Six top tips to get the most out of your Facebook ads

Have you started using paid advertising for your business and are wondering how to get the most out of your Facebook ads? In this blog post, I share six best practices that will help you create winning Facebook ads.
1. Keep your ad copy short and to the point
Internet users have short attention spans. And we all know this because we are those users ourselves - don't we all spend hours on our phones and on social media every day?
If you're starting to use ads for your e-commerce business to boost sales, it's important you take your audience's attention span and time constraints into account and create copy that:

• Quickly captures your readers' attention.
• Effectively conveys what you want them to know about your product.
• And entices them to buy.

Easier said than done, right? But creating copy that's short, snappy, and to the point and in the same breath interesting, inspiring, and engaging is possible.
For more tips on how to do this, check out my blog post on How to create the best Facebook ads for your e-commerce business.
2. Add multiple images of your product
When it comes to ad attributes, its visual elements, or 'creatives' can have a huge impact on the way your ad performs with your ideal customers. Because when you're trying to encourage social media users to buy your products online, showing them one single picture won't quite cut it.
The good news is that the Facebook Business Manager gives you the options to arrange your imagery into a carousel or a collection, and it's definitely something I recommend you try out.
The carousel format allows you to show two or more images (or videos) and makes it super easy for your audience to consume your content. They simply scroll through the pictures by either swiping the screen or clicking on the right/left arrows.
For best results, include headlines, links, and Calls to Action (CTAs) to your ad - these help you add context and detail to your copy and can act as further incentives for your prospects to click on that buy button. Of course, not all carousels will perform in the same way, so experiment with a few combinations of images and make sure you display your better-performing pics first.
It's worth mentioning that your images don't always need to be professional photoshoots. If you haven't arranged one yet, or if you only have a limited amount of professional photos, don't let that hold you back. Lifestyle photography and more 'native' imagery can also prove engaging and enticing. After all, it looks less staged, more natural, and more like a recommendation from a friend than an ad.
Plus, people will react to your creatives differently. If you're targeting prospects who have already clicked through to your website (i.e. retargeting), product photography may work better than lifestyle imagery, which is more appropriate for targeting prospective customers instead.
3. Keep image text to a minimum
According to Facebook, "images with less than 20% text perform better". This is why when Facebook ads were first introduced, a high percentage of them used to be rejected. In my experience, this doesn't happen as frequently anymore, but it's something to bear in mind when choosing your creatives.
Image text, especially when long and cluttered isn't always easy to read, and a large number of words can also take the focus away from your photos, and, therefore, your product. And that's the last thing you want!
If you need to add any text to your product images, such as a headline, a link, or a description, you can use the ad copy or space under the image instead. That makes for a better user experience and reduces your risk of having Facebook reject your ad.
And if, for whatever reason, you feel the need to use text over your images, keep it short, clear, and concise. Get your message across effectively, but ensure you're using fewer words and a small-enough font to keep the main focus on your images, rather than on the text.
4. Use vertical videos instead of square or landscape
If you've decided to include a video of your products, consider recording or creating your video in a vertical format. Why? Most people browse social media on their smartphones, rather than their laptops, tablets, or desktops. This means that when they're scrolling on social media, they're holding their phone in a vertical position.
If your video fits that format - and doesn't force your audience to rotate their phone to turn your video horizontally - you're already at an advantage. You're making it easier for someone to consume (and enjoy) your content.
Research from Buffer conducted in 2019 proved that vertical videos consistently outperform landscape and square videos in the Facebook news feed. And when you think about it, creating videos that utilise the full vertical frame means you have more space at your disposal than when choosing the square format, for example.
When your video takes up the whole length of the screen, you can focus and direct your ideal customers' eyes exactly where you want them to go. And with more space to play with, you can also think of different strategies to make your video more engaging, like splitting the screen in two or adding graphic or design elements to help you elevate the quality of your ad, which leads me nicely to the next point...
5. Enhance your images or videos with creativity and movement
In a busy market space (and crowded news feeds), you want your ads to stand out, and adding movement is an easy and effective way to do so. If you're sharing your ad on Instagram Stories, for example, Facebook provides free templates to help you animate your ads automatically.
But there's more you can do, such as creating timelapse videos, loop videos, animating text, or building videos that include images, text, and narration.
Here are a few apps I regularly use and recommend to my clients:

• ImgPlay. The app is ideal for making GIFs using your photos or videos. You can also trim and crop your videos, add filters, animation effects or stickers, and even merge multiple videos into one.
• InShot. Perfect for video editing, to add filters and special effects, or to add animated stickers and text.
• Canva. Probably the best-known piece of software in this space, Canva lets you create beautiful designs, documents, and graphic. It's easy to use and allows you to work collaboratively with others on your team.
• Enlight Pixaloop is a perfect tool for animating your photos.

Other free apps recommended by Facebook are:

• Hyperlapse, for timelapse videos
• Boomerang, for Loop videos.
• Legend, to animate text.
• And Videoshop, to edit your videos.

6. Use strong Calls to Action (CTAs)
Never forget to include strong CTA buttons in your ads. You don't need to get extremely creative here. For most products, a simple "Shop now" or "Get offer" will be everything you need. 
When deciding on your CTA, feel free to follow the Facebook Business Manager's recommendations, but be prepared to test a few combinations of copy, creatives, and CTA buttons.
For example, if you're running retargeting ads (specifically for those who have either visited your website or added your product into their basket but didn't purchase), you may want to try slightly different language in your copy. After all, these people have already seen your product, and this is your chance to remind them of what a great offer they're potentially missing out on. So perhaps consider giving them a little nudge and adding "10% off with this coupon code," for example.
CTA buttons can have different wording, colour, and formats depending on what you're trying to achieve with your ad, so, as I always say, be prepared to do some testing and see what performs better for you. Whatever you do when picking your CTA buttons, ensure they stand out. You want people to engage with your ad and take action.
Do you need support to get the most out of your Facebook ads?As you've probably gathered by now, running social media ads for your product-based business takes a lot of testing and experimenting. It's all about finding the right combination of ad copy, creatitves, CTAs, and platforms that will deliver the best results for you. So if you're an established e-commerce business and need some help to get the most out of your Facebook ads, get in touch.
I offer FREE 30-minute strategy calls that are perfect if you:

• need help with your Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat Ads Management,
• would like an audit of your ad Account.
• or need help with conversion rate optimisation