The following covers the basics of Facebook ads and is the first in our series, The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Ads.

Do you ever feel like your brand doesn’t have a voice in its own conversation?

You’re not alone. To paraphrase Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon.com: Branding is what people say about you when you’re not in the room. It’s important to participate in and even steer this conversation. So how do you do that?

With Facebook ads, you get to stay in the room for good. Be a part of the conversation surrounding your brand, while achieving the results you want! We’ve put together a 3-part series so you can be well-versed in the world of the ‘Book. Read on to learn what makes Facebook ads SO worth your time!

1. What makes up a Facebook ad?

  1. Business name & social information: Displays your page’s name & picture, and lets the viewer know if any of their friends engage with the page.
  2. Text: Generate interest with information about what you’re advertising.
  3. Images & videos: Get creative with media that gets your audience to engage.
  4. Headline, newsfeed link description, display URL, & call to action (CTA): Let your audience know where they’re headed and why they should go there.
  5. Social actions: Viewers can like, comment on, or share your ad content.
Facebook Advertising

2. Where will my Facebook ad be seen?

You can choose any combination of the following placements:

  1. In the mobile or desktop newsfeed
  2. In the right-hand column
  3. Interstitial or banner space on partner mobile apps
Facebook Advertising
Facebook Advertising

3. What kinds of ads can I create?

Facebook offers several advertising objectives:

  • Clicks to website: This goal type brings people to important sections of your website. (TIP: Pick a cool call-to-action button like ‘Shop Now,’ ‘Book Now,’ or ‘Learn More’ to drive traffic!)
  • Website conversions: A conversion tracking pixel measures the results of your efforts to get users to take specific actions on your site, like signing up for an email newsletter or purchasing an item.
  • Page post engagement (A.K.A. promoted posts): After you post something on your Facebook page, you have the option to boost it to get it in front of more people. Ultimately, you’ll see more likes, comments, and shares, and might even get a few people to like your page.
  • Page likes: Bring potential customers to your page so they can begin a journey of interaction with your brand that ultimately results in a sale. While this type of ad does not bring customers to your site directly, it is a valuable component of a full-scale Facebook campaign!
  • Event responses: Promote your existing Facebook event to get more people to respond.
  • Video views: Promote videos to raise awareness about your brand.
  • Offer claims: Promote deals and discounts to get foot traffic to your store.
  • App installs: Register your app with Facebook and only pay when someone installs the app right from their mobile news feed.
  • App engagement: Encourage people to take specific actions on your app.

4. What specifications apply to my ads?

First, no Facebook ads may contain more than 20% text. Other requirements include:

  • Image size
    • 1200 x 628 px for clicks to website, website conversions, app installs, app engagement, & offer claims ad objectives
    • 1200 x 444 px for page likes & event responses ad objectives
  • Character limits
    • Headline: 25 characters
    • Text: 90 characters
    • Newsfeed Link Description: 200 characters

You can learn more about the different kinds of Facebook ads here.

Stay tuned for The Ultimate Guide to Facebook Ads, Part 2: Targeting!

Meet Cara Garvey

Cara Garvey is the Paid Search Director at LDM. She graduated from Roosevelt University in Chicago with a degree in Integrated Marketing Communications, minors in Spanish and Psychology, and a penchant for Netflix. Cara enjoys spending time with her family and friends, playing with her dogs, and analyzing conversion data (don't judge).