What makes a great Facebook ad?

This photo of glittery shoes and confetti made us a lot of money this year.

We used it on a Facebook ad that outperformed 13 others and doubled our conversion rate.

You might be thinking…
How can a simple photo be responsible for all that?

Let us explain…

There’s a common saying in the publishing world… 

Art attracts. Copy sells.

It means that the artwork on the cover pulls the viewer in, but they won’t buy it unless the copy is compelling.

Think about it:

You’re standing in front of a rack of magazines, scanning a dozen covers at once, looking for one that catches your eye.

You’re trying to figure out… What looks exciting? What looks relevant to me?

It’s the artwork that’s doing the job of pulling you in or attracting you to it.

Finally, you pick one up and read the copy on the cover.

It’s the copy that helps you decide whether it interests you enough to buy it.

Here’s the thing:

If the artwork isn’t compelling, you’ll never get far enough to read the copy.

If the copy isn’t compelling, it doesn’t matter how much you like the image, it’s going back into the rack.

Makes sense, right?

So, what does that have to do with Facebook ads?

Well, as it turns out, a lot.

Successful ads include two main elements

1. Art that attracts the viewer

2. Copy that sells them on the product or offer

Remember:
Art attracts. Copy sells.

You know when you’re sitting on the couch, stuck in endless-scroll-mode on Facebook, and suddenly something catches your eye, causing you to pause & read it?

That’s your goal with the imagery you choose for your Facebook ads — to stop the scroll.

Much like this one did for our audience:

Your ad artwork

The artwork you choose for your ads has to do 3 jobs:

1. Catch the viewer’s attention

Think: unexpected combinations, abundant white space, a dramatic layout, or high contrast imagery.

Consider incorporating people into your ad if it makes sense for your brand. Studies show that ads featuring a person’s face attracted 91.7% more attention than non-face ads.

2. Resonate with your target audience

Think about your target audience and what type of visuals they’d be most attracted to.

If your ideal customer is a busy mom, maybe calm images are much more appealing to her.

On the other hand, we cater to creatives who spend a lot of time browsing trend-forward artwork online, so we choose bold, colorful images that will stand out to them.

3. Make it relevant to your message

In the end, it’s super important that your visuals match your messaging. It can be confusing for viewers if your copy or your offer are disconnected from the vibe of your artwork.

In this example, our download was about being unforgettable, so we needed something that emphasized that message. 

But you can’t stop there. 

Whether the viewer takes action is all dependent on the copy.

We tested a mix of headlines and descriptions—each focusing on a different end benefit—to find the one that had the highest click-thru-rate.

Our top tips for copy that resonates:

1. Focus on a benefit

What pain will your solution alleviate?

What will the customer gain after using your solution?

2. Use their words

Think about how your clients or customers describe the problem they come to you for, and use the same language in your ads.

3. Include a strong call-to-action

Tell them exactly what you want them to do: download, call, register, buy.

Don’t be shy! Remember, there’s a lot of content out there. It’s good to be direct.

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Next time you’re creating your own graphics, remember:

Art attracts. Copy sells.