Anna Hubbel | From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's bookThis is a guest post by Anna Hubbel, staff writer at AdvertiseMint, a Facebook advertising agency. Connect with her on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Even though her approach is rather generic, I believe there are a lot of useful tips here to help you improve your Facebook ads!

5 Ways to Create the Perfect Facebook Creatives

When we see them in our News Feed, Facebook ads look simple. But a lot of work goes into making them that simple, because they have to say a lot as non-invasively as possible.

To make the perfect Facebook ad creative, you need to diligently implement best practices that make your creative amazing every time. There are five ways, in particular, you can make an ad creative that reaches your desired goals.

1. Use Listicle Headlines (For Article Posts)

Headlines are the text that appears directly below the main visual of your ad. They summarize what users can expect to read by clicking on your ad. So-called listicle headlines, in particular, have been found to generate more clicks. Listicle headlines are the types of headlines which are made up of a simple structure: Number + Noun + Personal Pronoun + Modal. For example: “10 Reasons You Should Wake Up Earlier and How to Do it.”

Facebook creatives | From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's book

Listicle headlines are appealing because:

  • Numbers attract the eye and preview what users can expect to learn by clicking your ad
  • Personal pronouns directly call to the user
  • Modals (e.g., “should”) urge users to take action

2. Keep Your Post Text Between 20-75 Words

Post text is the copy that appears at the top of your ad above the main visual. Analyses have shown that post text between 20 and 75 words generates the highest reach.

Facebook creatives | From the blog of Nicholas C. Rossis, author of science fiction, the Pearseus epic fantasy series and children's book

If you’re struggling to determine whether you should write longer or shorter copy for your ad creative (for post text, headline, description, and caption copy), here are some good rules of thumb to help you decide what’s best for your goals:

Use longer copies when…

  1. You’re advertising a service.
  2. You’re targeting an older audience.
  3. The creative you’re working with doesn’t elaborate on the product or service you’re advertising.

Use shorter copies when…

  1. You’re advertising a product.
  2. You’re targeting a younger audience.
  3. The creative (i.e. the image or video) you’re working with already elaborates on the product or service you’re advertising.

4. Use Video Over Static Images

Although a stunning, professional-quality photo or graphic can make a nice ad, video is often more captivating and informative. Studies have shown that video is changing the way consumers shop. Specifically, consumers like to watch high-quality videos that demonstrate a product or service in action. Videos that are also unique or clever but still communicate the main message within the first few seconds tend to be more successful in helping consumers along in their path to purchase.

To make a great Facebook video ad, here are four simple tips for guidance:

  1. Capture your audience’s attention right away.
  2. Keep it simple.
  3. Design for no sound (i.e., use captions so viewers can watch your video with or without sound).
  4. Play with size and dimensions.

5. Use Relevant Content

If you know your audience well, you should be able to easily identify the content that is the most relevant to them. For example, if your audience primarily consists of young teenagers, a video about people in their 50s using your product or service wouldn’t be relevant to your audience (and vice versa). Likewise, if your target audience is men interested in sports, an ad featuring kids eating dinner may not be relevant.

You also want to make sure your content is relevant to the message you’re trying to convey. If you own a clothing store, for example, you want an ad that features the products you’re trying to sell. You could do this by featuring a model wearing your product.

6. Offer a Solution to a Problem

When you’re advertising a product or service, your goal is to convince your audience how it will help them solve a common problem they may have. For example, Blue Apron delivers all the ingredients and recipes you would otherwise have to put together yourself to make dinnertime less stressful.

A good way to think of it is by answering a total of eight questions about your customers’ lives before and after purchasing your product or service:

  • Questions 1 & 2: What does your prospective customer have before purchasing your product or service? What does your prospect have after purchasing your product or service?
  • Questions 3 & 4: How does your prospect feel before purchasing your product or service? How does your prospect feel after purchasing your product or service?
  • Questions 5 & 6: What is an average day like for your prospect before purchasing your product or service? What is an average day like for your prospect after purchasing your product or service?
  • Questions 7 & 8: What is your prospect’s status before purchasing your product or service? What is your prospect’s status after purchasing your product or service?

Let’s use a heavy-cleaning detergent as an example, to see what the answers to these questions might be:

  • Questions 1 & 2: What does your prospective customer have before purchasing your product or service? What does your prospect have after purchasing your product or service?
    • My prospective customers have clothing stains before purchasing my product.
    • My prospective customers have clean, stain-free clothing after purchasing my product.
  • Questions 3 & 4: How does your prospect feel before purchasing your product or service? How does your prospect feel after purchasing your product or service?
    • My prospective customers feel frustrated before purchasing my product.
    • Myr prospective customers feel happy after purchasing my product.
  • Questions 5 & 6: What is an average day like for your prospect before purchasing your product or service? What is an average day like for your prospect after purchasing your product or service?
    • My prospective customers’ average days involve spending long hours removing clothing stains before purchasing my product.
    • My prospective customers’ average days involve spending free time relaxing after purchasing my product.
  • Questions 7 & 8: What is your prospect’s status before purchasing your product or service? What is your prospect’s status after purchasing your product or service?
    • My prospective customers’ status is an angry mom before purchasing my product.
    • My prospective customers’ status is a super mom after purchasing my product.

You’re now well on your way to creating great ad creatives that deliver results! It takes time to perfect the method that works best for you, and you’ll want to test different creatives to see how they’re received by your target audience. But once you find the method that works best for your business, there’s nothing stopping you!