In ad spend and clickthrough rates, Facebook’s news feed is outperforming every other ad unit across Facebook and Instagram, the two major social media advertising platforms, according to a new study.Â
Social media marketing firm Socialbakers’sOpens a new window  recently released comprehensive social media trends report has revealed that over 60% of all ad spend on the two social media networks is dedicated to the Facebook newsfeed, which averaged a 1.7% clickthrough rate in Q2 2019, the best of any ad unit’s conversion on social.
In terms of where brands’ ad dollars are spent, Socialbakers reported that “Instagram feed came in a distant second at 20% and the rest of the top five — Instagram Stories, Facebook suggested video and Facebook in-stream video — combine for about 10%.â€
Facebook in control
A key takeaway from this data is that Facebook doesn’t seem to be struggling to keep its top spot as the social media advertising platform. Indeed, it’s raking in ad budgets and delivering solid KPIs.
Marketers should pay attention. As Amy Gesenhues writes in Marketing Land, for brands that need to deliver high-performing clickthrough rates “while keeping CPMs and CPCs in check…Facebook continues to prove itself, delivering strong and sturdy ad results.â€
This is especially interesting considering that over the past year or two, various reports and studiesOpens a new window  insisted that Instagram ad spend had been skyrocketing in comparison to Facebook. Coupled with the fact that Facebook’s daily active user growth rate for the most recent quarter was relatively muted at 8%, you could reasonably expect the social advertising shift from Facebook to Instagram predicted by many experts.
Yet, Facebook still rules as the dominant social platform for advertisers, not least because at $0.05, the combined total cost-per-click for Facebook’s three top ad units — the news feed, in-stream video and suggested video ads — costs the same as one Instagram story ad.
What makes a good Facebook news feed ad?
Admittedly, it can take a lot to design an effective Facebook ad, whether for the newsfeed or another ad unit on the platform.
Marketers can find many in-depth guides to help create the best campaigns on the social media network. If you’re after such tips and tricks, though, I recommend these articles written by fellow Toolbox contributor Peter Kowalke:
- 7 Keys for Creating Killer Facebook AdsOpens a new window
- 7 Tips for Marketing With Facebook on a BudgetOpens a new window
- 6 Tricks for Creating Better Facebook AdsOpens a new window
Meanwhile, here are some key trends and data that every brand planning a Facebook newsfeed campaign should have in mind:
Mobile, mobile, mobile
As with most everything in digital marketing these days, mobile is kingOpens a new window .
The Socialbakers report found that advertisements are seen by mobile users 95% of the time, versus just under 5% for desktop users.
In other words, although your campaigns should be responsive to all devices, pay special attention to mobile.
Focus on consistency across your Facebook campaign
Don’t forget that your ad on the news feed will send consumers somewhere else, whether to your homepage, Facebook page or a specific landing page with more information on the offer users have clicked on.
In the interest of providing the best and smoothest user experience, ensure that the image in your newsfeed ad, as well as the overall ad copy aesthetic, aligns with the rest of your campaign.
Consistency across all campaign ads, as well as the landing page(s) they lead to, will undoubtedly boost your conversions. Remember, CTRs don’t mean anything if those clicks aren’t turning into sales.
Plus, this alignment in images, themes and colors, for example, helps stop your audience from experiencing cognitive dissonance.
It’s all about audience attention
Ultimately, most advice you’ll read regarding how to create the best Facebook ads will reduce to the same point:Â Whether it’s about the media you employ in your ad (gifs, effective video ads, eye-catching images), or guidance on how to write headlines that highlight the benefit to the consumer or even design advice on the best calls-to-action, it’s all about grabbing and holding visitors’ attention.