My mother always told me that better things come in small packages. I guess she was just trying to teach me how quality and value is better than quantity. But when we apply this to Facebook advertising, is it really the same case?
I want to take a look at the changes Facebook have recently made to their Ads. You’ve probably noticed that with the addition of Timeline many things on Facebook have changed; Facebook Ads are a part of these changes.
Facebook has recently reduced the size of their Ads that most small businesses use. Originally the ads allowed a 110 x 80 pixel image and 135 characters of body copy. This has now been reduced to a 99 x 72 pixel image and only 90 characters of body copy.
This means Facebook Ads are now 19% smaller than before. It was already hard enough to try capture ones audience’s attention before, but now we have a smaller area to do the same amount of work with, and we’re still paying the same amount in bids!
I’m not saying that you should steer clear from Facebook Ads, I think they’re a great way to access consumers, but only if your strategy is right. If you’re Facebook Ads aren’t clear and eye-capturing (now more than before) and your strategy isn’t right, you won’t get any clicks.
However, Facebook has been a little cheeky… they’re now offering premium homepage ads that have a 168 x 128-pixel image with 90 characters of body copy, but you can only purchase these types of ads through a Facebook sales representative and are charged at a ‘premium’ price… hence why they’re called ‘Premium Ads’.
So, let’s go back to the concept of better things come in small packages. Can we apply this to Facebook Advertising?
I believe there is a ‘yes’ and a ‘no’ answer for this.
No, you can’t apply this concept to Facebook Advertising now, purely because the ‘big’ companies that can afford to purchase and maintain Facebook Premium Ads have the budget to afford ongoing Facebook Ads campaigns. These large brands have the backing power of great marketing teams to implement effective cross-media campaigns, with effective slogans and fantastic imagery. So how could the smaller ads even compare to these?
Well, yes, they can compare. For small business, Facebook Ads are a great cost-effective method to market their services. They’re not that expensive and if you’re smart, you’ll be able to convey a really compelling message in that tiny ad space and generate fantastic results. Remember that the image is what captures the viewers’ attention, and then the compelling copy. But you can’t forget about the landing page. If your landing page isn’t up to scratch, then your viewer won’t convert.
I guess, all-in-all Facebook has made it harder for small businesses to be seen with Facebook Ads. But doing the best with what you’ve got will still work out in favour of the advertiser; whether it’s the big business with their big ad, or the small business with their normal Facebook Ad. Size matters, sometimes, so whether or not small is or isn’t better, it purely depends on the ad content.
So if you’re one of those small businesses that have been asking themselves why other businesses have bigger ads than you, it’s because of these new changes. Don’t get upset that the big boys are still trying to take over, just get back to your strategy and make sure your Facebook Ads are successful in converting – that’s all you need!