How to Use Images and Video in Facebook Ads

Welcome to the second part of our Facebook advertising series! Today, we’re going to look at the specifications for using images and video in your Facebook ads.

Why Use Images and Video in Facebook Ads?

Simple text ads just won’t attract the attention of your target audience quite the same way as something with a visual element. Using images and video in Facebook advertising significantly increases your chances of conversions. Images and videos are also helpful tools in establishing your brand identity with potential customers, which only helps you grow your business even more.

While having both types of ads can help boost your results, video tends to outperform images in Facebook ads. However, a 2014 Facebook study showed that running multiple image-only ads drove the best results in terms of unique traffic.

Tips for Using Images and Video in Facebook Ads

• Humanize your product: For the best results, don’t simply show your audience your product—show people using and enjoying your product. This forges a stronger and more natural connection, especially when a user’s Facebook Feed is filled with images of people.
• A picture says 1,000 words: Keep text to a minimum when using images in Facebook ads. The image will be what draws the user in, and too much text can discourage interaction, costing you conversions.
• Keep it consistent: Facebook ads are a great way to establish your brand identity, which is a key element of successful digital marketing. Your images and videos should have unifying elements, including color schemes and templates. This will make your ads more recognizable to users.
• Be creative: If you don’t already have an established brand identity, Facebook ads give you room to experiment. Using the Creative Hub, you can customize the style and format of images before you launch your campaign. When it comes to video, you’ll have a variety of formats to try, including creating slideshows from your images, Stories, and in-stream advertisements. Both images and videos can be presented in a more interactive 360 format.

Image Recommendations for Ads in Facebook News Feed

Design Recommendations

File type: JPG or PNG

Ratio: 1.91:1 to 1:1

Resolution: 1080 x 1080 pixels minimum

Text Recommendations

Primary text length: 125 characters

Headline length: 27 characters

Description length: 27 characters

Technical Requirements

Maximum file size: 30MB

Minimum width: 600 pixels

Minimum height: 600 pixels

Aspect ratio tolerance: 3%

Video Recommendations for Ads in Facebook News Feed

Design Recommendations

File type: MP4, MOV, or GIF

Ratio: 1:1 for desktop or mobile or 4:5 for mobile

Video settings:

• Square pixels
• Progressive scan
• H.264 compression
• Fixed frame rate
• Stereo AAC audio compression at 128kbps+

Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels

Captions: Optional, but recommended

Sound: Optional, but recommended

Additional notes: Videos should not contain edit lists or special boxes in file containers

Text Recommendations

Primary text length: 125 characters

Headline length: 27 characters

Description length: 27 characters

Technical Requirements

Duration: 1 second to 241 minutes

Maximum File Size: 4GB

Minimum Width: 120 pixels

Minimum Height: 120 pixels

For more details on designing your ads, visit the Facebook Ads Guide.

Get Ready to Run Your Facebook Ad

Are you ready to get started? Watch for our next post in this series, Setting Up Your Facebook Ads Manager Account. Until then, reach out to us with any questions or to discuss your digital marketing needs.

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