When advertising on Facebook, it's crucial to keep in mind that an ad's image is its cornerstone. Although headlines, copy, and calls to action are essential, the image takes up a significant portion of the ad's real estate and is a crucial determinant of its performance. Have you ever used uninspired stock photos without much consideration? Such generic images perform poorly and fail to capture attention. (Don't fret; we've all been there.)

To help you improve your Facebook ad design, let's delve deeper into the subject of images. Here are six best practices that can help increase your clicks.

1. Incorporate text into your image

   While it's true that a picture is worth a thousand words, it's also possible to include actual words in that picture. However, it's important to use text with care since Facebook imposes a 20% limit on text within an image. You don't want to cram a Harry Potter-length novel into your image. Instead, you need to be strategic about your message.

   Focus on your value proposition. What is it about your advertised product that strongly resonates with viewers? And how can you express it clearly while adhering to Facebook's text guidelines?
   
   

   

   
   
   Take, for example, the brand Starbucks, which successfully implemented this strategy.
   This strategy can also be viewed as a means of screening and "prepping" your ad audience. The ad appeals to a particular segment of people who are intrigued by the value proposition. While free coffee has a broad appeal, there will always be those who are uninterested. By displaying the "Get a Free Coffee" upfront, these uninterested individuals know not to proceed further. They don't have to read the ad to grasp its basic premise. For those who are interested, however, the ad prepares them for what to expect when they read it.
   It's important to ensure that your image's value proposition aligns with your written text. For instance, you can't display "Free Coffee" in the image and then fail to mention meals in the primary text of your ad. The text in your image must be pertinent and work in tandem with the main written message.

   
   

2. Choose colors that catch the eye

   Are you familiar with the term "the clutter"? It was coined by marketer Chet Holmes to describe the overwhelming volume of messages that consumers encounter. Holmes argues that with the constantly increasing number of messages, capturing a consumer's attention is more challenging than ever.

   Regrettably, Facebook is no exception to this phenomenon. "The clutter" exists on Facebook as well, as evidenced by the sheer volume of content on users' newsfeeds. This section of Facebook is becoming increasingly crowded. As an advertiser, your task is to cut through the Newsfeed "clutter" and capture users' attention.
   According to AdEspresso, a simple way to accomplish this is by adding color to your ad. Even a small pop of color can make a significant difference in catching a reader's eye and directing their attention to your ad.
   
   

   

   
   However, it's important to choose the right colors carefully. This is where strategic thinking can pay off for you, both figuratively and literally. First, let's consider the wrong color to use, as there is certainly one color to avoid.
   Can you guess which color to avoid? It's blue. Using blue can actually work against you by making your ad blend in with Facebook's color scheme, which is primarily blue-based.
   However, there may be instances where you need to use blue. In those cases, it's best to use a bright shade of blue to help your ad stand out and compete with Facebook's own blue.
   If you want to avoid being limited to the blue color scheme of Facebook, consider using red instead. Elegant Themes presents a compelling argument for using red in an excellent ad.
   
   
   

3. Choose colors that stand out from the background

   Don't shy away from using contrasting colors in your ad. When colors that are vastly different are used together, it can work to your advantage. This isn't just a hypothetical statement; there is evidence to support the claim that contrasting colors make your ads more effective. An example of this is the experiment conducted by the team at Performable. They performed a split test on their website's CTA button by changing the color from green to red, which made it stand out against the green and grey background.
   Without a doubt, the change was effective. Merely modifying this one element led to a 21% increase in conversions. Granted, there could be other variables that contributed to the outcome of this experiment. Nevertheless, the findings make a compelling argument for the use of contrasting colors. This argument is further reinforced when considering it from a logical standpoint.
   
   

   

   
   On this color wheel, you'll find colors on opposite sides that sharply contrast with one another. For example, the orange colors in the top right are in stark contrast to the blues in the lower left. You can also see evidence of contrast in Performable's split test by observing the difference between the reds and greens in the wheel.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   
   

4. Include a "Call to Action" button

   To make your image more enticing to click, consider adding a "Call to Action" button within the ad. This creates the illusion of a clickable button, which resonates with people's online behavior of clicking buttons to perform various actions. This behavior is ingrained through repeated conditioning, where users have learned that clicking a button on a website can lead to a variety of actions, such as opening an email or saving a Netflix queue.
   If you want to make your Facebook ads more effective, consider adding a "Call to Action" (CTA) button to your ad image. By doing so, you can take advantage of people's natural tendency to click on buttons online. LeadPages is a great example of a company that uses CTA buttons in its Facebook ads.
   
   

   

   
   Directly stating what you want people to do when they see the button in your ad can further enhance the effectiveness of having a button. This way, when people see the "click-friendly" button in your ad, they will know exactly what action to take.
   
   

5. Emphasize Your Message with Varied Font Sizes

   Elegant Themes’ ad effectively demonstrates the impact of varying font sizes in an image. By enlarging the words “WordPress Theme,” the ad emphasizes the product’s primary feature and catches the viewer’s attention. The remaining text “The Ultimate” is still essential, but the advertiser wants to highlight that their product is a WordPress theme. The variation in text size directs the viewer's focus to the crucial product detail.
   
   
   

   

   
   
   

6. The Impact of Headshots on Ad Engagement

   The advertisement for "Rare Beauty" is noteworthy for its use of a headshot. By including a headshot of Selena, she becomes immediately recognizable to her Facebook followers. When these followers, who are likely the intended audience for the ad, see Selena’s headshot, it serves as a prompt for them to pay attention.
   
   

Conclusion

By implementing some of these tips and tricks, you can improve the performance of your Facebook ads and increase clickthrough rates. These strategies have been proven effective by established businesses and can help you create more effective and engaging ad images. Use them to your advantage and start seeing results in your Facebook advertising efforts.

Looking for inspiration on how to design Facebook Ads related to your specific business niche? Try using Ad Index is an incredible tool that can help you quickly and efficiently put your insights into motion for both internal marketing teams and external agencies alike. By utilizing this versatile platform, you can easily streamline the process of transforming ideas into actionable tasks and make sure everyone involved in the project stays on track with their objectives.