As 2018 ends and we head into a new quarter, it is important to start thinking of your 2019 advertising strategies. For eCommerce sellers, social media is steadily becoming an alternative – or addition – to traditional Google and Amazon pay-per-click advertising. As such, we have put together a guide explaining the latest Facebook ad specs and image sizes so that you can optimize your social advertising.
Businesses may have different reasons for advertising via Facebook and other social media channels. From brand awareness to lead generation to sales, social media offers a good chance at reaching your advertising goals because of the sheer number of people using social platforms every day.
Depending on your specific goals, there are a number of ad formats available to you on Facebook – image, video, carousel and collection are the four main formats we will discuss in this guide. Each has its own features and set of ad specs depending on placement within the Facebook interface.
1. Image
Image ads on Facebook can appear directly in a feed, on the right-hand side of the feed, in Facebook Instant Articles, in the Marketplace, in Stories, in the Messenger inbox, or as a sponsored Messenger message. Depending on the placement of your image ad, specs may differ slightly, but in general the recommendations are as follows:
- File type supported: jpg or png
- Image ratio: 9:16 to 16:9
- Resolution: the highest resolution available that meets the above ratio requirements (600 x 600 px minimum)
- Text on image: must take up no more than 20% of the image itself
- Ad copy: optimal length is 125 characters, with anything over that being truncated
- With link: 1.91:1 to 1:1 image ratio; 1,080 x 1,080 px resolution; 25-character headline; 30-character description
2.Video
When a still image won’t cut it, opt for a video ad on Facebook. Video ads can appear in all the same placements as images except for Messenger messages. Videos can also appear as ads within organic videos posted to Instagram. Just like image ads, specs depend on the placement of the video, but the general guidelines to follow are:
- File type supported: most video file types
- Video ratio: 9:16 to 16:9
- File size: 4GB maximum
- Resolution: the highest resolution available that meets the above ratio and file size requirements
- Video length: 1 sec to 240 mins
- Captions and sound: recommended but not required
- Text on video thumbnail: must take up no more than 20% of the thumbnail image itself
- Ad copy: optimal length is 125 characters, with anything over that being truncated
- With link: 25-character headline; 30-character description
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3.Carousel
The Carousel ad is one of the most intriguing ad types on Facebook, allowing for more creative space and promotional links. Built of 2-10 individual images or videos, each tile has its own link and short ad copy. This allows a brand to showcase multiple products, product features or pieces of information that together create a holistic brand message. Carousel ads can be placed in the feed, right column, articles, Marketplace or in the Messenger inbox. General spec guidelines are as follows:
- Number of tiles: 2-10
- Image file type: jpg or png
- Video file type: most file types supported
- Maximum file size: 30MB for images; 4GB for videos
- Video length: 1 sec to 240 mins
- Resolution: at least 1,080 x 1,080 px
- Image or video ratio: 1:1
- Ad copy: optimal length is 125 characters, with anything over that being truncated
- Headline copy: 40 characters
- Link description: 20 characters
- Text on image or thumbnail: must take up no more than 20% of the thumbnail image itself
4. Collection
Newer to the Facebook ad game is the Collection ad, which happens to be perfectly centered around eCommerce companies and their sales objectives. Collection ads are generally composed of a cover image or video, followed by smaller product images in a grid format. This allows potential customers to see your products at a glimpse, and when they click, they are immersed in your brand through an Instant Experience. Instant Experiences are full-screen mobile takeovers that allow the customer to explore more of your brand story and seamlessly make a purchase. Collection ad specs are as follows:
- Placement: in the Facebook Feed only
- Cover image file type: jpg or png
- Cover video file type: most file types supported
- Cover media: must choose to show either an image or a video
- Grid images: optimized for 1:1 ratio (can be cropped)
- Headline: 25 characters recommended
- Ad copy: 90 characters recommended
Facebook advertising can be an important tool for eCommerce sellers. Taking advantage of one of the four main ad types on Facebook means placing your brand and products directly in front of the eyes of your audience when they have free time to browse. With Collection ads specifically, your products take the spotlight and your branding becomes a unique, immersive experience for potential customers.
