Facebook continues to be a powerhouse for digital advertising, providing a myriad of ad formats to suit various marketing goals. In 2024, staying ahead of the curve means understanding and utilizing these formats effectively. This article explores the latest and the most important Facebook ad formats to help you optimize your campaigns and achieve outstanding results.
Laura Probstnerová
August 15, 2024
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News feed single image ads
News Feed Ads are a versatile format, perfect for showcasing products, services, or brands. These ads appear in the personalized stream of posts and activities on a user’s home page, making them highly visible and engaging.
Design specifications
File type: JPG / PNG
Ratio and resolution: 1.91:1 ratio: 1200 x 630 pixels 1:1 ratio: 1080 x 1080 pixels 4:5 ratio: 1080 x 1350 pixels
Text recommendations
Primary text: 50 - 150 characters
Headline: Up to 27 characters
Technical requirements
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Minimum width: 600 pixels
Instagram single image ad
Design specifications
File type: JPG / PNG
Ratio and resolution: 1:1 ratio with at least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Text recommendations
Primary text: 125 characters
Headline: 40 characters
Maximum number of hashtags: 30
Technical requirements
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Minimum width: 500 pixels
Best practices
Use high-resolution images
Ensure clear branding
Include compelling CTAs
Align visuals with your brand’s messaging
Leverage Panoramas or 360 Photos for an interactive experience, supported by Facebook for specific campaign objectives
News feed video ads
Video ads are more engaging and can tell a story in a way that static images can’t. They are perfect for showcasing product features, customer testimonials, or behind-the-scenes content.Video ads receive 10-30% more views and have a 20% higher engagement rate compared to image ads, according to Facebook.
Facebook feed video
Design recommendations
File type: MP4 / MOV / GIF
Ratio - Desktop or mobile: 1:1
Ratio - Mobile-only: 4:5
Video settings: H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan and stereo AAC audio compression at over 128 kbps
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video captions: Optional, but recommended
Video sound: Optional, but recommended
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 125 characters
Headline: Up to 27 characters
Description: Up to 27 characters
Technical requirements
Video length: 1 second to 241 minutes
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Minimum dimensions: 120 x 120 pixels
Instagram Feed Video
Design recommendations
File type: MP4 / MOV / GIF
Ratio: from 1.91:1 to 4:5
Resolution: Minimum width 1080 pixels
Video captions: Optional, but recommended
Video sound: Optional, but recommended
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 125 characters
Maximum number of hashtags: 30
Technical requirements
Video length: 1 second to 60 minutes
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Minimum width: 500 pixels
Carousel ads
Carousel ads are perfect for showcasing multiple products or services through a combination of images and videos, making them an excellent option to engage and attract potential buyers. These ads allow for interactive storytelling, letting users swipe through different cards to explore your offerings in detail.
You can place carousel ads in various placements, including Facebook Feed, Instagram Feed, and the Audience Network, but they are not supported in Messenger Inbox, Facebook Stories, Facebook In-Stream Videos, Messenger Sponsored Messages, and Facebook Instant Articles. Use this format to highlight a range of products or tell a multi-faceted brand story.
Facebook carousel
Design recommendations
File type: JPG / PNG / MP4 / MOV / GIF
Ratio - Desktop or mobile: 1:1 or 4:5
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 80 characters
Headline: Up to 45 characters
Description: Up to 18 characters
Landing page URL: Required
Technical requirements
Number of carousel cards: 2 to 10
Image maximum file size: 30 MB
Video maximum file size: 4 GB
Video length: 1 second to 240 minutes
Instagram carousel
Design recommendations
File type: JPG / PNG / MP4 / MOV / GIF
Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 125 characters
Maximum number of hashtags: 30
Landing page URL: Required
Technical requirements
Number of carousel cards: 2 to 10
Image maximum file size: 30 MB
Video maximum file size: 4 GB
Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
Story Ads
Stories bring your business to life in an immersive, full-screen vertical format, complete with options to add stickers, emojis, and other creative elements. These ads appear between organic Stories, capturing attention with movement and sound to highlight your product, service, or brand.
Video ads under 35 seconds play for the full duration, while longer videos are split into separate Stories cards. One to three cards may be displayed before prompting viewers to tap “Keep Watching” to view the rest of the video.
Image Story Ads
Design recommendations
File type: JPG / PNG
Ratio: 9:16
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 125 characters
Headline (for Facebook and Messenger Stories): Up to 40 characters
Technical requirements
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Minimum width: 500 pixels
Video Story Ads
Design recommendations
File type: MP4 / MOV / GIF
Ratio: 9:16
Video settings: H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan and stereo AAC audio compression at over 128 kbps
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Video captions: Optional, but recommended
Video sound: Optional, but recommended
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 125 characters
Headline (for Facebook and Messenger Stories): Up to 40 characters
Technical requirements
Video length: 1 second to 2 minutes
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Minimum width: 500 pixels
Best Practices
Leave roughly 14% (250 pixels) of the top and 20% (340 pixels) of the bottom of the video free from text and logos
Story ads are fleeting, so convey your message quickly
Use eye-catching visuals and motion graphics
Reels Ads
Reels enable people, creators, and businesses to craft entertaining short-form videos and share them with their followers. Reels ads offer an immersive, mobile-optimized format, perfect for reaching high-intent audiences.
Use Reels ads to tell your brand story uniquely and authentically, whether through trending challenges or educational tutorials that highlight your products.
These full-screen vertical ads appear between organic Reels content, allowing users to comment, like, save, share, and skip ads. You may also use an image for this ad format.
Design recommendations
File type: JPG / PNG / MP4 / MOV
Ratio: 9:16
Video settings: H.264 compression, square pixels, fixed frame rate, progressive scan and stereo AAC audio compression at over 128 kbps
Resolution: At least 500 x 888 pixels
Video captions: Optional, but recommended
Video sound: Optional, but recommended
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 72 characters
Headline (for Facebook and Messenger): Up to 10 characters
Technical requirements
Video length: Up to 90 seconds on Facebook and 15 minutes on Instagram
Maximum file size: 4 GB
Minimum width: 500 pixels
Best Practices
Reels ads should not contain licensed music or product tags
Capture attention in the first few seconds
Leave roughly 14% of the top, 35% of the bottom and 6% on each side free from text, logos or other key elements
Experiment with different video styles to see what resonates best with your audience
Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace makes it easy to discover, buy, and sell goods, either locally or globally. Advertisers can use the Facebook Marketplace placement to reach an active community of people already interested in purchasing products.
You can showcase your products or services on Facebook Marketplace with compelling images to attract potential buyers. This platform is particularly effective for selling products or services locally, as it targets an audience with high purchase intent. Utilize eye-catching photos to highlight your brand and drive engagement in this dynamic marketplace.
Design recommendations
File type: JPG / PNG
Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 125 characters
Headline: Up to 40 characters
Description: Up to 30 characters
Technical requirements
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Messenger
Sponsored Messages
Sponsored messages offer a fantastic opportunity to reengage your audience. Utilize them to send offers, promotions, or updates to individuals you’ve previously connected with on Messenger.
Design recommendations
File type: JPG / PNG
Ratio: 1:91:1
Resolution: At least 1200 x 628 pixels
Text recommendations
Text greeting: Up to 300 characters
Image title: Up to 80 characters
Image subtitle: Up to 80 characters
Technical requirements
Video length: Up to 90 seconds on Facebook and 15 minutes on Instagram
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Minimum width: 500 pixels
Messenger Inbox
Ads in Messenger Inbox appear between conversations. When a viewer clicks on an ad, it expands into a detailed view within the Messenger app, complete with a call-to-action button.
Design recommendations
File type: JPG / PNG
Ratio: 1:1
Resolution: At least 1080 x 1080 pixels
Text recommendations
Primary text: Up to 125 characters
Headline: Up to 25 characters
Technical requirements
Video length: Up to 90 seconds on Facebook and 15 minutes on Instagram
Maximum file size: 30 MB
Minimum width: 500 pixels
Conclusion
Staying updated with the latest ad formats and specifications is essential for running successful Facebook ad campaigns. By optimizing your ads according to the latest specs and following best practices, you can enhance engagement, drive conversions, and achieve your marketing goals. Keep experimenting and refining your strategies to stay ahead in the competitive digital landscape of 2024.
