When it comes to running ads on Facebook it’s not as easy as grabbing an image and sharing it as an ad. There are multiple fields such as headline, format, description, CTA, website URL, display link… the list goes on and on.
For most, this can feel overwhelming and with all those fields it can be difficult to know what goes where. This is why we are here, to make sure you understand what fields matter so that you can create thumb-stopping Facebook ads and get back to running your business.
Here’s a list of all the fields Facebook asks businesses to fill out during the creative step. Click to jump ahead:
Format
First up is the format - the easy way to think about this is, what is your ad going to look like? There are 3 different types of ad formats that you can use: Carousel, Single Image or Video, Collection.
Carousel: This ad has multiple images or videos that a customer can swipe through.
Single Image or Video: This is exactly what it sounds like, a video or image that you have uploaded to Facebook.
Collection: In this format there is one main image or video and then four additional images laid out like a collage.
Media
Next up is choosing your media. When choosing media you have a couple of options.
First, you have the option to upload images or videos to use as your ad. If you created something from the Ripl Ads Collection and then saved it to your device you would upload it here.
Your other option is to use existing posts or previous ads. For example, if you notice one of your posts is getting a lot of attention and does the job of an ad it might be worth using that as your ad.
Edit Placement
We’re not going to spend too much time here because we think this is a step that most people can skip—even seasoned marketers will admit that customizing for each placement can be tedious and not worth the effort.
However, it is still worth mentioning that you can edit your ad so that it shows up differently on Instagram stories and in the Facebook Feed. Essentially, this part of the creation process allows for you to crop images and videos so that they show up exactly how you want in all realms of the Facebook Ads network.
Primary Text
Now that we have chosen the type of ad we want to run and selected our media we can get to copywriting!
The most important copy you will upload is the Primary Text - this shows up in the caption of your Instagram Feed ads and directly above the Facebook Feed ads. Best practice is to keep this below 125 characters.
Headline
Next we have the Headline—this is what shows up below your ad on Facebook and is in bold.
The headline should be short and to the point! If you are offering a discount or promoting a special this is a great place to emphasize that.
Description
One of the final places that you have to type is the Description. This text shows up below your headline on Facebook.
This field is optional and only shows up in a few placements. And while you do not have to fill it out this is a good place to remind people what your brand stands for and why they should support your business.
Call to Action (CTA)
The CTA or Call to Action is what helps inform your customer what actions to take. Facebook actually provides a pre-selected list so there is no reason to type.
If you are driving people to get more information about a home for sale you might choose “Learn More” but if you are selling makeup online you might choose “Show Now”.
Website URL
This is where all of the people who click on your ad will be directed. It is important to pick a page that will help you achieve the goals you want.
If you want people to learn about your business, take them to your website’s homepage. Or if you want people to order food online you can take them to your online delivery page.
Display Link
This might seem odd after you just entered a URL but now you can choose what that link shows up like in the ad. It will be displayed right below your headline.
We recommend keeping it simple by just showing what your website URL is. In fact, for our own Ripl ads we almost always use “www.ripl.com”.
Tracking
This last part is simple! If you have the Facebook Pixel installed on your website, make sure to turn "Conversion Tracking" on for the Facebook Pixel. If not, you can press publish and get your ad in front of customers.
By having this turned on you will be able to tracking things like purchases, items added to cart, sign-ups, and other events you have set up on your website.
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