Best Practices for Facebook Carousel Ads

Author: Kaitlyn Partington Category: Social Media & Digital Date: January 27, 2022

Facebook algorithms seem to be constantly changing, making it harder for an organization’s content to be seen by either its target audiences or new ones. This leaves marketers in the position to be always searching for new and creative ways to make sure their outreach reaches its intended audience on the social media platform. One engaging and effective way to do that is through Facebook carousel ads. To take advantage of this feature, it is important to keep some carousel ads for Facebook best practices in mind.

A Facebook image carousel is a digital ad design format that allows you to show up to 10 images or videos in the same digital ad, each with the ability to have its own headline, description, web link, and call to action. When using a desktop, users click on an arrow to scroll through the visuals, or they can swipe if they are using a mobile or other touchscreen device. The process for how to create Facebook carousel ads is simple using the platform’s interface, and the ads are more affordable, costing 30 to 50% lower per conversion than other ad types, according to Facebook. They are interactive, break up the monotony of a user’s feed, and draw attention.

Carousel ads are a versatile digital ad design and offer many opportunities to tailor them to meet your needs. Here are some carousel ads for Facebook best practices to help you get a higher return on investment.

Choose your visuals carefully. When deciding how to create a photo carousel on Facebook, make sure your images and videos are the star of the show. Carousel ads for Facebook best practices should urge you to lead with the most compelling image, and make sure all the following ones are cohesive in their style and tone.

Think outside of the box. Make the most of the added real estate you get with a carousel ad. Show multiple angles of your product, highlight different items that go together, or sequence your visuals to show customers how to use your product. Mix up still images with videos. Look for ways to tell a story with your ad. People are innately drawn to storytelling, and being able incorporate it is one of the advantages of a carousel vs. single image Facebook ad.

Take advantage of all the features. Be sure to use all the features offered in the format – utilize the headlines, descriptions, and buttons to add context and complement each other. Avoid repeating text if possible. Carousel ads for Facebook best practices dictate that you not let a single character go to waste.

Customize each slide. We repeat – do not repeat (did we lose you?) your text. Keeping the same text on each slide will make your potential customers’ eyes glaze over and won’t compel them to keep scrolling. Use carousel ads for Facebook best practices by pairing up each visual with tailored text and, when possible, a unique link.

Follow Facebook specifications. Carousel ads for Facebook best practices means adhering to the design recommendations outlined by Facebook. Otherwise, the social media platform may reject the ad before it runs. These include:

• Facebook carousel ads size for images should be 600 x 600 pixels with a 1:1 ratio
• Maximum text is 90 characters
• Maximum headline text is 40 characters
• Maximum link description length is 20 characters
• Images cannot be more than 20% text

Facebook carousel ads are a great way to engage your audiences, diversify your digital ad strategy, and liven up your marketing. Following carousel ads for Facebook best practices can help you optimize this powerful tool. Paradigm’s social media marketing services can help you use social media to engage with your audience, build brand awareness and – when combined with other marketing initiatives – help you meet your sales goals. Reach out to our experts today.