Drugi jezik na kojem je dostupan ovaj članak: Bosnian
By: Franka Bujas
There’s no need for me to remind you that Facebook is the most popular social network in the universe. Everyone are there, and the rare exceptions only prove the rule. Facebook has great potential for successful advertising and one of its biggest advantages in marketing is the very specific targeting of the audience … Well, whether media agencies agree or not, equally important is the ad design.
I’ve prepared some tips that you can use as a kind of a cheat sheet when designing ads for Facebook (for convenience, this article focuses only on the Facebook News Feed ads, therefore no other formats are considered such as video, canvas, carousel):
1. Put the right thing in the right place
Would you look at that – ad design depends on the location where it will be placed. Facebook has so many different types of ads and their formats that it represents a world within a world. One of the most used are the news feed ads. Visuals of the news feed ads on the desktop have the largest size and are located on the front and center for users. With these ads, it is preferable to use high-quality images, in high resolution. Although this format offers the most freedom, you should keep in mind the “less is more” philosophy and try not to clutter up the visual with details.
Same as the news feed ads on the desktop, mobile news feed ads also give good results – often even better. This method of advertising is an excellent opportunity to attract attention to your product while the consumer is waiting in line at the bank, riding a tram or sitting on the toilet, so they might as well buy some running shoes for example (they are planning to begin exercising on Monday, right).
Right column ads are less effective, but also cheaper. They work best for users who are already familiar with the brand being advertised. Since the images are of smaller size, it is desirable to avoid text as much as possible and use motifs that are easily recognizable.
In these ads visuals should be focused on the most important factor, without a lot of detail and text. But be careful because what’s most important for you probably is not what’s most important to the user.
2. People first, product second
It should be borne in mind that our ad has to be distinguishable in a sea of various content on the news feed of each individual user. Just imagine your Facebook feed when you open it on Monday morning: pictures of a former colleague at the beach (she’s on a vacation for the sixth time this year), below a photo showing some unpleasant scenes from last weekend … followed by 753 photos of the cat of the cousin of your neighbor from childhood, several political commentary, then a gym selfie of your buddy from college, then a humorous meme with a joke that you heard back in 2002 in Iskon chat room…
How can your ad compete with the rest of the content, fighting for attention against the chiseled abs of your colleague Martin? It can, but only if you are fully aware of the way people use Facebook. Namely, users experience the news feed as their own private space, their own little digital living room. Imagine, if you put the image of your product in the ad, it will grab the attention among all these complex content … attention yes, but it will not produce the desired effect. The user will see it as aggressive advertising and it will annoy him that you are messing up his personal space with your advertising. A better option is to try to fit in with the rest of the content with a picture from life.
Try to show the benefits of the product, rather than the product itself. For example, if you are advertising a sporting goods store, it’s better to show a group of hikers in nature than a photo of a shoe with the logo.
3. Less text the better
Facebook recently removed the rule that limits the amount of text to 20% of space on ad visual. The first thought that came to mind was that the hassle with shrinking the text, moving it left and right, pixel by pixel, doing it in all the possible and impossible ways, is over. The thought that all the text that the client wants included could fit into five squares caused general enthusiasm.
But that, unfortunately, did not last long … because in fact nothing has changed. Ads that exceed 20% of text will not be rejected, but they will have a smaller reach, so better stick to the good old rule. Sometimes it can be frustrating, but it really is better to limit the amount of text. What will draw attention is the image, and the larger the space occupied by text, the less noticeable the ad will be – and equally important, it will be less natural for the channel.
After all, imagine a Facebook ad as a billboard. How much text could you notice if you were speeding along next to it at 130 kph? Or if you were scrolling at that speed.
4. Colors
Colors are associated with emotions, making them an essential element by which you can reach users. Of course a lot depends on the particular brand identity of the product or service you are advertising, but in this cheat sheet we will explain some of the colors that are commonly used:
- Green
Green is a color most easily processed by the eye, and therefore has a fresh, calming effect. However, it is advised to avoid using light shades of green for Facebook ads as they are not noticeable enough.
- Purple
Using purple is recommended, but only if your target audience are women. Surprisingly, research show that purple is not a favorite among men, so it could drive them away from your ad.
- Red
Red is a color that catches the eye fastest. It is associated with passion, excitement and tension. Given that it is quite imposing, it’s preferable to use it only partially in ads, ie. as a border, a logo…
- Black
Black leaves the impression of power, sophistication. It is used in ads for brands that symbolize safety and luxury. Mix some black and gold and you’re good for any luxury ad.
- Orange
Orange is among the most popular colors for CTA, because of it warmth and playfulness. Same as with red, you should take caution using it, because in large quantities it leaves the impression of naivety and unprofessionalism.
- Blue
Given that blue is the color of Facebook, you should definitely avoid it, if you don’t want the ad to blend in with the background. If it’s unavoidable, it is recommended to use as dark as possible, or as light as possible shades to make it distinguishable from the original Facebook blue.
Pro tip: It’s always recommended to use contrasting colors. The bigger the contrast the stronger the message.
TL; DR
Therefore, it is important to remain subtle in approach, both in choice of the image, and with the amount of text.
News feed of the user can be considered as private property. If you want to sell shoes, you will not throw them at their window (although they’re certain to notice them if you do so), but you will walk into the house party wearing them, in perfect sync with the rest of the outfit. You must not forget the colors. If you have purple hair along with all of the above, you will not go unnoticed.
This cheat sheet is more or less generally applicable to FB ads, but the most important thing is to constantly monitor the changes that are introduced and try to adapt to them as much as possible. Also, the way users use Facebook changes over time, so you should always be on guard. And never yield in to dogmas. Not even those of this cheat sheet.
