter signups.
- Use specific CTAs instead of generic ones like "Learn more." Facebook provides over 20 CTA button options across ad formats.
- Use A/B testing to discover which CTA resonates the most with your audience.
Audience research and thoughtful targeting
The more relevant your messaging is to someone, the more likely they are to pay attention to and engage with your Facebook ad. Here's how to tailor your ads to your audience:
- Adapt the ad's messaging based on the targeting, such as interests, stage of the marketing funnel, age, location, and more.
- Use separate ad sets to create different creatives for each audience segment, ensuring you deliver personalized content that speaks to them.
In conclusion, creating effective Facebook ads requires a combination of smart copywriting and design choices that are optimized for mobile and target the right audience. By following the best practices outlined in the article, such as adding eye-catching visuals, using mobile-first design, writing short and snappy copy, including compelling CTAs, and doing audience research and thoughtful targeting, you can create ads that capture users' attention, resonate with your audience, and drive your desired outcome.
By experimenting with different ad formats and elements and analyzing their performance, you can continue to refine and improve your Facebook ads and achieve even better results.
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