The Definitive Guide to Facebook Carousel Ads
When Facebook launched in 2004, it featured what was known as “Flyers”. These were advertisements for local businesses that appeared on the side column of the home page. These simple advertisements came in two sizes and could be targeted to college students using their .edu email addresses.
Facebook “Flyers”
Facebook has come a remarkably long way since the “Flyers” days. Using world-class learning technologies and data, Facebook has been able to pin down what users want to see on the platform, specifically when it comes to types of advertisements.
This data that Facebook has collected proves that static content does not get as much engagement or conversions as interactive content does.
Knowing that people prefer a hands-on experience, Facebook created different ad formats that provide a fun, engaging way for users to experience advertisements including GIFs, videos, carousel ads, and canvas ads.
Today, we are taking a deep dive into carousel ads and how you can utilize this interactive ad format to blow your Facebook conversions out of the water.
What Are Facebook Carousel Ads?
Facebook Carousel Ads are an interactive ad format that allows advertisers to showcase 2-10 images or videos, each with a separate caption and link.
These graphics are shown on “cards” that users can swipe through without scrolling or navigating away from the ad.
Carousel ads are effective because they urge potential customers to engage with the ad, and they also allow advertisers more opportunity to show off their products or snippets of their brand story.
They’re a favorite among advertisers who want to showcase several items in a single ad unit.
Who wouldn’t want to save time and ad spend while increasing conversions right?
Carousel ads are an ideal option if you are wanting to achieve any of the following goals:
- Visually explain a process. Let your customers swipe through a tour of your business, product, or service. Explain how it’s made or how it works with each card.
- Highlight your product’s features. Use each card to talk about the different benefits and features of your product or service while showing different variations and angles.
- Showcase customer reviews or testimonials. This is a great way to target warm audiences because it shows proof that you can walk the walk.
- Ramp up engagement. The interactive element of carousel ads allows you to tell a story while customers swipe through the cards. The more cards, the more likely there is to be something that resonates with the customer and urges them to click.
- Display the menu of services that your business offers. Highlight all of your business’s services in one place. You can link each card to a landing page about the correlating service. This way, users can effortlessly learn more about the services that pique their interest.
As you can see, carousel ads provide the opportunity to accomplish a variety of goals with one single ad unit and budget.
Using graphics, videos, or a combination of the two, your strategically placed products urge more traffic to flow through your sales funnel than a single image ad.
Not only do they stand out in a user’s feed, but they have a 30 to 50% lower cost per click (CPC) when compared to other ad formats, according to Facebook.
Hey! Need Ad Ideas?
60+ Creative Ad Ideas
Join us as we go over 60+ pieces of content and what makes them work so well. We’ll see Static Ads, Carousel Ads, Animated Ads, and Video Ads.
Facebook Carousel Ad Specifications and Dimensions
Advertisers need to know the specs and dimensions for different ad formats before diving into the ad creation process. Knowing this information allows advertisers to effectively create the most attractive, compliant advertisements. This leads to quicker ad approval and higher quality ads.
The better the ad quality, the better ad performance. In fact, you can expect to see more engagement and conversions when you have a clean, high-quality ad.
Facebook carousel ad specs and dimensions are as follows:
|
Ad Type |
Media |
Video Size |
Image/Aspect Ratio |
Maximum Ad Copy |
Video Duration |
|
Carousel |
2-10 images and/or videos |
1080 x 1080 pixels |
1:1 (square) |
125 characters |
1 second to 240 minutes |
Facebook’s official Ad Guide contains a full list of technical requirements for all available ad formats that the platform offers.
Carousel Ad Placements and Objectives
Currently, there are seven objectives for which Facebook carousel ads are available—reach, brand awareness, traffic, app installs, lead generation, conversions, and catalog sales.
Ad placement options may vary depending on the objective you select at the campaign level. The following is a complete list of placement options available for carousel ads:
- Facebook– News Feed, Marketplace, Video Feeds, Right Column, Stories, Search Results, and Instant Articles.
- Instagram– Feed, Explore, and Stories.
- Audience Network– Native, Banner, and Interstitial.
- Messenger– Inbox (Currently unavailable for Carousel ads in the US, Canada, France, & Australia).
6 Best Practices for Facebook Carousel Ads
Maximize the performance of your carousel ads by using the following best practices:
- Tell a story. Captivating graphics and videos are arguably one of the most important elements of a Facebook ad as they are naturally the first component to capture one’s attention.
However, don’t miss the mark when it comes to dazzling captions and narrative.
Each card has its own caption, giving you even more opportunities to showcase your enticing ad copy.
Allow your carousel to tell a story with each card bringing a new or different element that makes users want to keep swiping. - Keep your audience in mind. When planning and creating your carousel ad, use imagery that is going to entice the user. If you are targeting those who have visited your website before, use product images or testimonials on your cards.
On the other hand, if you are targeting prospective customers, try using lifestyle images that look natural, yet attractive in their feed. - Keep it cohesive and continuous. Capturing your audience with the first card is the first goal you are trying to achieve.
The next goal is to get them to swipe through your ad.
Each card should tease at the next card, leaving the user on the edge of their seat and giving them a “need-to-complete” feeling. - Use a variety of links and landing pages. If you are promoting multiple products or services throughout your ad, ensure that each card links to the appropriate landing page. You can link to external websites, or to Facebook Pages, Facebook events, and Facebook offers within your ad.
- Demonstrate your brand identity. To be remembered, your creative needs to incorporate your brand. The final card should include your logo and brand identity.
However, every card should speak to your style and match your website with similar branding, colors, composition, and style.
This will make brand recognition easier when you re-target your audience.
When a brand feels familiar to a prospect, they subconsciously trust your company more and are more likely to purchase. - Get users to act now. Include a clear call to action (CTA) for your ad. The flexibility of carousel ads allows each card to have an individual CTA.
Ensure that the CTA makes sense with the correlating card and leads to the correct landing page.
Facebook Carousel Ad Examples
If you’re looking to seek out inspiration for examples of Facebook carousel ads, you are in luck. At No Limit Creatives, we have galleries that contain hundreds of tried-and-true, real ad examples. Notice how each series of cards flows smoothly and encourages the user to continue swiping through to the end.
Carousel Ad Example with Multiple Products
Carousel Ad Example that Highlights Product Features
Carousel Ad Example that Features a Cohesive Panorama
Carousel Ad Example that Showcases a Service
Carousel Ad Example using Instagram Stories
Carousel Ad Example that Shows Customer Reviews
These are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the endless variations of carousel ads that can be created.
If you’re wanting to scroll through our full gallery of Facebook ad examples, click here.
Ready to Swipe?
Don’t be fooled into thinking that Facebook carousel ads are only beneficial for e-commerce advertising.
If you are running lead gen campaigns, brand awareness, or traffic campaigns, carousel ads are still an effective tool for compelling visual storytelling.
No matter what your objective is, a top-tier carousel ad will make a user stop scrolling, swipe through your cards, and see what you have to offer.
Are you ready to experiment with different ad types and improve your ad performance? Carousel ads might be the missing puzzle piece in your Facebook marketing strategy.
Do you have a brilliant idea for a carousel ad? We can bring it to life! At No Limit Creatives, we provide all of the custom graphic and video designs you need for one low monthly rate.It’s time to take your agency, e-commerce brand, or small business to a whole new level. Click here to get started.