Strategies for Creating Facebook Images that Attract More Clicks
In a recent study testing 35 different Facebook ad designs, researchers found that the combination of high-quality, relevant, and eye-catching images or videos plays a crucial role in driving clicks.
The study, spanning over a few weeks, aimed to identify the visual elements that would capture attention and entice users to click through to a website.
Key visual elements that emerged from the study include:
- Short-form videos: Short-form videos, such as Instagram Reels and TikTok-style clips, are immersive, easy to consume, and shareable. About 78% of consumers prefer learning about products via short videos[1]. These videos should focus on showing the product's impact or customer outcomes rather than just features, creating an emotional connection that encourages clicks[1].
- Visual storytelling: Ads that tell a compelling story about the product or its impact on customers perform better. This approach creates an emotional connection that encourages clicks[1].
- Strong visual hierarchy: A clear visual hierarchy is essential, with the hero product or main benefit claim dominating roughly 40-50% of the ad space. Secondary elements like concise text, clear call-to-action buttons, and brand logos should be used to support the main visual[2].
- Mobile-first design: With over 70% of traffic being mobile, ads should be optimized for small screens. This includes larger, readable text, simplified layouts, touch-friendly buttons, and fast-loading images[2].
- Brand consistency: Visuals should feel native to the platform and maintain brand consistency across campaigns. This is achieved by aligning colour schemes, typography, and imagery style that resonates with the target audience[1][2].
- Thumb-stopping content: Visuals should be compelling enough to interrupt scrolling by being immediately relevant and intriguing even without text[4].
The study also found that left-aligned text performs significantly better than right-aligned or centered text in ads. Recognizable images, such as memes, can lead to more clicks. A dark color scheme can lead to more clicks, as demonstrated by an ad that included a picture of the product and the instruction "Click to Download".
The most effective ad from the second test used a more metaphorical image of a beautiful night sky, while the second most successful ad used a dark color scheme and a large, red call-to-action button. An ad that included a graph received 86% more clicks than the average.
However, thousands of guides on Facebook ad visuals are either too broad, not immediately actionable, or require a professional design team. To help with the next campaign, customizable Facebook image templates were created.
In summary, the combination of short-form video storytelling, strategic visual hierarchy, mobile optimization, and brand-consistent, eye-catching images or videos drives clicks most effectively in Facebook ads according to current design research and trends testing multiple ad designs[1][2][4]. The goal of Facebook ads is to catch someone's eye with visuals and compelling copy, and get them to click through to a site.
- The study shows that using captivating short-form videos, such as Instagram Reels or TikTok-style clips, in combination with compelling storytelling and a strong visual hierarchy, can lead to increased clicks on Facebook ads.
- Incorporating thumb-stopping visuals, like eye-catching images or videos, that are consistent with a brand's visual identity and optimized for mobile devices, can make a significant difference in the number of clicks received by Facebook ads.
