We recently wrote a blog post on how Facebook has recently disabled their 20% text rule for ad images.
Since then, we’ve altered a lot of our campaigns in order to get the best reach possible with the new guidelines.
Images can be one of the most powerful factors in determining how well your ad is going to perform. So changing the way we create ad images meant noticing a significant difference not just in the reach of the advert, but also on the impact it had on the audience it was being shown to.
Here are a few of the things we noticed when playing around with different images:
Reach Vs Click Through Rates
While images with less text may have a better reach, you will need to keep a sharp eye on your stats to see whether the people being reached are even noticing your ad.
If the click through rates are low, the ad is simply not grabbing people’s attention.
So while your ad may be technically “reaching” a lot of people, it is not really performing unless the audience being reached is clicking and taking action on the advert.
Branding, branding, branding
Not using text in images means you are limited in what you can say through your creative – which is why you need to focus heavily on your branding elements.
People who are interested in the services you offer will recognize your colours, logo and design elements instead, which is what will make them take a moment to stop and go through what you are offering in your advert.
This is something especially important for people who do regular, long-term advertising on Facebook.
Strong Headlines
In the past, a lot of advertisers relied on their images to grab attention. However, it’s now become increasingly important to have strong, solid headlines to do the talking.
Your keywords should stand out, be placed towards the start of the sentence – and try to keep your headline simple. Snazzy headlines are great for creativity, but we’re trying to show our audience what we can offer them in the span of a thumb-scroll.. So make sure your headline immediately shows your value to them!
What changes have you made to your images and campaigns since Facebook’s 20% text rule change?
Are you facing problems with making your ads perform after this new rule has been implemented? Drop me a message to share your concerns.