Informative

How and Why Your Business Should Consider Using Carousel Ads

There are several ways and formats in which brands can creatively develop content for their social media audience, however, some suit certain campaigns and objectives more than others. This blog will explain how the use of Carousel Ads has become so important, and why more and more businesses are considering them for their social media strategy.

What is a carousel ad?

A carousel ad is an ad format that allows you to display at least 2 and up to 10 images and/or videos, headlines and links or CTA’s (calls to action) in a single ad unit. Any business, active on Facebook or Instagram, can make use of this feature, which can help a company or brand achieve its advertising objectives. Users that come across your carousel ad can scroll through the number of carousel cards by swiping with their fingers, if using smartphones or tablets, whilst PC/laptop users can navigate through it by clicking on the arrows on the sides.

Why does the carousel ad format work better?

Since carousel ads allow the advertiser to fill up to 10 carousel cards with content, it gives you more room to tell the viewers about your story, service and/or products. Its complete flexibility will enable the use of all forms of content, giving you the opportunity to showcase your story in the most creative way possible. Its interactive features allow users to see the story from start to finish, allowing them to swipe forwards and backwards, and the chance to visit your website or page, with the aid of integrated call to action buttons. Used effectively, carousel ads can potentially help both the cost and conversion per click decrease.

What exactly can carousel ads be used for?

Present a single product

Some people might think that there’s no point in using the carousel ad format if all you want to do is advertise a single product. Wrong! The carousel will give you the opportunity to display your product from different angles and positions, giving more information and allowing you to highlight multiple available features. Every carousel card can include information about the different features and advantages that come with your product.

Present your product portfolio

Back when carousel ads were just introduced, one of the key advantages that companies picked up on, was the fact that they could display several of their products in a single ad unit. Visitors would be able to swipe through the various products on offer, increasing their choice and the chance that they’ll click on one of the carousel cards and visit the company’s website in order to find out more about the product. This would automatically increase website traffic, which in turn would improve revenue and operational efficiency, through a cheaper form of advertising.

Present a service

Since your company might offer a service rather than products, the carousel ad can be used to explain more about the service to the viewers. Additionally, it can also explain the advantages of this service to customers, whilst also explaining the manner in which the service can be used, all this in an interactive, creative carousel ad. This can also include links to articles and tips so that the viewer can educate him or herself more about the service.

Show how to use a product/service

In order to fully understand how a product or service works, visual aids are the most effective. This can be accomplished by explaining to viewers, how to use a certain product or service from start to finish, guiding them every step of the way using creative visual content such as videos, images and instructions. Each carousel card can elaborate on a specific part of the product or service, resulting in a crystal clear overview that can be easily navigated through.

Story behind the product/service

Through the use of creative and engaging content, you can give viewers an insight on the background and story of the product or service in question. By implementing an interesting narrative, you will be able to guide the viewers from one carousel card to the next, using compelling imagery, immersive videos and written content.

Benefits of being a customer

For brands, one of the most effective ways of demonstrating the success of certain products or services amongst its customers is developing creative, engaging content that truly reflects this. Using the carousel ad, show how different satisfied customers are enjoying your product or service, including videos and images that capture their interest and enjoyment. This can be a good way to persuade others to follow in their footsteps.

Where exactly can a carousel ad be posted?

This feature is readily available on both Facebook and Instagram, and like other ad formats, it can appear on different locations of these social platforms, depending on choice and budget.

Facebook

• Facebook News Feed
• Facebook right column
• Facebook Instant Articles
• Facebook Marketplace
• Messenger Home

Instagram

• Instagram News Feed
• Instagram Stories (Recently launched in February 2018, allowing up to three pieces of content per story, rather than the usual one)

Creative tips

• Use creative, engaging, coherent and cohesive content. Consistency is important, therefore the carousel cards should have a similar feel.
• Usually it’s a good idea to show the carousel cards with the highest performance in the beginning, in order to ensure that you can retain the viewer’s interest from the start. This increases their chances of eventually visiting your website and interacting with the brand.
• Utilising dynamic ads will enable you to target the audiences whose interest will be strongest towards your kind of products and services.
• Decide which landing page best suits each specific carousel card, so the user experience becomes smoother for the customer. The easier and more fluent the customer experience, the more likely your brand will leave a positive impression on the viewer.

Carousel ad recommended design

• Minimum number of cards: 2
• Maximum number of cards: 10
• Image file type: jpg or png
• Video file type: Supported file formats
• Video maximum file size: 4GB
• Video length: max. 240 mins
• Image maximum file size: 30MB
• Recommended resolution: at least 1080 x 1080px
• Recommended ratio: 1:1
• Text: 125 character
• Headline: 40 characters
• Link description: 20 characters
• Minimum image width in pixels: 600
• Minimum image height in pixels: 600
• Aspect ratio tolerance: 3%

The Carousel Ad format really does help bring flexibility to the table. It can be used for a range of objectives, while offering you more space to fill with engaging content, allowing you to tell your viewers more about your product(s) or service(s) and the stories behind them. Is your business using Carousel Ads yet for their social strategy? Why (not)? Let us know in the comments section below!